TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday PLACE: Heinz Field (grass)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 41-station Bengals radio network.
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One Sports: John Sadak (play-by-play) and Mike Mayock (analyst).
TV: CBS broadcast crew of Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (analyst), Evan Washburn (sideline) on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 27 in Lexington, KY.
INJURIES
CIN:
*OUT: *Starting TE Tyler Eifert (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: Backup DT Pat Sims (ankle) didn't work Wednesday and Thursday after he played with the injury last Sunday in New York. But he went full Friday.
PROBABLE: Slot CB Darqueze Dennard (ankle) went full Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and head coach Marvin Lewis indicated he's ready. Starting LE Carlos Dunlap (shoulder/toe) was limited Wednesday and Thursday but was full go Friday. Starting CB Adam Jones (back) went limited Wednesday, but was full Thursday and Friday. Like last week, WR James Wright (knee) went full Wednesday and Friday and rested it Thursday.
PIT:
QUESTIONABLE:Starting LB Ryan Shazier (knee) got better during the week and is expected to play after being limited early. He went full Friday. Starting WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) practiced full this week after missing the opener, but went limited Friday. The sense out of Pittsburgh is he'll play.
THE SERIES
The 1-0 Steelers lead the 1-0 Bengals, 58-35; 29-16 in Pittsburgh, 9-6 at Heinz Field
NOTEWORTHY
»» The clubs meet for the first time since the wild Wild Card Game at Paul Brown Stadium on Jan. 9, 2016. That was the 93rd time they met, the most games they've played against any team.
»» In his first game back since breaking his throwing thumb against Pittsburgh on Dec. 13, 21015 at Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals QB Andy Dalton completed 76 percent of his passes for 366 yards in last Sunday's Opening Day victory that marked the 13th fourth quarter comeback of his career and seventh on the road
»» One of Dalton's fourth -quarter comebacks came in Pittsburgh, a 16-10 victory last season. Two of his 17 game-winning drives have come at Heinz. Along with last year's drive, he put one up in 2012 in the game that boosted the Bengals into the postseason and knocked out the Steelers.
»» Sunday's game marks the second earliest Bengals-Steelers meeting in the last 27 years. On Sept. 16. 2013 at PBS, the Bengals took a 20-10 Monday Night victory on the way to the AFC North title. Running back Giovani Bernard became the first Bengal rookie since running back Craig Taylor in 1989 to score a touchdown rushing and receiving in the same game. His 27-yard scoot-and-dash for a TD in the third quarter broke open a 10-10 tie as the defense blanked the Steelers in the second half.
»» Sunday marks the 28th year to the day of the Bengals' 17-12 win in Pittsburgh on the way to a 6-0 start and eventually the AFC East title. James Brooks rushed for 88 yards, Boomer Esiason pitched two TDs and went for 8.3 yards per throw while the defense held Steelers QB Bubby Brister to 15 of 30 passing.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: T-14th in scoring, 10th in offense (29th rushing, 6th passing); 15th in scoring defense, 15th in defense (29th rushing, 9th passing), T-14th in turnover margin at even.
PIT: 2nd in scoring, 5th in offense (7th rushing, 10th passing); T-8th in scoring defense, 24th in defense (3rd rushing, 28th passing), T-5th in turnover margin at plus-1.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 113-94-2 in 14th season, 8-20 vs. Steelers
PIT: Mike Tomlin 93-52 in second season, 14-5 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
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PHILIP RIVERS WEATHER UPDATE
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for 72 degrees and 70 percent chance of rain at kickoff in Pittsburgh, Pa., with a southwest wind at five miles per hour. Chance of rain diminishes throughout the game.
NUMBERS GAME
.476 - Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis' road winning percentage
.725 - Steelers' home winning percentage in last 10 seasons
15 - Bengals QB Andy Dalton's AFC North victories
17 - Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's victories vs. Bengals
.641 - Dalton's road winning percentage
.756 - Roethlisberger's home winning percentage
6 - Bengals' September winning streak
.722 - Dalton's September winning percentage
.500 - Roethlisberger's September winning percentage
25 - Interceptions Roethlisberger has thrown vs. Bengals
35 - Interceptions Roethlisberger has thrown vs. Ravens and Browns combined
0-2 - Bengals record vs. Steelers without WLB Vontaze Burfict in the lineup
6 - Bengals WR A.J. Green's TDs in 10 games vs. Steelers
3 - Former Bengals WR Chad Johnson's TDs in 20 games vs. Steelers
4 - Steelers WR Antonio Brown's receiving TDs in 11 games vs. Bengals
93.7 - Green's yards per game vs. Steelers
59.9 - Johnson's yards per game vs. Steelers
79.5 - Brown's yards per game vs. Bengals
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