AFC North Monday Night Battle: Cincinnati/ Pittsburgh

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this season. The addition of Terrell Owens has been great for their offense, but their defense has been miserable this year. At 2-5, this Bengals squad will need to be next to perfect for the rest of the season if they are to make the playoffs. That should be the least of their worries as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

The Steelers are currently a half game back of the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead, but lost to the Ravens back in week 4. Pittsburgh will need to keep pace with Baltimore and win their next meeting on December 5th. Ben Roethlisberger’s return has been a huge boost to an offense that had averaged 21 points per game without him. The Saints defense did a phenomenal job last week holding the Steelers to just 279 yards of total offense, but much of Pittsburgh’s ineffectiveness offensively was due to their play calling and turnovers.

They are expected to do far better moving the ball this week as they take on a Cincy squad that is giving up 342 yards and over 23 points per game this season. The Bengals were a top-5 defense for most of the 2009 year, but have fallen apart this year. They will need to step up big on Monday if they are to have any chance of winning. The oddsmakers have made the Steelers a hefty 6 point favorite on the road. This line may seem reasonable, but the Bengals are incredibly “due” for a solid performance.

Chad Ochocinco has taken a back seat to Terrell Owens this season as Owens is receiving far more targets from quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer is having a mediocre year, but as a whole the Cincy offense is doing more than enough to win. If they can maintain their current average of 21 points per game then they will keep this one close.

Pittsburgh is averaging 21 points per game as well, but has played far better on the defensive side of the ball. NFL handicappers predicted that this Steelers team would win 10-11 games this season based solely on their defense. This AFC North rivalry will result in one of the best Monday night games of the year. Tune in as the Bengals try to take down the Steelers in what will be a very closely contested match-up.

Related posts:

1. AFC North Divisional Round Battle: Pittsburgh v. Baltimore
2. AFC North Battle: Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
3. AFC North Showdown: Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore
4. Steelers host Bengals in AFC North Showdown
5. AFC’s Elite Battle Sunday: Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore

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