A run of five straight victories had given the Cincinnati Bengals a share of the division lead heading into this encounter – but with key divisional games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens to come. This game represented the first real chance for the Bengals to lay down a marker that they were for real.
Although the Bengals failed to get the win, they did perhaps do enough to suggest that they are legitimate contenders in a division that remains wide open. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has faltered at times this season but showed that they remain one of the two teams to beat in the AFC North.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this game was that, when it really counted, the Bengals’ much lauded defense couldn’t come up with a stop to get the ball back. With the loss of cornerback Leon Hall for the season to a torn Achilles tendon, things could take a turn for the worse for one of the league’s better performing units in the first half of the season.
Pittsburgh – Three Performances of Note
Cornerstones of the D
The Steelers have had an interesting season from corner Ike Taylor. They have been matching Taylor up against their opponents’ top receiver for much of the year and though he hasn’t been doing the job Darrelle Revis has, he has been doing a fine job of limiting their opportunities. In this game, Taylor scored a +2.9 PFF grade, getting his hands to – and breaking up – both of the passes that were thrown his way in the game. If Taylor wasn’t being thrown at, then William Gay must have been, and thrown at he was. Gay was targeted 11 times but earned a +3.8 grade from allowing just four receptions for 54 yards. Gay didn’t allow more than a single reception to any one receiver, and deflected three passes himself, as well as picking one off.
The decline of Hines Ward has been swift indeed
Hines Ward must have known his days were numbered as a focal point of the Steelers' offense, and it was only a matter of time before he dropped below the three-wide package the Steelers put on the field. That happened in this game, with Ward seeing just 10 snaps in the game. The player that dropped him to fourth on the depth chart however wasn’t Emmanuel Sanders, but former Jet Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery (+1.7) saw 36 snaps on offense and was particularly effective from the slot, where he was able to get substantial separation on multiple plays. With 1:58 to go before half time, Cotchery ran a particularly nice multiple-break route to lose cornerback Chris Crocker entirely but found himself robbed of a touchdown by a penalty called on Heath Miller, who had engaged to block on what was supposed to be a quicker route.
Struggling at guard
We all know that the Steelers' offensive line is rarely a strength of the team, but in this game the weak spots were confined to both guard spots. Chris Kemoeatu (-1.9) and Ramon Foster (-2.9) were both having real issues in the game. Intriguingly, they were polar opposites in terms of where they were struggling. Kemoeatu allowed a pair of sacks and a hit, and all of his negative grade came from pass protection, whereas Foster, though he allowed a hit and pressure, wasn’t too bad in pass protection. All of Foster’s negative came in the run game, where he struggled to deal with the Bengals' defensive tackles.
Cincinnati – Three Performances of Note
Andy Dalton – Rookie of the Year?
No, and this game is a pretty good reason why. Wins are nice, but in this game the Bengals needed Andy Dalton to carry them and he couldn’t manage it. His interception late in the game effectively sealed the win for the Steelers and was a ball that simply cannot be thrown. Dalton’s -1.9 grade reflects the kind of day he had in conventional statistics, scoring just a 68.4 QB rating, throwing a pair of picks, and just 170 yards. The Bengals' rookie is having a fine season, and at times he has looked clutch and wise beyond his years, but this is the type of game that will hold him back from Rookie of the Year contention and relegate him simply to a promising future for the Bengals. The question now is how will he fare the next time the Bengals meet the Steelers and the two games in which he is due to face Baltimore.
Chris Crocker may get exposed down the stretch
With Leon Hall injured, Chris Crocker is going to see ever increasing coverage responsibilities, already covering the slot for the Bengals as he does. In this game he simply couldn’t keep a handle on Jerricho Cotchery. From the slot, Cotchery twice beat him on double moves that sent Crocker backing into a completely different area of the field than the one Cotchery was scampering into. This cost the Bengals one touchdown and a second one that was nullified by a penalty on Heath Miller which had nothing to do with the coverage on the play. In all, Crocker allowed six of the seven passes thrown into his coverage to be completed for 75 yards and needs to really up his game if he is to do a good job for the Bengals down the stretch.
Andre Smith the stud OT prospect
I’ve finally seen him! Offensive tackle Andre Smith (+4.2) was a force in this game. He had a perfect day in pass protection and was effective as a run blocker, both sealing the edge and even working his way through to the second level and doing a number on linebackers on a couple of occasions. There is a reason Smith was drafted as highly as he was (sixth overall in 2009) and it had nothing to do with his gruesome looking 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. This is the player the Bengals felt they were drafting. Now all they need to do is convince him to stick around and keep it up.
Game Notes
– Robert Geathers (+1.2) got a pair of sacks and a knockdown in a rare showing as a pass-rusher.
– Since proclaiming Andrew Whitworth the best left tackle in football, he has gone on to have three of five games negatively graded. His -2.3 grade in this game was one of those three.
– These two sides combined to miss 16 tackles; nine for Pittsburgh and seven for Cincinnati.
PFF Game Ball
Unlike Taylor, William Gay was tested heavily in this game, and his interception at the end sealed the win.
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