(Last time they met, Cincinnati fans emailed that we were all offended by the "Bungles" references. Hey, lighten up, people, it's a Pittsburgh thing. It's a Cope thing. At least I didn't call them the Wicky-Wackys. . . )
12:59 p.m.: Tamara Tunie of "Law & Order SVU", also of McKeesport and Carnegie Mellon, sang the national anthem with a military flyover above. You can thank me later for dressing up the blog. 
FIRST QUARTER
1:06 p.m.: Yeah, it's hard to focus on the game. . . Steelers cornerback William Gay, suffering from Ike Taylor Syndrome, has dropped two potential interceptions in the opening seven plays from scrimmage. A good sign or a bad sign?. . . 1:13 p.m.: Sounds like the old Bengal luck -- feel free to insert Mahrn's favorite nickname there: A 51-yard field goal wattempt by Cincy's Shayne Graham, and it's high enough, it's long enough, it's. . . going KERPLUNK off the right upright. No good. Steelers ball in dandy field position at their own 41. . .1:18 p.m.: For a second there, I felt like I was watching Rich Rodriguez's offense: wide-receiver screen right, wide-receiver screen left, etc. But you have to like Bruce Arians tossing out a new-look formation, which just so happened to be the old T- and pro-formation, side-by-side backfield a la Rocky and Franco. And Mewelde Moore, behind great seal blocking from the left side, ran 12 yards on a third-and-1. . . 1:21 p.m.: This Roethlisberger dude ought to run more often. So long as he doesn't continue to dive head-first. A batted pass and some Red Zone passing trouble leave Jeff Reed to clean up this nice opening drive with a 28-yard field goal. 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:06 -- and this offense can do a great job of eating up clock, staying in-bounds, milking the play-clock. Steelers, 3-0. . . 1:24 p.m.: Maybe they just should squib, pooch or onsides anymore -- for the third time in four games, the Steelers gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. This time, rookie Bernard Scott, on only his third NFL return, whisked Reed's kick into the left corner some 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Missed tackles, botched lane assignments, some nice Cincinnati blocking, and next thing you know it was Scott vs. Reed, who at least turned him back into the field. According to our Ed Bouchette, that makes seven consecutive games in which the Steelers have given up a return for a touchdown: by fumble, interception, punt or kick. . .
1:33 p.m.: All-everything safety Troy Polamalu left the field and the game with what was described as a left knee injury -- the same one in which a sprained MCL prevented him from playing Games 2-5 and the final three quarters of the opener. In all, he has played less than 14 quarters all season, and he appeared as if he was just returning to his otherworldly form. Tyrone Carter, the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after two interceptions Monday in Denver while replacing safety Ryan Clark, is again filling in for Polamalu. . . 1:40 p.m.: For the record, the review on Santonio Holmes' third-down catch was correct; the bad spot was patently detectable by our naked eyes way up here in the press box. . . 1:42 p.m.: The Bengals are content to pick, pick, pick. Cedric Benson's runs here or there. Short Carson Palmer passes, to avoid the Steelers' rush. Of course, the Steelers are content to allow short plays and figure they'll make a play at some point. Still and all, Bengals, 6-3. End of first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
1:52 p.m.: Mike Tomlin noted this past week how well Holmes is doing the non-statistical things, such as blocking. Well, on that first-down pass to Hines Ward, Rashard Mendenhall threw a crushing cut block on Bengals linebacker Rey Maualaluga. But the offense isn't quite in sync. Perhaps it's time for the no-huddle. . . 1:59 p.m.: The Bengals were 3-for-5 on third down before that last, high Palmer pass for Chad Ochocinco, who is some kinda hacked. But he doesn't have much room to jaw, as he did while coming off the field after the third down incompletion. He should've caught the first-down deep pass from Palmer. That drop is all one No. 85. Or maybe he can blame it on Tweeter Tunnel Syndrome. . . 2:00 p.m.: Nice return by Little Logan, who was due. He is exciting, whether his scooting works or doesn't. . . 2:05 p.m.: Injury update -- The Bengals' Benson is listed as probable to return despite a hip injury. Steelers cornerback and special-teamer Keenan Lewis is questionable due to a left rib injury on that Bengals' punt return. . . 2:10 p.m.: Another nice drive, another aborted attempt inside the Red Zone. Forcing the second-down pass into the corner looked ill-advised, at least -- Ward was open at the left pylon, with the defensive back behind him. At worst, a throw to Ward would've given the Steelers third-and goal at the 1. Reed's 33-yard field goal ties it up, 6-6. . . 2:12 p.m.: I repeat, can't they squib, pooch or even onsides a kickoff? . . . 2:22 p.m.: Credit backup Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe with that 46-yard gain via a pass interference penalty. I'm not so sure Mike Wallace catches that ball, slightly beyond his reach, if Ndukwe doesn't grab his arms. And fellow safety Chris Crocker had Wallace covered. That shows some impact from Roy Williams being injured and placed on IR, forcing Ndukwe into a starting role. . . 2:25 p.m.: Jumpy Geathers is what you'd call a Steelers killer. They respect the heck outta him. Don't konw if Mike Wallace was supposed to chip Geathers and keep him from rushing free, but that pushed the Steelers offense back -- their third Red Zone failure to score a touchdown. Holmes' right-corner pass was tipped and caused the ball to go through his hands in a Super Bowl-reminiscent play. Nine plays, 61 yards, 2:40. And it results in a hat trick of field goals for Reed in the first half, this one from 35 yards. Steelers, 9-6. Halftime.
I'm a believer. Ray Lewis. Donovan McNabb. Shaun Alexander, Michael Vick. Vince Young. Brett Favre. Polamalu makes seven straight years where a coverboy got hurt (remember, they kept Favre's injury a secret last season) and the sixth time in seven where a cover-subject missed significant time, if not most or the rest of the season.
THIRD QUARTER
2:50 p.m.: Maybe that'll teach 'em to run on third-and-short. Roethlisberger's pass was badly behind Ward, but Morgan Trent batted it, and lineman Frostee Rucker snagged it. Presto. Bengals get the game-tying field goal, 9-9. . . 2:52 p.m.: By the way, it's the second-biggest crowd ever at Heinz Field. The 65,392 has been topped in the regular season only once before -- the last game here, Oct. 25 against Minnesota. . . 3:02 p.m.: It's a field-goal-fest. Or, put another way, it's an oh-ffensive display -- nary a touchdown by an offensive unit. The fifth field goal of the day, and fourth since that kickoff-return TD, makes it Bengals, 12-9. . .3:04 p.m.: Wallace back for the kickoff. That's his first in the NFL, officially. and he'll get more after that 26-yarder. . . 3:06 p.m.: It's Willie Parker, kids! But on his first appearance in the game, the pass was a bit high, and Parker stopped abruptly on the flare route. The next play they got it right -- you hand the ball to Parker, or use him as a decoy. Pass-catching isn't exactly his forte. . . 3:09 p.m.: Smells like panic time. They're playing "Renegade." . . . 3:13 p.m.: Game possession for the Steelers here, first down at the 50. Desperately need a TD, though a FG wouldn't hurt. . . 3:15 p.m.: A pass from an under-center formation? There's a wrinkle. Roethlisberger isn't as sharp as normal though, which can happen not just on occasion, but after a Monday night emotional and sharp game. Bengals only rushing three, and he's finding receivers -- but they're closely covered. Wallace grabbed the under-center, second-down throw before being clouted, and Miller caught the next one while double covered. End of quarter. Stick up those four fingers, it's the . . .
FOURTH QUARTER
3:23 p.m.: Gutsy call to go for it on fourth down. Press box consensus: Chuck Noll would've taken the points there, tied it at a dozen-dozen. But the Steelers convert the fourth down on a Roethlisberger sneak behind a strong push from the offensive line. . . 3:26 p.m.: Is it just me, or do the Bengals do a better job than anybody batting down passes at the line against the 6-foot-5 Roethlisberger. (Though you may ask yourself: Why didn't Roethlisberger pump there, step in and around a jumping Jonanthan Fanene, and find a receiver? Well, for one thing, the windows are smaller and the routes excruciatingly quicker in the Red Zone.) Oh, yeah, the fourth failure inside the Bengals' 15-yard line -- oh-for-4 is never good -- led to yet another Reed field goal, so it's tied at 12-12 after all. Ruh-roh, that means another Steelers kickoff. . . 3:30 p.m.: Deshea Townsend in for Carter at safety. . . 3:31 p.m.: Now Ryan Clark has that Ike Tyler Syndrome -- right through his hands, though it helped matters that Ochocinco ran the wrong route, out instead of in. . . . 3:32 p.m.: This has the look of a difference-making drive by Cincinnati, possibly even the game-winning drive. If they score a touchdown, that's something the Steelers have shown an inability to do thus far. Nice rhythm and pace to this drive, nice blocking by the Bengals line, nice job by Palmer picking out open receivers. . .3:39 p.m.: New slogan: The AFC North -- It's Trey-tastic! More field goals, which represents a moral victory for the Steeles. But the Bengals regain the lead, 15-12.
3:43 p.m.: Again, Roethlisberger is off. That third-down pass for Miller was way high. Tough angle, tough window. And now the Steelers are a woeful 3 for 14 on third-down conversions -- an even-worse 0-for-6 this half. If the Steelers' offense doesn't get its act together, or the defense conjure a score -- and Palmer doesn't make many bad decisions or mistakes that result in those -- this has a Bengals victory written all over it and a strong leg up in the race for the AFC North crown. . . 3:52 p.m.: So maybe Bill Cowher is a bigger genius than anyone gave him credit. Cincinnati is chewing up valuable time and within field-goal range, so they very well -- as Mr. Bill predicted -- could be on their way to the division title. After all, they have Oakland, Cleveland and Detroit all in a soft row, then Kansas City and the Jets to close. So a 12-4 season is well within reach, with a victory here. Third-and-eight at the Steelers 28, the Steelers use their next-to-last timeout, and. . . and. . . the Bengals, 4 for 12 previously on third down, get Lawrence Timmons to jump offsides. Hmmm. Third-and-three, and Palmer audibles into a run that Nick Eason stuffs it for a two-yard loss. Two minute warning. Graham, who before the play walked onto the field and took a couple of practice swings with his leg, gets to go for his fourth field goal of the day. . . 3:59 p.m.: Graham goes 4 for 5 for the day, his 43-yarder making it, 18-12 Bengals. Eleven plays, 52 yards, 4:20 on the Bengals drive. So it's either touchdown, or maybe hope for the wild card. . . 4:03 p.m.: Overthrowing Ward, with fill-in linebacker Brandon Johnson pulling his jersey back, and underthrowing Wallace on a 40-yard bomb, and throwing into an area where two Steelers receivers were crossing middle deep, and pressure by the Bengals causing him to throw away on fourth down. Remember those later, if the defending champions have to go on the road in the playoffs. It's over. Bengals, 18-12.
Posted
Nov 15 2009, 12:53 PM
by
Chuck Finder