Published 11:43pm Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Associated Press

 

BALTIMORE — The Cincinnati Bengals have surprised quite a few people with their impressive start this season. The Baltimore Ravens are not among those on the list.

Cincinnati went 4-12 last year and still beat the Ravens. Baltimore is 5-4 in its last nine regular-season games against Pittsburgh and 3-6 against the Bengals.

So don’t go telling the Ravens (6-3) that Sunday’s showdown for first place in the AFC North is an unexpected development.

“I knew they were always on the brink of being a good team,” Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “Now they’re winning games.”

Suggs is the Ravens’ career sacks leader, but he didn’t have one last year against Cincinnati (6-3). On Sunday he will be chasing quarterback Andy Dalton, whose 14 touchdown passes over the first nine games is the most by a rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

Four different Cincinnati receivers have at least 26 catches and two touchdowns, most notably A.J. Green (41 receptions, six TDs). Green’s return from a right knee injury sustained in last week’s 24-17 loss to the Steelers won’t be determined until game time, but coach Marvin Lewis still has plenty of options to send at the renowned Baltimore defense he ruled from 1996-2001.

“They’ve got some good weapons over there,” Suggs said. “This team is not only dangerous, but they’re special. Marvin Lewis knows that. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. We definitely have some work to do, especially after last week.”

Ah, last week. Coming off an uplifting win in Pittsburgh, the Ravens inexplicably lost at Seattle to tumble out of first place.

“We lost a game. Nobody feels good about it, but at the same time, we can’t really ride that wave and be on emotional highs and lows,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “We have to get ready to play another game — a very important game.”

The winner climbs into a first-place tie with Pittsburgh, and the Ravens own the tiebreaker with the Steelers. The Bengals can ill afford to drop into third place with an 0-1 record against each of the top two teams.

“I think that’s really key, that (the Ravens) have kind of put their best foot forward already in the division by beating the Steelers twice,” Lewis said. “So for Pittsburgh and us and Cleveland … we’re all kind of playing uphill to the Ravens right now. This is a big football game that way. If you want to win your division, you’ve got to win the division games.”

Cincinnati is 4-1 on the road this season, but this will be its toughest test to date. The Ravens have won six in a row at home and 14 of 15.

“That’s our challenge, to win again on the road,” Lewis said. “We know that, like some places we’ve played this year, it can get loud. But we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do — be efficient on offense and be exact on defense. Then it just comes down to playing football.”

Cincinnati’s six wins are against teams with a combined 22-36 record, but the Bengals feel no need to defend themselves after their strong showing in defeat against Pittsburgh.

“It was tough that we ended up losing, but we were in the game the whole time,” said Dalton, who brought Cincinnati back from an early 14-0 deficit. “And so, we do have confidence we’re going to be in a lot of these games.”

After facing the mighty defense of the Steelers, Dalton now must rebound against a unit similarly stocked with veteran talent.

“It seems like when you talk about Baltimore and you talk about their defense, you talk about Ray Lewis you talk about Ed Reed,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to get a chance to play them.”

Although Dalton has been intercepted nine times, the Bengals have lost only one fumble and own a plus-3 turnover differential.

“I think that they’re winning in the same way they played last year,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “They’re just doing it a little bit better in the sense that they’ve really protected the football. That’s probably the No. 1 key. They’re playing excellent defense and they’re moving the football. They are a well-rounded football team.”

It’s nothing Harbaugh hasn’t seen before from Cincinnati.

“They’ve beaten us plenty of times. We’ve always had a ton of respect for the Bengals,” he said. “It’s a big rivalry game for us. It’s one of the toughest games we play every single year. One of the most physical games we play, and that’s what we’re gearing up for.”

Baltimore has won its last 11 games following a loss — the longest current streak in the NFL — and is 14-4 in that situation during Harbaugh’s three-year tenure. Ravens fans lamented the defeat the Seattle for days, but the players quickly went into bounce-back mode.

“It hasn’t been difficult,” Suggs said. “We’re all professionals here.”

 

CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Steelers intercepted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton twice in the fourth quarter to preserve a 24-17 victory Sunday.

Pittsburgh earned its 11th win in its past 13 games at Paul Brown Stadium.

Rashard Mendenhall’s second touchdown run of the game, a 9-yard burst up the middle in which he ran through multiple tackles, provided the point differential. Interceptions by linebacker Lawrence Timmons and cornerback William Gay thwarted Cincinnati comeback attempts.

The result snapped a five-game winning streak for the Bengals, who dropped to 6-3, and gave the Steelers (7-3) their first AFC North win of the season as they head into their bye week.

Pittsburgh was coming off a 23-20, last-second loss at home against Baltimore, but the Steelers didn’t allow the Bengals’ rookie quarterback to duplicate what Joe Flacco did last Sunday night. Gay was in coverage against Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith when Smith caught the 26-yard winning touchdown pass from Flacco with eight seconds to play.

“It’s just good to be 7-3,” Gay said. “In the cornerback position, you can’t dwell on what happened last week, you just move on. That’s what I did. As soon as the play was over with last week, I gave thanks to God, and I just moved on.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sacked five times to bring his season total to 31 but still completed 21 of 33 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Mendenhall finished with just 44 yards on 16 carries but now has six rushing touchdowns this season.

The Steelers rushed for 105 yards as a team to become just the second team to reach 100 yards against the Bengals this season.

Dalton was 15 of 30 for 170 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Steelers are now 13-1 against rookie quarterbacks since Dick LeBeau returned as defensive coordinator in 2004, including 10-1 in games in which the rookie was facing Pittsburgh for the first time.

“I feel like we had a really good grasp on what they were doing,” Dalton said. “Even with all of the movements and shifts that they were doing, I still thought we had a good feel. They did throw some things at us, but I thought we adjusted well and handled it.”

The game was played in windy conditions. Winds were blowing at 23 mph from the south at kickoff and gusted throughout the afternoon.

The Steelers took advantage of the wind immediately. The defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Kevin Huber’s punt into the wind traveled just 38 yards, allowing the Steelers to take possession at their own 46-yard line.

Roethlisberger scrambled away from a blitz on third-and-10 from the Cincinnati 16 and hit a wide open Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone for a touchdown. It was the only third down Pittsburgh faced on its eight-play drive. The Steelers opened with a touchdown on their first drive for the fifth time in the past six games.

“We saw the blitz and everyone was on the same page at that time,” Cotchery said. “Ben felt the pressure, the line picked it up, Ben got out of the pocket, and we made the play from there.”

Pittsburgh increased its lead to 14-0 on a 2-yard run by Mendenhall with 3:37 left in the first quarter. Roethlisberger completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller on third-and-10 to set up the touchdown.

The Bengals got on the board with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to wide receiver A.J. Green with 24 seconds left in the first quarter. Dalton rolled to his left to avoid pressure and heaved the ball to the end zone, where Green outfought safeties Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu for his sixth touchdown of the season.

Green injured his right knee on the play. He returned to play on Cincinnati’s next series but played little in the second half.

“I just came down straight-legged, and my knee buckled,” said Green, who had an MRI performed after the game. “I don’t think it’s anything that serious. I think I’ll be back.”

The Bengals also lost starting cornerback Leon Hall to an Achilles injury in the second quarter. He also underwent an MRI after the game, but no results were immediately announced.

Mike Nugent’s 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter cut the Bengals’ deficit to 14-10, but the Steelers regained their touchdown advantage on a 39-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham 58 seconds before halftime.

The Bengals tied it up on their first drive of the third quarter. Dalton hit tight end Jermaine Graham with a 1-yard touchdown pass with 8:38 left in the quarter to even the score, 17-17.

Cincinnati had rallied from a 17-7 halftime deficit at Tennessee last week to beat the Titans 24-17. It was the fourth time this season the Bengals had won a game in which they trailed at some point in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers defense made sure the Bengals didn’t get a fifth comeback victory Sunday.

GAME NOTES: Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth previously had just three penalties called against him all season but was flagged twice in the second half, once for holding and once for illegal hands to the face. The second penalty wiped out what would have been a third-down conversion in the fourth quarter. … Two of the top pass rushers in the NFL did not play. The Steelers were without outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, while the Bengals were without defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Both players are out with hamstring injuries. Woodley leads the Steelers with nine sacks. Dunlap has three sacks to go along with 20 quarterback pressures. … Cincinnati cornerback Adam Jones missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Jones has played in just one play this season after returning from neck surgery. He suffered his hamstring injury while returning a punt 63 yards at Seattle on Oct. 30.

———————————————–

Read More: Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Carlos Dunlap (DE – CIN), Robert Sands (S – CIN), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals

The loss of defensive end Carlos Dunlap, hampered all week by a hamstring injury, could loom large for the Bengals in their critical AFC North matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

The surprising Bengals, 6-2 on the year and winners of five straight, have the 10th-ranked pass defense in the league, and even more impressively, the second-ranked rush defense. Cincinnati has allowed just eight passing touchdowns all year, and only gives up 84.5 yards per game on the ground. The loss of Dunlap might make Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger feel a bit more comfortable in the pocket, something the Bengals do not want to occur.

Here are the Bengals’ inactives for Week 10:

• TE Donald Lee
• DE Carlos Dunlap
• OL Clint Boling
• LB Dontay Moch
• CB Adam Jones
• S Robert Sands
• WR Ryan Wahlen

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit SB Nation’s Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the Cincinnati Bengals, visit SB Nation’s Bengals blog Cincy Jungle.   

Read More: Rashard Mendenhall (RB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday afternoon’s AFC North battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals could prove to be a defensive affair, never a good sign for fantasy players in their search for who to start. Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall could be in for a long day, as Cincinnati has the league’s second-best rush defense, allowing just 84.5 yards per game.

The fantasy football projection site numberFire ranks Mendenhall as just the 21st best play at running back this week. The Steelers’ running backs projected stats: 15.56 car, 68.47 yds, 1.14 rec for 9.98 yds, 0.4 TDs for 10.18 points.

One possible reason for optimism, though it comes with a caveat that the Bengals are a different team this year: Mendenhall ran the ball 40 times for 165 yards and a touchdown in two Pittsburgh wins over Cincinnati in 2010.

For more fantasy football coverage, advice, and analysis, please visit SB Nation Fantasy, and follow it on Twitter @SBNationFantasy. For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit SB Nation’s Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on theCincinnati Bengals, visit SB Nation’s Bengals blog Cincy Jungle.

CINCINNATI — For a team picked to finish last and in apparent disarray heading into the season, the Cincinnati Bengals are making many prognosticators look foolish.Riding their longest winning streak in more than 23 years and tied for the lead in the AFC North, the Bengals begin a stretch of four straight games against division rivals when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.Cincinnati’s offense hasn’t exactly been explosive — it ranks 22nd averaging 316.3 total yards — and it’s sure to be tested in the next four games, including two against Pittsburgh (6-3).The Steelers, who have won seven of the last nine meetings, rank third in the NFL in total defense allowing 280.2 yards per game. Cincinnati plays at Baltimore on Nov. 20 and hosts Cleveland on Nov. 27 before traveling to Pittsburgh on Dec. 4.”It’s a street fight,” said left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who caught a 1-yard touchdown pass in a 23-7 loss to the Steelers in the most recent meeting Dec. 12. “It’s a football game, but it’s like you’re meeting somebody in the school parking lot. That’s what it is. It’s football, but it’s a fight at the same time.”Pittsburgh, which is tied with Miami for last in the league with four takeaways, allowed a 13-play, 92-yard drive in the final 2 1/2 minutes of a 23-20 loss to Baltimore last Sunday night, giving up a touchdown pass with eight seconds remaining.”We lost a very tough, close ballgame, highly contested,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “Hopefully we will grow and learn from it. I know those will be our intentions. I truly believe that it will strengthen us moving forward.”Though the Steelers have had success against the Bengals in recent seasons, their meetings have been tight. Prior to Pittsburgh’s victory last December, the previous three games were decided by six points or fewer, with Cincinnati winning two.”Really, when you think about it, the last couple of years, the ball has ended up in their hands inside the 10-yard line or so, to win it at the very end,” Tomlin said. “We were fortunate enough to make a play a year ago (in a 27-21 win Nov. 8, 2010). We weren’t the year before that (when the Bengals threw a touchdown pass with 14 seconds remaining to win 23-20 on Sept. 27, 2009).”Ben Roethlisberger has averaged 352.0 yards while throwing six touchdowns over his last three games, though he hasn’t had similar success in recent meetings with Cincinnati.He hasn’t thrown for more than 280 yards while tossing 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 79.7 passer rating over the last 10 matchups. The Bengals have allowed eight passing touchdowns this season, tied for third-fewest in the NFL. Cincinnati has the league’s second-best run defense allowing 84.5 yards per game, while Pittsburgh ranks sixth giving up 95.6.The Steelers have shut down Benson through most of his career, holding him to 3.3 yards per carry and two touchdowns in six matchups.Pittsburgh’s LaMarr Woodley will miss a second straight game due to a hamstring injury, but fellow linebacker James Farrior is probable to return after missing two games with a calf problem.Cincinnati linebacker Rey Maualuga said he expects to play despite an injured ankle which has kept him out of the last three games.The holdout of Carson Palmer, trade of Chad Ochocinco to New England and impending suspension of Cedric Benson had many predicting no better than a repeat of last season’s dismal 4-12 performance.Palmer has since been traded to Oakland and Ochocinco has been ineffective for the Patriots, while Benson and rookie quarterback Andy Dalton have helped lead the Bengals (6-2) to the top of their division, tied with Baltimore.Cincinnati has won five straight after beating Tennessee 24-17 last week, marking its longest winning streak since a six-game run in 1988 — the last time the Bengals appeared in the Super Bowl.Dalton has experienced some growing pains but has been an adequate replacement for Palmer, throwing for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Be a part of our “Fan Appreciation Day” on Monday by sharing your fan photos & videos with u local on WTAE.com.

Read More: James Harrison (LB – PIT), Troy Polamalu (SS – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Vince Young (QB – PHI), Cedric Benson (RB – CIN), LaMarr Woodley (LB – PIT), Andre Caldwell (WR – CIN), Jerome Simpson (WR – CIN), Rashard Mendenhall (RB – PIT), Mike Wallace (WR – PIT), Antonio Brown (WR – PIT), Andy Dalton (QB – CIN), A.J. Green (WR – CIN), Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers

Sunday afternoon couldn’t come sooner for Steeler Nation. After a heartbreaking 23-30 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 9, fans are hoping the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) can get back in the win column on the road against the surging Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) prior to their bye week.  The winner on Sunday will, at worst, have sole possession of second place in the AFC North. Were Baltimore to lose at Seattle, the winner would vault into first place in the division, and in the case of the Bengals first place in the entire AFC. 

Here’s a few facts, figures and trends for the two teams heading into Week 10:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

 

• With win, Mike Tomlin can join HOFer Chuck Noll (193), Bill Cowher (149) & Raymond ‘Buddy’ Parker (51) as 4th head coach in club history to reach 50 regular-season wins.
• Steelers have won 8 of past 9 at Cin.
• QB Ben Roethlisberger is 6-1 at Cin. & has 10 TDs vs. 5 INTs & 98.7 passer rating. Aims for 4th straight game with 300+ passing yards (361, 365, 330).
• RB Rashard Mendenhall had 99 rush yards with 1 TD in last game at Cin. Mendenhall (24) needs 1 rush TD to become 8th player in Steelers history with at least 25 rush TDs.
• WR Mike Wallace aims for 3rd consecutive game with 100+ rec. yards (102, 110) at Cin. 
• WR Antonio Brown had career-best 109 rec. yards last week & has reached 100+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3.
• LB LaMarr Woodley  (48) needs 2 sacks to become 6th player in franchise history with 50 career sacks. Unfortunately, it appears as if Woodley will have to wait until after the bye week to accomplish that feat, as he’s been ruled out for Sunday with a lingering hamstring injury.
• LB James Harrison has 5 sacks in 5 games in ’11. Harrison has 3 sacks in past 4 vs. Bengals.
• S Troy Polamalu tied career-best with 2 INTs in last meeting vs. Cin., incl. 45-yard INT-return TD 

BENGALS:

• With win, Cincinnati can tie for 2nd-longest single-season win streak in franchise history (6 in ’73, ’75, ’88).
• Rookie QB Andy Dalton (2nd round, No. 35) had career-best 3 TD passes last week. Dalton has 12 TD passes, most by rookie in team’s 1st 8 games of season since merger (’70). Dalton aims to become 1st rookie QB w/ 6 straight wins since Vince Young (6) in ’06. Dalton (1,696) needs 159 passing yards to surpass Greg Cook (1,854 in ’69) for most passing yards by rookie in club history.
• RB Cedric Benson is averaging 81 rush yards per game in past 3 in Nov. (243 total).
• Rookie WR A.J. Green (1st round, No. 4) leads NFL rookies in rec. (40), rec. yards (599) & TD catches (5).
• WR Andre Caldwell recorded 2nd TD catch of season last week. 
• WR Jerome Simpson aims for 3rd consecutive game with TD rec…Bengals allow 85.4 rush yards per game in ’11, 2nd-best in NFL (49ers, 70.8)…Defense has recorded 9 FRs this season, 2nd-most in NFL (Bal., 10).

Report an error

TORONTO - 

Ain’t love grand. The Cincinnati Bengals have come out of nowhere to post a 6-2 record.

They’ve done it with a quarterback who looks like he spends all his off hours playing video games in his mother’s basement. And, a city known for its sports miscreants, is taking a walk on the mild side.

Who could ever have seen this coming?

This is a franchise that has had more players at the top of police blotters than on the NFL leader boards. The only thing they’ve led the league in for most of the past decade is trouble.

When they had little talent, they played down to their level. When they did have good players the only thing they led the league in was ego.

Through it all they had one saving grace, quarterback Carson Palmer, and this year he gave the team, its owner, and ultimately the city itself, the finger — and not the one signifying “We’re No. 1” either.

From those ashes has emerged Andy Dalton, quarterback of small renown. This week he was mobbed at an autograph session at Paul Brown Stadium.

He has taken a team few thought could go anywhere and put them in a position to challenge the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, dreaded behemoths of the AFC North.

This weekend the Steelers come to town. “Everybody’s excited,” Dalton told the team’s official site. “Especially this week because we’re playing Pittsburgh.”

And the Steelers will not arrive in good humour having blown a fourth-quarter lead when it allowed a 92-yard drive to the Ravens. The Steelers also have further motivation in that this game has crucial division tie-breaker implications, considering they’ve already been swept by Baltimore. A loss to the upstart Bengals could be devastating to the defending champions.

On the other hand, a Cincinnati win marks then as legitimate contenders in the AFC North. And the Steelers’ seem to be paying at least grudging respect to Dalton. “He has great moxie for a young quarterback and he’s doing an extremely good job for those guys,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark, told reporters this week.

Dalton never had the profile of Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton. He didn’t get surprisingly mega million deals unproven backup Kevin Kolb and in the lead-up to last April’s draft, all over the NFL there were doubts about the TCU quarterback.

He didn’t have the talent.

His arm was too weak.

But where the rest of the NFL saw issues; the Bengals saw and answer, turning the team over to him in the wake of Palmer’s desertion. He has proven unflappable completing 158 passes for 257 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has developed a trust with his receivers Tim Tebow could only pray for, plus he has Cedric Benson running the ball for 536 yards to take the pressure off the passing game.

So, this could be closer than the Steelers’ faithful might suspect. Pittsburgh’s defence will be without linebacker LaMarr Woodley and safety Troy Polamalu is playing hurt. On top of which, Dalton has been superb picking apart the blitz, completing 63% of his passes, with three touchdowns, a 95.4 rating, that includes no interceptions. And, while the Steelers’ defence hasn’t played poorly, it hasn’t been getting their signature “big” plays. They are last in the league in takeaways, tied with the Dolphins.

Still, Dick LeBeau’s defence’s habitually turn rookie QBs into puddles of quivering jello.

Since LeBeau returned to the Steelers as defensive coordinator in 2004, rookies are 1-9 when facing Pittsburgh for the first time, including Joe Flacco, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Clausen and Gabbert. The only rookie to come away with a win was Troy Smith, in the last game of the 2007 season. “We’ll find out what we’re made of,” offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. “We’ve played some very good defences already but Pittsburgh is in their own category. The physicality they bring will be a great challenge.”

This will be Dalton’s, and the Bengals, moment of truth. Beating Tennessee was nice; beating the Steelers would be a defining moment.

QUICK HITS

St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said Friday that Sam Bradford’s ankle is much better and he’ll start Sunday … Tony Romo’s ribs have finally healed completely for the first time since Sept. 18 and he is debating whether to wear the protective vest and taking a painkilling injection this week against Buffalo. Romo said he felt better last week than he had since the season opener and he had two touchdown passes to go with 279 yards. Of course not getting sacked in a game for the first time this year probably helped, too … Texans’ Andre Johnson will miss his sixth straight game Sunday because of a slow-healing hamstring. Houston does get back defensive end Antonio Smith and tackles Eric Winston and Earl Mitchell … Browns’ top-ranked pass defence will be without safety T.J. Ward (foot fracture) 4-6 weeks and Peyton Hillis hamstring is reportedly still black and blue … Rams’ Brandon Gibson, with five catches last week, starts again for receiver Danario Alexander (hamstring) … Saints’ receiver Lance Moore missed practice and is questionable … Cardinals’ running back Beanie Wells (knee) returned to full practice and said Friday his knee feels the best it has in a month.

Happy again

It took three seasons but Albert Haynesworth is back home again.

In a true 4-3 defence. “It feels great, it feels unbelievable. Just to get off the ball and wreak havoc, that’s awesome,” Haynesworth said of the Buccaneers’ 4-3 defensive scheme, one similar to that in which he excelled for seven seasons with Tennessee.

The Bucs plucked him off waivers after a season-ending injury to Gerald McCoy this week. Haynesworth said he should’ve signed with the Bucs three years ago when he instead took a $100-million US deal in Washington. This year in New England’s 4-3, he had little impact before being released.

“Everybody can say, ‘Oh, you’re in a 4-3 defence.’ But just because you’re in a 4-3 defence doesn’t mean (it is) what I did in Tennessee and I had to learn that the hard way (in New England),” he said. “This is where I should’ve been three years ago. But I think all good things come to somebody that waits.”

 

 

 

It’s hard to find the Cincinnati Bengals on television these days, and I’m not talking about primetime games. Wait, you’re telling me there are no Bengals starring on a dating show or any other reality series?

“Unless you want to watch people sit in a room and never speak,” Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “I think most guys on the team will tell you they’ve probably heard A.J. [Green] speak three words and Andy [Dalton] tops him with five. That’s only when he has to call a game.”

The Bengals’ turnaround season — going from the second-fewest wins in the NFL last season to the most in the AFC at the midway point of the season — started when the team turned over the roster. The focus is no longer on divas (receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens). It’s on division titles.

Dalton, the even-keeled leader with a will stronger than his arm, has made the Who Dey Nation forget about Carson Palmer, the franchise quarterback who no longer wanted to be with the franchise. Green, a promising touchdown machine, is more concerned about reaching the end zone than how to celebrate after he gets there. Big names such as Tank Johnson and Roy Williams were shed from the defense, which began the season with six new starters.

Fewer egos in the locker room has resulted in more wins on the field. Cincinnati (6-2) has matched its best start since 1988, when the team advanced to the Super Bowl, and has put together its longest winning streak (five) since that same season. In fact, the Bengals have as many fourth-quarter comebacks this season (four) as total wins last season as they head into Sunday’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3).

“We felt like we made the best decision for our team, and moved on from guys that didn’t want to be here,” Whitworth said. “The guys that are still here are the guys that have acutally played the last three or four years we’ve been together and have really been the true nucleus of the team, not the media’s nucleus.”

The preseason perception was the Bengals were going to be the NFL’s worst team. In ESPN’s first power rankings, Cincinnati was last at No. 32. Nine weeks into the season, the Bengals are No. 10 and ahead of the Patriots.

If the regular season ended today, the Bengals would be the AFC’s top seed.

Are these Bengals for real?

“I won’t say if we’re for real or not. But at this point of the season, you’re are what you are,” Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. “Your record should speak for itself.”

Skeptics will point to the fact that the Bengals’ first-half opponents have a combined record of 16-33. But Cincinnati beat Buffalo a week after the Bills defeated New England, and the Bengals have won at two places (Jacksonville and Tennessee) where the Ravens have lost this season.

The road ahead for the Bengals will be much tougher with four games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore along with a meeting with the AFC South-leading Houston Texans. The combined record of the Bengals’ remaining opponents are 36-31.

The Bengals have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves. That is, if they felt like they had something to prove.

“We don’t pay that much attention to it,” Whitworth said. “We have a young football team that doesn’t worry about that stuff too much because they don’t understand it. That works out in our favor.”

Head coach Marvin Lewis isn’t concerned the season will become too big for his young players.

“We’re still the same team, nothing has changed,” he said. “For all of our internal things, we still have the same things in front of us that we had at the start of the year. … They have some confidence [now], but they know they have to go out and make more plays than the other team, regardless of where they are in other people’s minds.”

The maturity of this young team has been tested, and it goes beyond come-from-behind fourth-quarter victories over Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville and Tennessee (three of which came on the road). There has been off-the-field drama from Palmer not reporting to the team (to demand a trade) to Cedric Benson serving jail time before the season and a one-game suspension during it to starting wide receiver Jerome Simpson having a drug bust at his home.

Whitworth said the Bengals have handed these potential distractions in-house as a team.

“I don’t think we have individuals. That’s why we didn’t name captains because I think we have a lot of guys that deserve to be captains,” Whitworth said. “I think that’s the mark of a good football team. When we lead the team and we police the team and Marvin [Lewis] gets to kind of direct practice that makes things a whole lot easier on a head coach. That’s the kind of team we have and like I said I think we have started over.”

The Bengals’ surprising run has been very un-Bengal like. The offense is efficient and rarely makes unforced errors.

In the red zone, Dalton has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. His 12 total touchdowns is the most by a rookie in the team’s first eight games of the season since the 1970 merger.

“He’s never rattled and he sees the big picture,” Whitworth said. “Good play or bad play, the next play is the only play that matters. He takes care of the football. He doesn’t make the stupid play by having the ego to think he can make that play. He plays thinking what’s the best decision for my football team. It’s very impressive.”

The Bengals defense, which has been in the top 5 for most of the season, has been aggressive whether it’s press coverage by the cornerbacks or the front seven squashing the run game. Cincinnati’s mentality led to defensive touchdowns in three straight games, the first time that has happened since 1983.

“We want to attack teams,” Crocker said. “We really want to dictate what game it’s going to be. If you look the second half of games and fourth quarters, we’ve been very, very smart.”

The Bengals’ next big challenge is to win back the fans. Their string of seven straight blackouts ends Sunday, but that might be an indication of the number of Steelers fans showing up.

The players hope continued success will cause their own fans to fill up Paul Brown Stadium again.

“You’re entitled to any opinion that you have,” Crocker said. “If you don’t feel like your team is competitive, then you shouldn’t go to the games. I can understsand that. In that sense, we have to earn the fans back. We have to go out there, win ball games and then they’ll show up.”

Read More: Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Rashard Mendenhall (RB – PIT), Mike Wallace (WR – PIT), Antonio Brown (WR – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday, Nov. 13, in a matchup of two six-win teams with playoff aspirations. Cincinnati, which allows just 17.5 points per game, No. 4 in the NFL, presents a challenge to the Steelers’ No. 19 offense. As such, few Steelers stand as strong starts in Week 10.

Perhaps the best Steelers bet for fantasy owners is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. SB Nation parter numberFire projects the signal-caller to produce a respectable 15.64 fantasy points against the Bengals, throwing for 248.9 yards, 1.72 touchdowns, and 1.08 interceptions. If one looks at those numbers more optimistically, it’s clear he could produce even more, if able to cross the 250-yard threshold with two touchdowns. Owners should start Big Ben.

Meanwhile, numberFire projects receiver Mike Wallace to contribute 84.4 yards and 0.64 touchdowns, good for 12.33 fantasy points. That figure makes him the No. 3 fantasy receiver this week, trailing Steve Smith and Wes Welker, but be warned: he could produce as few as 5.66 points, which makes Wallace a riskier play this week than in most other weeks.

The Steelers’ other position players offer lower reward with higher risk. Running back Rashard Mendenhall, fresh off a 52-yard, one-touchdown effort against the Baltimore Ravens, is projected to score 12.63 points, but numberFire cautions that number could dip as low as 5.09. Receiver Antonio Brown (as low as 3.07) offers similar risk. As such, fantasy owners ought to sit both players unless they have no better alternatives.

Below, a complete list of how numberFire expects Pittsburgh’s players to perform Sunday:

For more fantasy football coverage, advice, and analysis, please visit SB Nation Fantasy, and follow it on Twitter @SBNationFantasy.

CINCINNATI — Defensive lineman Domata Peko didn’t realize the Cincinnati Bengals were at the top of the AFC until some of his teammates pointed it out.Yes, the Bengals. At the season’s midpoint, they’re tied with Baltimore for the conference’s best record at 6-2. That’s a better winning percentage than the Patriots, the Jets, the Chargers and the rival Steelers.It’s a little hard to comprehend.”That’s crazy,” Peko said Monday. “I just found that out right now. They just told me that in the training room. But we’re not real big on looking at stats or things like that.”So far, they’re big on one thing – surprising people.A team that many prognosticators picked to finish near the bottom of the league has put itself in position for a playoff run. The Bengals’ 24-17 win at Tennessee on Sunday left them with a five-game winning streak for the first time since 1988, when they went to the Super Bowl.Nobody’s talking about this team and Super Bowl. The playoffs? That’s no longer such a whimsical thought.”Our goals are the same – trying to win the AFC North and nothing less than the playoffs,” Peko said. “That’s what goals have been coming into the season and we just have to keep things rolling. There’s nothing else we want to do but make the playoffs and take it from there.”The next five weeks will tell.The Bengals opened the season with a win in Cleveland, pulling off a quick-snap touchdown against a Browns defense that was loitering instead of lining up. That’s their only division game so far.On Sunday, Pittsburgh (6-3) will bring thousands of fans to Paul Brown Stadium for the start of Cincinnati’s telling stretch. The Bengals then go to Baltimore (6-2), play the Browns (3-5) again at home, and go to Pittsburgh. That’s followed by a home game against Houston (6-3).They haven’t played anything like that stretch so far. Their first eight opponents have a combined 26-39 record.”You have done a great job of setting yourself in a good position, but that good position doesn’t mean anything if you don’t capitalize on it,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said Monday. “So, it is great. It’s more than people ever expected at this point even if we didn’t do anything good from here, but it is not what we expected.”A win on Sunday would put recent history on their side. The Bengals also started 7-2 in 2005 and 2009. Both times, they won the division and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Those are their only two winning seasons in the past 20 years.Expectations were so low that they didn’t come close to filling 65,500-seat Paul Brown Stadium for any of their three regular-season home games so far this season. A win over Buffalo on Oct. 2 drew 41,142 fans, the smallest crowd for a regular-season game in the stadium’s 12-year history.The game against Pittsburgh on Sunday is sold out, partly a function of thousands of Steelers fans making the five-hour drive to fill the place. The Pittsburgh game at Paul Brown also sold out last season. Cincinnati had failed to sell out its last seven since then.Also, Bengals fans are starting to think this team is worth watching.A lot has changed in only half a season.”I remember at the beginning of the season, we weren’t supposed to win any games, were we?” Peko said, referring to some predictions they’d go 0-16. “So, surprise!”

It’s a little hard to comprehend.

“That’s crazy,” Peko said Monday. “I just found that out right now. They just told me that in the training room. But we’re not real big on looking at stats or things like that.”

So far, they’re big on one thing — surprising people.

A team that many prognosticators picked to finish near the bottom of the league has put itself in position for a playoff run. The Bengals’ 24-17 win at Tennessee on Sunday left them with a five-game winning streak for the first time since 1988, when they went to the Super Bowl.

Nobody’s talking about this team and Super Bowl. The playoffs? That’s no longer such a whimsical thought.

“Our goals are the same — trying to win the AFC North and nothing less than the playoffs,” Peko said. “That’s what goals have been coming into the season and we just have to keep things rolling. There’s nothing else we want to do but make the playoffs and take it from there.”

The next five weeks will tell.

The Bengals opened the season with a win in Cleveland, pulling off a quick-snap touchdown against a Browns defense that was loitering instead of lining up. That’s their only division game so far.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh (6-3) will bring thousands of fans to Paul Brown Stadium for the start of Cincinnati’s telling stretch. The Bengals then go to Baltimore (6-2), play the Browns (3-5) again at home, and go to Pittsburgh. That’s followed by a home game against Houston (6-3).

They haven’t played anything like that stretch so far. Their first eight opponents have a combined 26-39 record.

“You have done a great job of setting yourself in a good position, but that good position doesn’t mean anything if you don’t capitalize on it,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said Monday. “So, it is great. It’s more than people ever expected at this point even if we didn’t do anything good from here, but it is not what we expected.”

A win on Sunday would put recent history on their side. The Bengals also started 7-2 in 2005 and 2009. Both times, they won the division and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Those are their only two winning seasons in the past 20 years.

Expectations were so low that they didn’t come close to filling 65,500-seat Paul Brown Stadium for any of their three regular-season home games so far this season. A win over Buffalo on Oct. 2 drew 41,142 fans, the smallest crowd for a regular-season game in the stadium’s 12-year history.

The game against Pittsburgh on Sunday is sold out, partly a function of thousands of Steelers fans making the five-hour drive to fill the place. The Pittsburgh game at Paul Brown also sold out last season. Cincinnati had failed to sell out its last seven since then.

Also, Bengals fans are starting to think this team is worth watching.

A lot has changed in only half a season.

“I remember at the beginning of the season, we weren’t supposed to win any games, were we?” Peko said, referring to some predictions they’d go 0-16. “So, surprise!”

NOTES: Coach Marvin Lewis said MLB Rey Maualuga, CB Adam “Pacman” Jones and TE Jermaine Gresham are expected back at practice this week. Maualuga has missed the last three games with a sprained ankle. Jones sat out the win at Tennessee with a pulled right hamstring. Gresham has missed two games with a hamstring injury. … The Bengals are 4-1 on the road. They haven’t had a winning road record since 2005, when they went 6-2. They were 4-4 on the road in 2006 and 2009.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CINCINNATI (AP)—Defensive lineman Domata Peko(notes) didn’t realize the
Cincinnati Bengals were at the top of the AFC until some of his teammates
pointed it out.

Yes, the Bengals. At the season’s midpoint, they’re tied with Baltimore for
the conference’s best record at 6-2. That’s a better winning percentage than the
Patriots, the Jets, the Chargers and the rival Steelers.

It’s a little hard to comprehend.

“That’s crazy,” Peko said Monday. “I just found that out right now. They
just told me that in the training room. But we’re not real big on looking at
stats or things like that.”

So far, they’re big on one thing—surprising people.

A team that many prognosticators picked to finish near the bottom of the
league has put itself in position for a playoff run. The Bengals’ 24-17 win at
Tennessee on Sunday left them with a five-game winning streak for the first time
since 1988, when they went to the Super Bowl.

Nobody’s talking about this team and Super Bowl. The playoffs? That’s no
longer such a whimsical thought.

“Our goals are the same—trying to win the AFC North and nothing less than
the playoffs,” Peko said. “That’s what goals have been coming into the season
and we just have to keep things rolling. There’s nothing else we want to do but
make the playoffs and take it from there.”

The next five weeks will tell.

The Bengals opened the season with a win in Cleveland, pulling off a
quick-snap touchdown against a Browns defense that was loitering instead of
lining up. That’s their only division game so far.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh (6-3) will bring thousands of fans to Paul Brown
Stadium for the start of Cincinnati’s telling stretch. The Bengals then go to
Baltimore (6-2), play the Browns (3-5) again at home, and go to Pittsburgh.
That’s followed by a home game against Houston (6-3).

They haven’t played anything like that stretch so far. Their first eight
opponents have a combined 26-39 record.

“You have done a great job of setting yourself in a good position, but that
good position doesn’t mean anything if you don’t capitalize on it,” left tackle
Andrew Whitworth(notes) said Monday. “So, it is great. It’s more than people ever
expected at this point even if we didn’t do anything good from here, but it is
not what we expected.”

A win on Sunday would put recent history on their side. The Bengals also
started 7-2 in 2005 and 2009. Both times, they won the division and lost in the
first round of the playoffs. Those are their only two winning seasons in the
past 20 years.

Expectations were so low that they didn’t come close to filling 65,500-seat
Paul Brown Stadium for any of their three regular-season home games so far this
season. A win over Buffalo on Oct. 2 drew 41,142 fans, the smallest crowd for a
regular-season game in the stadium’s 12-year history.

The game against Pittsburgh on Sunday is sold out, partly a function of
thousands of Steelers fans making the five-hour drive to fill the place. The
Pittsburgh game at Paul Brown also sold out last season. Cincinnati had failed
to sell out its last seven since then.

Also, Bengals fans are starting to think this team is worth watching.

A lot has changed in only half a season.

“I remember at the beginning of the season, we weren’t supposed to win any
games, were we?” Peko said, referring to some predictions they’d go 0-16. “So,
surprise!”

NOTES: Coach Marvin Lewis said MLB Rey Maualuga(notes), CB Adam “Pacman” Jones
and TE Jermaine Gresham(notes) are expected back at practice this week. Maualuga has
missed the last three games with a sprained ankle. Jones sat out the win at
Tennessee with a pulled right hamstring. Gresham has missed two games with a
hamstring injury. … The Bengals are 4-1 on the road. They haven’t had a
winning road record since 2005, when they went 6-2. They were 4-4 on the road in
2006 and 2009.

Read More: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

After the Steelers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night, Pittsburgh has fallen behind the Ravens in the AFC North standings. They’re also behind … the Cincinnati Bengals?

Yep, that’s right – the Bengals have won five in a row and are now 6-2.

Bengals 6-2
Ravens 6-2
Steelers 5-3
Browns 3-5

From the perspective of Steelers fans, this is perhaps a bit embarrassing, but not that big a deal. Cincinnati’s schedule so far has been padded with relatively easy games against the Colts, Seahawks, Broncos and Browns. Okay, sure – the Steelers have played some of those teams, too. But what the Bengals haven’t yet done is faced off against the Steelers or Ravens. They’ll have to do that three times in the next four weeks, and then they’ll take on the Ravens again in the last week of the season. 

The Bengals have been better than expected this season, sure, and with the Rams and Cardinals left on their schedule, there’s a good chance they’ll be a winning team when all is said and done. But are they a playoff team? We’ll know more in a month. 

You can check out the full NFL standings here.

For more on the Bengals, check out Cincy Jungle.

“We are young, and we are hungry,” Bengals rookie receiver A.J. Green said. “We are going to fight for each other until the last minute of the fourth quarter.”

This time, the Bengals rallied from 10 points down at halftime, and rookie Andy Dalton wound up throwing touchdown passes to three different receivers as Cincinnati came back and beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 on Sunday.

The Bengals (6-2) now have won five straight games for their longest winning streak since 1988 when this franchise reached their second Super Bowl. This is the team that had been 6-2 only twice since 1988, and Cincinnati won the AFC north in 2005 and 2009 for its only winning records in the past 20 years.

Now they hit the midway point tied with Baltimore, a 23-20 winner over Pittsburgh on Sunday night, atop the division with the AFC’s best record. The toughest part of the schedule is next with Pittsburgh visiting followed by a trip to Baltimore, Cleveland at home, and then a road game at Pittsburgh to see exactly how good these Bengals might be.

“We’re at where we want to be now, and that’s in the thick of things in our division,” said Green, who caught seven passes for 83 yards.

“We’ve got some division games coming up that are going to be tough, but I feel like this team right here is going to fight and compete in every game.”

Tennessee (4-4) now has lost three of four, two of three at home, and the Titans are looking for answers after failing to hold a double-digit lead at home in a game where they seemed to get Chris Johnson running. He had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans managed only 8 yards of offense in the third quarter and held the ball only 4:38.

“When you’re up by 10, there’s no reason why you should lose a game,” Titans defensive tackle Shaun Smith said. “The change was we didn’t play a complete game.”

Credit the Bengals for not being cowed by a loud crowd on the road where they now are 4-1 this season. Carlos Dunlap had two sacks and nearly scored the Bengals’ fourth defensive TD in as many games before replay wiped it out. Nate Clements also stripped a ball for the game’s only turnover with 3:49 left.

The Titans got the ball back with 1:55 left and one final chance. They wound up with two 10-second runoffs for an injury and a penalty, and Lavelle Hawkins was tackled at the Cincinnati 32 after a 30-yard gain without making a planned lateral to keep the play alive.

“We didn’t make a play the whole second half, and then the defense took their turn and we couldn’t make a stop,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said.

But it was Dalton, the rookie quarterback from Texas Christian the Titans interviewed closely before the draft, who helped the Bengals convert eight of 16 third downs with big throw after throw. He threw for 217 yards with TDs to Colin Cochart, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell in helping Cincinnati score 17 consecutive points.

“Our quarterback has done a nice job,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “It was loud out there, louder than we expected. I think he’s done a nice job of handling that. He doesn’t get unnerved, he just keeps coming back and just playing.”

Dalton converted two third downs on a drive that ate up 6:55 in the second half. He ran for a first down on third-and-1, then he found Green for 20 yards on third-and-18 on a play where Titans safety Michael Griffin and cornerback Jason McCourty knocked each other down to the ground in an ugly collision that barely grazed the receiver.

“We just kind of got in a groove in the second half,” Dalton said. “We knew we needed to win the second half, and we were able to do it.”

Cedric Benson also ran 20 times for 78 yards in his return from a one-game suspension. Cincinnati held the ball for more than 32 minutes, even though Tennessee wound up with a 328-319 edge in total offense. Matt Hasselbeck also threw for more yards (272) than Dalton. It didn’t matter as the Titans couldn’t move the ball when it mattered most with Johnson held to only 9 yards rushing in the second half.

“We were able to box him in and shut him down,” Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko said. “Then we just let the dogs loose man. Let the guys rush the passer. We were able to get Hasselbeck and get some strips and some turnovers. That’s how you win games.”

NOTES: Dunlap said he thinks he had a cramp in his hamstring but that his leg would be evaluated. … The Titans are 5-3 in this series since moving to Tennessee, but the Bengals have won two straight in Nashville. … Titans DE Dave Ball had a concussion. Munchak said WR Nate Washington hurt his hip, and Hawkins dislocated a finger on his right hand before returning to the game.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.