Bengals Bears
On The Steelers: Scoreboard watching is back in vogue by Iram
Forgive the Steelers if they look a little cockeyed Sunday in Cleveland, one eye on the Browns and the other on the scoreboard.
Under similar conditions in the past when playing at home, the Steelers would not show the score from the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals on their scoreboard, but the Browns are in control, and, at 4-11, they have no ulterior motive.
The Steelers have clinched a wild-card spot but will earn a playoff bye and a week’s rest — especially for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — if they win in Cleveland and the Ravens lose in Cincinnati.
“Of course, I’m going to be rooting for it,” linebacker Larry Foote said of a Cincinnati victory. “I know the Bengals are going to be fighting for the playoffs themselves. This will be a big game.”
If the Bengals win, both wild-card teams in the AFC will come from the North Division. The Steelers hope the Ravens are the ones in that other wild-card spot.
The Steelers also know there are many different paths to the Super Bowl because they have followed them. They got there and won it as the sixth and last seed in the 2005 season, the first to do it. Although the New York Giants (‘07) and Green Bay Packers (‘10) have since followed that same path, the Steelers know which is the more direct and best route. The New England Patriots were the only other wild-card team to win all their playoff games on the road, in the 1985 season, but were trampled by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX.
Other than ‘05, the Steelers made their other seven Super Bowl visits as division champs. The only way the fifth seed can have a home game would be if the sixth seed also won its first two games, putting the AFC championship in the fifth seed’s city, which has never happened.
“Who knows,” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “We’re not really concerned about all that. We’re concerned about winning games ourselves. We’ll see what happens with the playoff picture, but we’ve got one game left and that’s going to be our focus.”
Keisel is one of 16 players on the 53-man roster who earned their first Super Bowl ring on that ‘05 team, and that will be an advantage if the Steelers must pursue their goal in the same manner.
“Sure, we’ve done it before,” Keisel said. “We know it can be done. We’re not the only team to have done it either. We’re just trying to keep winning games and let the chips fall where they may.”
Foote, who started next to Farrior at inside linebacker in ‘05, sees the difference between getting a seed and a bye and entering as a wild-card team as “the rest.”
“Statistically, you want to play at home because the home team normally wins. You also get the free pass, especially with us being banged up right now with Ben and the other guys. It would be big for us but we did it before. Our goal is whatever it takes to get in the dance.”
Don’t forget about Browns
That other eye, though, has to be trained on the Browns, who caused the Steelers all kinds of problems before losing, 14-3, Dec. 8, a victory not secured until Antonio Brown caught a 79-yard touchdown pass with 2:52 left. Center Maurkice Pouncey and Roethlisberger both got high ankle sprains that day.
Roethlisberger could start Sunday in Cleveland, depending on how his ankle has healed over the past week. A Bengals victory will do the Steelers no good if they do not beat the Browns.
“We’re all going to be pulling for the Bengals, but we have to win first,” Foote said.
Guard/center Doug Legursky also might return to play after leaving Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury. Coach Mike Tomlin said he could have returned to play against the Rams if needed.
As for his decision on Roethlisberger, Tomlin said, naturally, he will wait to see how his quarterback feels when he returns to work. The Steelers had Sunday and Monday off, and today is their usual off day, although many players often report for treatment of injuries and to watch video.
“We need to build off this win and hopefully get one next week and carry that into the dance,” Keisel said. “Just finish the regular season strong. Cleveland’s usually a tough place to play, so, hopefully, we can finish this season out right. They’ll play us tough too; they always do.”
Well, not always.
The Steelers are 22-4 against the Browns since they re-entered the NFL as an expansion team in 1999. The Steelers have won 15 of the past 16, with their only loss on a frigid day in 2009 in Cleveland that helped keep them out of the playoffs. Roethlisberger admitted in the days before the first meeting with the Browns this season that it was so cold in Cleveland two years ago that it bothered him mentally and he couldn’t wait to get off the field and back to the warming benches on the sideline.
About the Author
http://www.gamesdiviner.com/
BENGALS – BEARS GAME
|
|
NFL 22-Ounce Optic Tankard This 22oz tankard is beautifully designed with dimensional glass…. |
|
|
Bengal Tiger Head Mount Wall Statue Bust $38.55 This awesome, cold cast resin replica Bengal Tiger wall mount is a prefect addition to any jungle themed room. The head measures 16 inches tall, 13 1/4 inches wide and 8 inches deep. The detail is incredible, down to the hand painted eyes.This tiger’s head is brand new, and makes a great gift for any big cat fan or Cincinnati football fans. … |
|
|
Cleveland Browns Team Logo Lunch Bag $10.00 Take your favorite team to lunch with an officially licensed NFL soft lunch box. These lunch boxes feature a football grain material around the perimeter and a pocket for a photo or trading card. Each lunch box features a team helmet design on one side and a football field with team logo on the other…. |
|
|
22 x 14 Wall Vinyl Sticker Panda Bear Youth $26.97 Product Number: 030-515525003 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 22″ x 14″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
|
|
22 x 14 Wall Vinyl Sticker Freedom Eagle Emblem with United States Flag $26.97 Product Number: 030-587274527 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 22″ x 14″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
|
|
42 x 14 Wall Vinyl Sticker Freedom Eagle Emblem with United States Flag $29.97 Product Number: 030-587274524 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 42″ x 14″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
|
|
NFL Greatest Games Series: Green Bay Packers Greatest Games $24.89 For the first time, the original network broadcast of 10 classic Green Bay Packers games are available to own in this thrilling 10-DVD set. Relive the excitement of these unforgettable moments in Packers history: 1. Super Bowl XXXI – Packers vs. Patriots [1/26/1997] 2. 2007 NFC Divisional Playoff Packers vs. Seahawks [1/12/2008] 3. Packers vs. Raiders – Favre Stars In Tribute To Father [12/22/2… |
|
|
Week 7: Bears at Bengals Game Highlights … |
|
|
2010 Cincinnati Bengals Matted Print $14.69 This matted print of the 2010 Chicago Bears is a gorgeous piece of memorabilia. This print works well in your home, business, and office. |
|
|
NinDS – Wonder Pets! Saves the Animals $15.54 In The Wonder Pets!: Save the Animals!, players team up with the popular classroom pets Linny the Guinea Pig, Ming-Ming Duckling and Turtle Tuck to help a Bengal Tiger, Panda Bear and Chimpanzee in need. With the DS stylus and microphone, players tap, … |