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In one of the most bizzare endings in NFL Playoff history, the Pittsburgh Steelers have defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 18-16 thanks to two 15-yard penalties in the last 15 seconds of the game.
REPORT: PITTSBURGH STEAL WILDCARD WIN
Chris Boswell knocked through the 35-yard field goal to send the Steelers to Denver.
The Steelers were the better side for the first three quarters, building a 15-0 lead. But the Bengals came back hard, and an AJ Green Touchdown with 1:50 left looked set to send the Bengals through.
Then a Landry Jones interception looked to guarantee the result, but Bengals running back Jeremy Hill fumbled on the very next play to give the Steelers one more shot.
The Bengals looked to have the result in hand on defence, but a illegal hit from controversial linebacker Vontaze Burfict moved the Steelers into field goal range. Then a second unsportsmanlike penalty on cornerback Adam Jones sealed the result for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh will have injury concerns for next weekend, as both Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown left the game in the fourth quarter. Although Roethlisberger did return, he didn’t look comfortable throwing the football in the game-winning drive, despite the heroics.
This means that the Steelers will travel to Denver next weekend to take on the Broncos, while the Chiefs go to Foxboro to take on the Patriots.
Final score
Pittsburgh Steelers 18
Cincinnati Bengals 16
The NFL playoffs are underway, and we have an AFC North showdown to cap off Sunday play, as the Pittsburgh Steelers go into Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 12:15pm AEDT.
The Steelers have had an up and down season, having only secured their spot in the postseason in Week 17.
Despite injuries to both their starting quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger), and their starting running back (LeVeon Bell), the Steelers still managed to rack up 10 wins in 2015 to wrap up the sixth seed in the AFC.
With an explosive offence, and an ever-improving defence, the Steelers are going to be a dangerous side to deal with.
The Bengals started the season on fire, reeling off eight straight wins before their first loss to the Texans. Despite this, the Bengals never looked threatened as they rolled to their second AFC North title in three years with a 12-4 record.
This marks their fifth straight playoff appearance, although the previous four have all resulted in a first-up loss. With a good balance of offence and defence, the Bengals are an extremely talented side that are tough to beat at home.
As mentioned above, the Steelers have dealt with a long injury list this season, one that was made worse when they lost number two running back DeAngelo Williams to a foot injury in Week 17. This means that the Steelers will be relying on Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman to pick up the slack left by the injury.
Ben Roethlisberger has also experienced injuries this season, but he’s been playing extremely well in the latter part of the season, and will look to continue that into the playoffs.
Their wide receivers have been setting the world on fire, with Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton averaging over 250 receiving yards between them. Look for Martavis Bryant to potentially have a big game in Pittsburgh’s vertical passing offence.
The Bengals have managed to stay relatively healthy this season, but they have lost their starting quarterback Andy Dalton to a broken thumb. He has been confirmed as OUT for this game, meaning that Alabama alumni AJ McCarron will step in to start his first playoff game.
However, with a receiving group that includes AJ Green and Tyler Eifert, McCarron should have no issues moving the chains against a Steelers defence that can be a little suspect at times.
Reggie Nelson could also be a deciding factor in this game, as the Bengals’ free safety has a league-high 8 interceptions, and has been a ball hawk all year.
Prediction
This is a tough one to call. If Andy Dalton was healthy, I’d take the Bengals at home without thinking about it. However, I think McCarron turns the ball over at least a couple of times, and the Steelers should take advantage of it. Give me the Steelers in Denver next weekend.
Pittsburgh by 9
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