Steelers vs. Bengals: Five questions with Stripe Hype
By Kim Myers
The Steelers return to Heinz Field for showdown with the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers are coming off of a loss to Kansas City and are hoping the return of Ben Roethlisberger will surge them back into the wins column.
Throughout the season Still Curtain will be taking you inside to get the dirt on the opposing team through the FanSided network. We’ll be interviewing the opposing teams’ site to get you the inside info on the opposition.
This week we have Matthew Wilson, editor of Stripe Hype, FanSided’s Cincinnati Bengals-themed site. Matthew gives us the info on the Bengals’ undefeated season and a prediction for the game with score.
The Bengals are one of the five remaining undefeated teams going into Week 8, the latest the league has seen this many unbeaten teams since the merger. Do they get less credit than the other undefeated teams because it’s only a regular season accomplishment?
I think that is the direct reason to why the Bengals get less respect than the other teams still undefeated, other than the Carolina Panthers. We do not face the Patriots this season, unless in the playoffs, but will get to see the Denver Broncos for the second season in a row, which will be a primetime game and playoff seeding, baring a losing streak.
If the Bengals can beat the Steelers this week, I think the buzz will grow even louder though, headed into a short week against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in week nine.
What has been the biggest improvement for the Bengals this season that has led to their 6-0 record so far?
It can be summed up in one word, Health. The Bengals were probably the most talented team last year but had their top three receiving options out, one of their top running backs not 100%, and defensive leaders banged up. Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones have been the biggest impacts in their return to the Bengals starting line, Giovani Bernard has led the ground attack week in and week out, and A.J. Green looks healthy and is drawing all the attention in order to get other impact players open.
Steelers guard Ramon Foster said that teams will look to target Ben Roethlisberger’s injured knee when he returns to the field. Would that be the game plan for the Bengals, to go after Ben’s knee?
Foster is not 100% wrong, but at the same time, it is a very dangerous area to attack on a quarterback, since there are rules to protect them. However, Ben and Todd Haley have made every effort in the past two seasons to perfect quick release plays to limit the hits that Ben takes. It will be interesting to see how many hits and shots Ben takes with the offensive line missing key parts; I know the Bengals are licking their chops to get to Ben.
Who will be the last undefeated team this season?
The Green Bay Packers will be the last team standing. Until the Bengals win in Primetime and get past the heart of the division it is hard to say they will go deeper than the rest, especially perfect. Green Bay will play Denver this week, which should knock the Broncos off their perfect pedestal, and the Patriots should see a tough test still playing the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets. The Panthers must also face the Packers and I trust Aaron Rodgers more than any other quarterback in the league currently.
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What is your prediction with score for the game?
I think we can expect both teams show up for this one, the only question will be, is Ben 100%? I think the Steelers are in the same predicament that the Bengals were in last season with injuries just battering them down. It is for that reason I think the Bengals go to 7-0 with a 31-21 score. With that said, the Steelers have overcome obstacles greater than this so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers pull one out.
There you have it Steeler Nation, what would you have asked about the Bengals?
Check out Stripe Hype for my answers to Matthew’s questions.
Here we go Steelers! Here we go!