Cincinnati Bengals 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 33
The Steelers have thrown the AFC North wide open after they defeated the Bengals 33-20 in Cincinnati.
The Bengals have suffered a major loss with Andy Dalton sidelined through a thumb injury which could completely derail their season and has seen them slip from first seed to third in the AFC playoff picture putting their post-season campaign at risk.
Both the Steelers and Bengals will play the Broncos and Ravens over the next two weeks. With Pittsburgh also playing the Browns and Cincinnati taking on the 49ers.
With the Broncos shaping as tough opposition, the AFC North division title could be decided as late as Week 17.
Can the Cincinnati Bengals clinch their fourth AFC North division title or will the Pittsburgh Steelers stop them and keep their playoff hopes alive? Join The Roar from 5:00 am (AEDT) for live scores and coverage.
The fate of this game appears to lie in the hands of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers star passed for four touchdowns and 364 yards as Pittsburgh stunned the Indianapolis Colts 45-10.
Roethlisberger has lifted the Steelers to second in the league on offense, fifth in passing and sixth in rushing – a testament to Pittsburgh’s offense led by former Chiefs head coach and current Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
The Steelers will also require an outstanding match from their wide receivers if they are to win. The wide receiver they will be looking to, however, won’t be three-time Pro Bowler Antonio Brown but rather underrated Oregon State graduate Markus Wheaton, who is in dominant form.
In his last two games, Markus Wheaton has averaged one touchdown, 125.5 yards and six receptions per game making him the man the Bengals will be wanting to stop from receiving possession.
Roethlisberger’s opposition Andy Dalton holds the key for the Bengals having managed to lift the Bengals to eighth in offense, ninth in rushing and twelfth in passing.
The TCU Horned Frogs graduate is in career-best form after receiving his highest ever rating of 146.8 last week in the Bengals’ 37-3 victory over Cleveland.
For Dalton and the Bengals however, it will be their toughest game over the last four weeks of the regular season.
The weight of an entire city, however, lies on Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulders as the Steelers hope to achieve the impossible and stop Cincinnati from claiming the division title.
Prediction
Cincinnati will be far too good and secure the AFC North.
Bengals by 7.
Join The Roar from 5:00 am (AEDT) for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
The Steelers have thrown the AFC North wide open after they defeated the Bengals 33-20 in Cincinnati. The Bengals have suffered a major loss with Andy Dalton sidelined through a thumb injury which could completely derail their season and has seen them slip from first seed to third in the AFC playoff picture putting their post-season campaign at risk. Both the Steelers and Bengals will play the Broncos and Ravens over the next two weeks. With Pittsburgh also playing the Browns and Cincinnati taking on the 49ers. With the Broncos shaping as tough opposition, the AFC North division title could be decided as late as Week 17. Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
AFC STANDINGS AFC East 1 Patriots (10-2) 2 Jets (8-5) 3 Bills (6-7) 4 Dolphins (5-7) AFC North 1 Bengals (10-3) 2 Steelers (8-5) 3 Ravens (4-9) 4 Browns (3-10) AFC South 1 Texans (6-6) 2 Colts (6-7) 3 Jaguars (5-8) 4 Titans (3-10) AFC West 1 Broncos (10-2) 2 Chiefs (8-5) 3 Raiders (5-7) 4 Chargers (3-10)
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
NFC STANDINGS NFC East 1 Redskins (6-7) 2 Eagles (6-7) 3 Giants (5-7) 4 Cowboys (4-8) NFC North 1 Packers (8-4) 2 Vikings (8-5) 3 Bears (5-8) 4 Lions (4-9) NFC South 1 Panthers (13-0) 2 Buccaneers (6-7) 3 Falcons (6-7) 4 Saints (5-8) NFC West 1 Cardinals (11-2) 2 Seahawks (8-5) 3 Rams (5-8) 4 49ers (4-9)
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
UPDATE: Jaguars defeated Colts 51-16 Eagles defeated Bills 23-20
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
WEEK FOURTEEN SCORES: Cardinals defeated Vikings 23-20 Seahawks defeated Ravens 35-6 Panthers defeated Falcons 38-0 Redskins defeated Bears 24-21 Steelers defeated Bengals 33-20 Browns defeated 49ers 24-10 Jaguars vs Colts (PROGRESS) Chiefs defeated Chargers 10-3 Jets defeated Titans 30-8 Eagles vs Bills (PROGRESS) Rams defeated Lions 21-14 Saints defeated Buccaneers 24-17
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
FINAL Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 0.21 2nd & 11 (PIT) Jones kneels to Bengals 45 Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 1.02 1st & 10 (PIT) Jones kneel to Bengals 45 for a loss of one yard Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 1.03 Nugent kicks onside 9 yards. Williams didn't advance, no gain Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
TOUCHDOWN! REX BURKHEAD McCarron passes short to Burkhead for five yards, touchdown. Nugent gets the extra point Cincinnati Bengals 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 1.14 1st & 10 (CIN) McCarron passes short to Jones for 13 yards Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 1.14 Bengals call timeout Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 1.24 2nd & 16 (CIN) McCarron passes short to Kroft for 22 yards Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 2.00 1st & 10 (CIN) McCarron sacked for a loss of six yards by Vince Williams and Daniel McCullers Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 2.13 2nd & 1 (CIN) Jones to the Steelers 34 for seven yards Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 2.40 1st & 10 (CIN) McCarron passes short to Hewitt for nine yards Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 2.40 Bengals call timeout Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 2.48 2nd & 2 (CIN) McCarron scrambles right for five yards Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 3.17 1st & 10 (CIN) Bernard gains eight yards from the McCarron pass up the middle Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Q4 3.44 2nd & 2 (CIN) Kroft picks up a nine-yard gain Cincinnati Bengals 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 33