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KEY MATCHUPS
NOVEMBER 15, 2009
From Good Morning America to USA Today to Entertainment Tonight it has been a 24/7 week of Steelers over Bengals. Everywhere, every minute, except the Bengals.com roundtable that emerges with another split decision.
Big Bird says the intangibles of teamwork and film work pave the way to a 17-10 Bengals victory at Heinz Field. The Sage says Ben Roethlisberger’s hot hand is going to burn through the Bengals secondary for a 28-17 Steelers win. The Eye says the Bengals did it just 46 days ago and there’s no reason their deep familiarity of Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s pressures can’t carry the day again in a 24-17 Bengals victory.
Big Bird, a former NFL player with double-digit years experience, also has a vast knowledge of Maestro LeBeau’s madness and he says the plan is going to be simple.
“He’s going to do everything he can to make sure 
The Sage, also a double-digit former NFL player, is a Carson fan but also a Ben guy that puts him in the top three of quarterbacks with You Know Who and Tom Terrific.
“He’s good, man. He’s just killing teams,” The Sage says. “There are so many different ways he can beat you. He can scramble. He can go no-huddle, and he’s got three running backs and a bunch of receivers. Plus, they’re home. He’ll be tough to beat.”
The Eye, an NFL scout with knowledge of the AFC North, is saying the same thing he said last week: “Denver isn’t very good. Teams that aren’t used to playing the old Baltimore and this Pittsburgh typically look bad against them trying to block them because they hardly see all that stuff. But the Bengals see it four times a year and they just saw it."
“No question Pittsburgh is playing better,” he says. “They’re running the ball better and they’ve got Troy Polamalu. But the Bengals are playing better, too. Particularly on offense.”
Palmer has thrown just one interception and three touchdowns in three games against the Ravens and Steelers. Do you know how hard that is? In the last two games he’s gunned six TDs and no interceptions and it is paramount that he is as flawless as possible. The Steelers feast on mistakes. They’ve scored three defensive touchdowns in the last five quarters and the unpredictable Polamalu is a major reason why. “He knows what you’re going to do as well as you do,” The Eye says. “He knows what the offensive line is doing in pass protection, he knows the receivers’ routes, and where the quarterback is going to throw the ball. If he’s going to blitz and he sees he can’t get there, he’ll drop back in coverage.” The Eye draws a picture of one play from last week in Denver to underline what Palmer has to stay away from: “The Broncos have a wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, singled up on the weak side,” he says. “Troy lines up like he’s going to blitz or drop into coverage on a short curl route. Everything about the play says that is just the kind of look you get for an easy throw over the top to the boundary. But just before the snap, he sprinted back underneath to the receiver running a deep out. The quarterback looked left, came back, and threw it right to him. It just happened to go through his hands. But that’s Troy. He wasn’t where he should have been.” Who gets the edge? “Two great players,” The Eye says. “It doesn’t matter that Carson played with him at USC. What matters is that he’s played him twice a year for so long.” | |
Benson didn’t get many shots to run it the last time against the Steelers (16), but they never give offenses many plays and you have to throw enough to beat the No. 1 rush defense in the league. The number of 100-yard games LeBeau has allowed since his return six years ago can be counted on one hand. “I guarantee you their focus is going to be stopping Benson,” The Bird says. “They’re going to put eight in the box and just shut it down. But you can’t give up on the run. They won't let you throw every snap and they can’t do it.” And LeBeau is coming, baby. The vaunted Steelers defense took some heat in the wake of the Bengals loss. The critics thought the Maestro had been a touch tentative with the pressure and let Palmer roast the mediocre cornerbacks (not our words, the experts’ words) in the fourth quarter. Since then the Steelers have logged 18 sacks and 11 turnovers, so lock and load, kids. | |
The Steelers are down to their third left end. The guy that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski believes is one of the most underrated players in the league, Aaron Smith is out for the year. His backup, Travis Kirschke, is out for this game. The Table believes Roland has the edge there in the running game. “Roland looks scary when you watch tape because he’s so stiff, but he takes up a lot of room and he plays with good technique,” says The Sage, who also says the Bengals may be able to make some hay over there in the running game. Woodley is dangerous against the pass. He gets his hands on passes and the quarterback, and has two sacks, three passes defensed and a fumble return for a touchdown. Foschi can help Roland in the pass game as well as left tackle In order for the Bengals to spring Benson in their zone scheme, they have to open creases with the proper angles on the Steelers front seven. Foschi can do that going in motion or lining up in other spots that make him accessible to the edge players. That’s not to take anything away from Harrison in the pass game because he only has seven sacks in the five games since the Steelers left PBS. It’s another monumental matchup for Whitworth, but he’s holding up just fine, thank you. His quarterback has been sacked just 12 times against a schedule heavy with 3-4 teams. “Whit is having a great year,” The Sage says. “But the only time I’ve really ever seen him get in trouble is in this kind of setting. On the road. You can’t hear and going against a speed rusher. You have to give the edge to Harrison.” | |
Livings gets his first start since he hurt his knee in the opener now that “It’s not a bad matchup for Cincinnati,” The Eye says. “Timmons is a big guy (6-1, 234 pounds) who has his way with smaller guys, but Livings (6-5, 330) is a big guy too, and he’s got some strength.” Big Bird says LeBeau will go after him: “He’ll be coming up the middle on him. He’ll do that with a guy that’s been on the bench for awhile.” | |
“I really like this matchup for Andre,” Big Bird says. “Andre can run in the middle of the field and I think that’s a problem for Deshea. That’s one of the matchups the Bengals have to win. Andre in the slot and LeBeau has been in Pittsburgh since 2004. The Ocho hasn’t had a 100-yard game against the Steelers since 2003. That London, Ohio math says Caldwell better have a big day, and he does like playing against the AFC North. He caught the two winners in the final seconds against both the Steelers and Ravens and got his third TD of the season last week to start the scoring against Baltimore. “This is a game where I really think they miss | |
Joseph is coming off a mega game against the Ravens and it was he who breathed life back in the Bengals against the Steelers the first time with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first series of the second half when Roethlisberger and wide receiver Santonio Holmes screwed up a hot read. Joseph has a pick in all four of the division wins, but he also had an adventure against Roethlisberger. Rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace streaked by him for a 51-yard reception that should have been a touchdown and Limas Sweed dropped what would have been the winning TD when he snuck behind Joseph and he didn’t get the safety help assigned. Wallace has been on fire ever since with three TDs and the fastest player at last year’s scouting combine is averaging 17.5 yards per catch. If Roethlisberger is allowed to buy time… | |
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“They won’t be able to arm tackle Mendenhall. The guy’s a beast,” Big Bird says and The Eye says, “He’s got enough burst to run away from you and enough power to get the tough yards.” If he reminds you of somebody, don’t be surprised. “Go back to the backs in the AFC North the past five years,” The Eye says. “He’s not as big as Jamal Lewis. Willis McGahee was probably a little quicker. He’s faster than Rudi Johnson. The guy he’s probably closest to is Benson.” And he’s been racking up Benson-like numbers as told by the Post-Gazette: In five games as a starter, Mendenhall has rushed for 526 yards on 93 carries, an average of 105.2 yards per game. In that time, only three backs have rushed for more yards than Mendenhall – Tennessee’s Chris Johnson (608), Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams (588) and Benson (544). Mendenhall has seven runs of 20 yards or longer this season, tying him with Benson and Atlanta’s Michael Turner for third most in the NFL. Only Johnson (12) and Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson (8) have more. “The thing that convinced me how good the Steelers defense is when they held Adrian Peterson to under 100. He’s the best in the league,” Big Bird says. “The Bengals have to blitz to stop the run.” | |
The lanky 6-5, 243-pound Johnson is in. The compact 6-2, 240-pound Rivers is out. The 6-7, 270-pound Spaeth is ready. The Steelers are a two tight-end team and no doubt they will test Johnson, a very good player on third down who is good blitzer and cover guy. But can he hold up against the punishing Steelers running game? The Bengals believe he can because he already did in nine starts last season in place of the injured Rivers. “Brandon can win that matchup,” The Sage says. “He’s a smart guy with experience who will play well.” Another thing to keep in mind: The Bengals may also use at times backup SAM backer | |
Geathers, the solid veteran who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the Heinz turf last season, is coming off a vintage solid game and now faces Colon, the guy The Sage thinks is Pittsburgh's best lineman. “The Steelers offensive line is playing much better. Better than it was last time they played,” The Sage says. “I think the only way they can stop Ben with Antwan (Odom) being out is to blitz. You just can’t leave your corners out there exposed with Ben’s ability to extend the play.” | |
Holmes, the Super Bowl MVP out of Ohio State who had just one catch last game, vs. Hall, the emerging Pro Bowler out of Michigan, with four picks in the last four games. Since the game in Cincy, Holmes has one 100-yard game and a 93-yarder and is much more dangerous with Wallace streaking down the other side. “They need to get better safety play,” The Sage says. “The pick that Joseph made deep last week against Baltimore, the safety (Chinedum Ndukwe) has to get there and he was running downfield.” | |
Palmer
Benson
Roland
Livings
Caldwell
Joseph
Crocker
Johnson
Geathers
Hall
