Steelers: Dear Bengals, you’re the little brother

There’s no denying history, and history says, the Steelers are the big brother, and the Bengals are the little brother.

It’s okay, Bengals fans. It’s okay that your team as been the footstool of my beloved Steelers for quite a few decades.

I mean, yeah, a big brother sometimes lose to their little brother, it happens. But we all know who, 99% of the time, comes away with the last laugh: the big brother.

There’s no denying history, and history says, the Steelers are the big brother, and the Bengals are the little brother. According to Wikipedia, since their first meeting in 1970, the Steelers lead the Bengals 58-35, in all-time series. In their first meeting, the Steelers beat the Bengals 21-10. Remember how I said the big brother loses to the little brother once in awhile? Well, the largest margin of victory in the Steelers-Bengals series goes to the Bengals, when on 11/06/1988, the Bengals won 42-7.

It’s okay, Bengals fans, you guys can have that one. It’s the least we, Steelers fans, could do. But I bet last season really hurt, right? I mean, you guys had a pretty great year, went undefeated through eight weeks, Andy Dalton was playing well, Reggie Nelson lead the league, for awhile, in interceptions, and your defense was playing extremely well. But on January 9, 2016, all of that fell apart.

In the fourth quarter, with 1:43 left to play, the Bengals were leading 16-15. Landry Jones threw an interception, on the Steelers 14-yard line, to Vontaze Burfict  (to be fair, Burfict made a great play on the ball, kudos). In fact, Burfict was so excited about his game changing play that he proceeded to run the wrong way with the ball. But he didn’t stop in the endzone, he, and other teammates, continued running all the way into their tunnel. The interception stood, and the Bengals got the ball back. You guys had it all wrapped up, game over. Right? Well, not exactly.

McCarron handed off the ball to Jeremy Hill, he ran six yards, but Ryan Shazier made sure he didn’t finish the play. Shazier stripped Hill of the ball, it was then recovered by Ross Cockrell. Steelers ball. All of this didn’t guarantee a Steelers win, they still had to drive 58 yards, with an injured Ben Roethlisberger, to get to their FG target line. A few plays later, at the Bengals 47-yard line, Ben threw the ball to Antonio Brown, but it was ruled incomplete. Why? Because, the dirtiest player in the NFL, Vontaze Burfict drove his shoulder into Brown’s head and knocked him out.

The Steelers went onto to win the game 18-15.

The ironic part about this Steelers win is based on the fact that your Bengals players cost you this game. You can sit there all you want and deny it, but that won’t change anything.

Next: Pens Cup Run Adds Pressure for Steelers Super Bowl

I mean, yeah, the Steelers moved on and lost the next week to the Broncos. I’ll admit it, but that just proves once again that the Steelers are the big brother, and the Bengals are the little brother.

We’ll see you on September 18th, Bengals.