Steelers can end Bengals' playoff hopes with a win at PBS
CINCINNATI (AP) PITTSBURGH (8-5) VS. CINCINNATI (5-7-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE - Steelers by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD -Pittsburgh 8-5, Cincinnati 4-8-1
SERIES RECORD - Steelers lead 59-35
LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Bengals 24-16, Sept. 18
LAST WEEK - Steelers beat Bills 27-20; Bengals beat Browns 23-10
AP PRO32 RANKING - Steelers No. 8, Bengals No. 21
STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (9), PASS (8).
STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (4), PASS (21).
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (9), RUSH (8), PASS (11).
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (25), PASS (12).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Steelers have won last three at Paul Brown Stadium and six of seven, including 18-16 in opening round of playoffs last January. Penalties on Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict and CB Adam ''Pacman'' Jones set up Pittsburgh's winning FG in final seconds. ... Burfict and Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell missed first meeting this season while suspended by NFL. ... Steelers have won last four games overall, with Bell running for 100 yards in each. ... Bell set club record with 236 yards rushing vs. Bills. Bell had 200 yards from scrimmage for fifth time in career. ... Bell needs 36 yards rushing to pass Rocky Bleier (3,865) for eighth in Steelers history, 114 to pass Barry Foster for seventh, 136 to pass Dick Hoak for sixth, and 160 to pass Frank Pollard and move into fifth place. ... QB Ben Roethlisberger is 21-4 in games in his native Ohio, including 11-2 in Cincinnati and 10-2 in Cleveland. ... Steelers have allowed 16 sacks, second fewest to Oakland's 13. ... WR Antonio Brown needs seven catches for fourth straight season with 100. ... Roethlisberger and Brown have combined for 49 TDs, tied with Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann for most in team history. ... Pittsburgh has held each of last four opponents to 100 yards rushing or less. ... Loss would eliminate Bengals from playoff contention. ...QB Andy Dalton threw career-high 54 passes in earlier game in Pittsburgh for 366 yards; most came late in game. ... Dalton had season-high passer rating of 130 vs. Eagles and 112.2 vs. Browns. ... WR Tyler Boyd leads all rookies with 21 third-down catches. ... DE Carlos Dunlap has 14 passes defensed, tops on team and ninth in NFL. ... DT Geno Atkins has 6+ sacks, fourth most by interior lineman in NFL. ... Bengals switched kickers this week, releasing Mike Nugent and claiming Randy Bullock off waivers from Steelers. ... Fantasy Tip: Since entering NFL in 2013, Bell has 1,418 yards from scrimmage in December, fourth most in league over that span.
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