Bengals vs. Steelers: The Report
When the Bengals runAs they showed last week against Green Bay, when the Bengals run the ball effectively the offense opens up, so expect another game of 20-plus carries from Cedric Benson. But if he is to become the first running back in 20 regular-season games to gain 100 yards against the Steelers, the Bengals must run a mix of unbalanced line alignments and also will need an exceptional blocking game from their receivers. With linebackers James Farrior and James Harrison, the Steelers are quick, physical and disciplined when shutting off the outside lanes. Benson made plenty of defenders miss last week, but the Steelers have a different defense. In the teams’ two games last year, the Steelers held the Bengals to 127 yards.
When the Bengals passIf the Bengals can run, it should open the passing game for Carson Palmer. After throwing two early interceptions last week, Palmer settled down and was 10-of-14 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns over the final 2 1/2 quarters. He was even more impressive on third down, going 8-of-9 for 93 yards and a touchdown. Chad Ochocinco largely has been contained by the Steelers, with three touchdowns and two 100-yard efforts in 16 games. How much Chris Henry’s quadriceps injury bothers him remains to be seen, along with whether Andre Caldwell can bounce back from a one-catch game last week. With Troy Polamalu out, Pittsburgh cornerbacks William Gay and Ike Taylor might play tighter coverage. The Steelers’ pass rush has been anemic, with only two sacks.
When the Steelers run
What once was a fearsome running attack has struggled early, averaging 70 yards per game. Then again, Pittsburgh’s running game has sputtered in the past before getting well against the Bengals. Willie Parker is averaging only 2.4 yards per carry and Rashard Mendenhall has seen limited touches. In order to take pressure off Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers need to jump-start their run game. The Bengals are allowing an average of only 82 rushing yards per game, with linebackers Dhani Jones, Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga getting pursuit on ball carriers.
When the Steelers pass
Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked six times this season but is one of the hardest quarterbacks to bring down because of his size and mobility. Tight end Heath Miller is a good short-pass option and Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes stretch the field. One of the more anticipated matchups will be Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom, who is coming off a five-sack game against Steelers left tackle Max Starks, who is inconsistent on pass protection. Phil Simms, an analyst on today’s game broadcast on CBS, noted that he has seen improvement from the Steelers’ line. And even though Roethlisberger went down 46 times last season, he had a clean jersey against the Bengals.
Special teams
For the Bengals, Kevin Huber continues to pin opponents inside their 20-yard line and Shayne Graham had a clutch 40-yard field goal last week. Quan Cosby averaged 22.8 yards on five punt returns last week, with two of them leading to 10 points. Kickoff returns remain a concern, with the Bengals’ average drive start at their 22. Pittsburgh’s Jeff Reed missed two field goal attempts last week.
Source: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090926/SPT02/309260045/1062/SPT/Scouting+report++Bengals+vs.+Steelers