The Pittsburgh Steelers are in unfamiliar territory. The team has lost three straight games to the Cincinnati Bengals and has lost in a progressively more embarrassing fashion to their division rivals. The Steelers and Bengals have met 104 times in the Super Bowl era and the black and gold hold a significant lead in the series 67-37 but have struggled against Zac Taylor since he took over as the head coach.
Steelers Antonio Brown takes vicious hit from Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict / Credit: ESPN
The Bengals have had a complicated history with the Steelers and with very few exceptions, the current roster did not participate in the recent Vontaze Burfict wars. They are a young team who have enjoyed unusual recent success against the winningest team in the AFC North's history. The upstarts in Cincinnati just could not resist chirping last season. Young teams often don’t know what they don’t know. When the Steelers lost last September 24-10, Tyler Boyd the former Pitt Panther accused the Steelers of putting forth less than their best effort.
“The last plays for them, they gave up. You could see it,” Boyd said.“For a team to just lay down like that before the game is over, they portrayed it to the whole nation on TV with what they were about and how they gave up, so we just gotta take advantage.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 28: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals is tackled by T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio / Credit: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Boyd had to be ecstatic that the Bengals won in Pittsburgh for the first time during his career. He was entering his sixth season when they won the game, but his comments went unheeded when the teams met at the end of November. The 2021 version of the black and gold was a hard team to figure out, the defense just could not muster the requisite gumption to punish Boyd and the Bengals. They were down 31-3 by the half and thought they would make the playoffs by beating the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, the loss was decisive.
Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrates after a late-game interception against the Los Angeles Rams on November 10, 2019 / Credit: Steelers.com
The 2022 Steeler's defense will be healthy and energized when the two teams meet Sunday at 1 p.m. Pittsburgh is famous for revenge games when they are disrespected, even if they look outmatched on paper. The Tennessee Titans are still paying for stomping on the Terrible Towel over a decade ago. Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers franchise safety, seems to have payback on his mind when asked if the team thinks about last year’s meetings.
“Of course you do," Fitzpatrick said. “Especially in the fashion that we lost in the last game, you think about it and the certain remarks that were said after the first game. You think about it, let it really resonate in the back of your mind. I’m not necessarily dwelling on it, but I’m going to remember.”
The Steelers have been predicted to be at or near the bottom of the AFC totem pole. The sheer depth of the conference is daunting, and most prognosticators foresee the AFC as a gauntlet that will involve weekly shootouts. The Steelers are built to play defense and run the ball and although that has been a recipe for success in the NFL for nearly a century, it is being callously disregarded.
Joe Burrow might be the best quarterback in the AFC North at this point, and when the Steelers Ben Roethlisberger occupied that role, they enjoyed a dominant run in the division. However, the division would do well to remember that between Terry Bradshaw and Roethlisberger with less than stellar quarterback play, the Steelers won eight division titles between 1984 and 2003 and an AFC Championship in 1995. The NFL is different, but this is still the black and gold. The Pittsburgh defensive captain was asked if it was an opportunity for revenge. He measured his response carefully.
“If I was to hold a grudge,” Cam Heyward started. “Be Petty, which I probably am, but at the end of the day, it’s a chance to go 1-0.”
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 19: Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs onto the field during player introductions prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field on December 19, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / Credit: Justin Berl/Getty Images
The divisional rivals meet at least twice a year and Heyward was around when the nation collectively held its breath whenever the two teams got together just a few years ago. Burfict’s antics gave the Steelers their last playoff victory. At this point, it's probably not lost on Heyward that it's important for the Steelers to take back the upper hand physically on Sunday.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
This will be a huge indicator for the 2022 season if Pittsburgh significantly slows the Cincinnati attack. It will announce to the rest of the league that they are a playoff contender. The defensive leaders are apparently angry and haven’t forgotten the sting of 2021. That is exactly the mindset that they need in order to make a statement. The question is, what are they going to say?
What do you think Steeler Nation? Is an angry defense going to spell doom for the Bengals? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
