The Cincinnati Bengals prevented Pittsburgh from reaching the end zone plenty of times on Sunday. But they still allowed the Steelers to score 6 … as in 6 field goals. Six frickin’ field goals. Those 18 points, along with a 24-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Eli Rogers, were enough to carry the day in a 24-20 Pittsburgh win at Paul Brown Stadium.
What Went Wrong for the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals’ D played exceptionally well in the first half. Especially when you consider they were facing the 7th-ranked offense in the NFL. Cincy’s offense wasn’t too far behind. While Andy Dalton was leading the offense to scores on each of its first 4 drives, the defense kept the Steelers out of the end zone until there were less than eight minutes in the game. Cincinnati held a 20-9 advantage at the half and the people in the stands seemed to be wondering “Where has this team been?”
In the second half, the sentiment had changed to “Where has this offense gone?” The Bengals collected 38 yards after halftime. And then there were the field goals.
The … the field goals. Field. Goals. Five of Pittsburgh’s six FGs were from 40 yards or longer. Three of them were 49-yarders. With each swing of Chris Boswell’s leg, the Steelers got a little closer. And with Cincinnati’s second-half offense being as hard to find as the Bengal tiger (2,500 left in the wild), it became obvious that the Steelers’ O wouldn’t need to be world-beaters to beat the Bengals. They needed one touchdown. Big Ben delivered with 7:29 left in the game, and that was that.
Speaking of that being that, Cincinnati’s 2016 season is over. We’re too worn out to check the numbers and confirm, though, so if anyone wants to volunteer, then have at it. See you next week.
Leave a Reply