When the NFL scheduled the Steelers and Bengals to play Monday night in prime time in front of a national audience, the league likely assumed these two teams would be renewing what has become a fierce rivalry.
After all, the two AFC North opponents have played some serious, knock-down, drag-out games against each other over the past 10 to 15 seasons, including a pair of playoff games, both won by the Steelers.
So why not put the 100th all-time meeting between the two rivals on national television?
What the league surely didn't think, however, is that both would be 0-3 heading into this game at Heinz Field. There has been desperation involved in previous meetings between the two. After all, when you're playing in the postseason or with a division title on the line, there's plenty for which to play.
In this case, however, there figures to be a different kind of desperation involved.
"I think so," David DeCastro told me this week. "It’s a different situation than it’s been in the past, but it’s similar in that both teams are desperate to win."
Both teams know that if they fall to 0-4, digging out of that hole is improbable. And there will still be a whole lot of season remaining. The winner, however, will find itself just one game out of first place after the Browns beat the Ravens Sunday to send both teams to 2-2 records.
That's not the only thing new about the rivalry. While the Steelers are without Ben Roethlisberger for the remainder of this season, the Bengals have undegone a far bigger change.
Zac Taylor replaced longtime head coach Marvin Lewis in the offseason. And while the Bengals didn't undergo wholesale changes in personnel, Taylor did jettison longtime Bengals such as linebacker Vontaze Burfict and cornerback Adam 'Pacman' Jones.
"This is a great football rivalry," Bud Dupree told me. "It’s always like a high school or college rivalry against each other. A lot of the players that really brought the rivalry to the forefront are kind of gone now, so in that spirit, we’ve got to make sure we go out and make this our best game."
Taylor, a former Rams assistant, hasn't been involved in the rivalry. But he knows all about it.
If he didn't, you'd better believe he was informed just what this game has meant in Cincinnati over the years. Though the Bengals didn't have a lot of success against their rivals from up the Ohio River -- Lewis was just 8-26 against the Steelers -- it was always tagged "Steelers Week," when the two teams prepared to meet.
“This has been, from afar, one of the premier divisions to watch football," Taylor said. "You always know it’s going to be a slugfest, a dogfight, or whatever you want to call it. Obviously there’s a history here between these two teams. It’s fun to watch.”
Now, he'll be taking center stage.
The Bengals didn't necessarily have high expectations this season after finishing in fourth place in the AFC North a year ago at 6-10. But they didn't expect to be 0-3.
Neither did the Steelers, who felt they had retooled enough coming off a 9-6-1 season to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The 0-3 start is enough to shake the confidence of even the most self-assured people in the team's locker room.
"Yeah, obviously," DeCastro said of the team's overall confidence. "But it’s one of those things where you have to go about things the way you normally do, but it’s always in the back of your mind. Everyone recognizes the situation. It’s tough to come to work each day with the record like that. But you have to be professional. You have to come to work with the attitude you would if you were 3-0. That’s what I do. You can’t let it affect you."
A win would change a lot of that feeling. And one team is going to get it.
"The standard here at the Pittsburgh Steelers is the standard," Mason Rudolph said. "We know that, and we look forward to answering the call every season. As long as I’ve been here, that’s been preached kind of as our motto. So we understand that we need to win and we’re looking forward to winning and get this thing back on track.
"Once you stack one, they just start to come easier, kind of start rolling."
Cameron Heyward agrees.
“We just have to get this ‘W’,” he said. “That’s all it comes down to. I don’t care how it gets done, it has to get done. Our execution has to be flawless from here on out. Our room for error is out the window. We have to be perfect in everything we do. It’s my job to keep us accountable. It’s my job to keep guys ready for the opportunity. Both teams are 0-3, but one team is going to be 1-3 after this game."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (0-3) vs. Bengals (0-3)
• When: 8:15 p.m.
• Where: Heinz Field
• TV: WTAE (local), ESPN (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM 226, Internet 826
• Forecast: 74 degrees, isolated thunderstorms
• Lots open: 4:15 p.m.
• Will call open: 6:15 p.m.
• Gates open: 6:15 p.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: FB Roosevelt Nix (knee, out), LB Vince Williams (hamstring, out), OLB Anthony Chickillo (foot, out), TE Vance McDonald (shoulder, doubtful), LB Jayrone Elliott (hamstring, questionable)
Bengals: DE Kerry Wynn (concussion, out), WR A.J. Green (ankle, out), DT Ryan Glasgow (thigh, out),
OT Cordy Glenn (concussion, out), DE Carl Lawson (hamstring, doubtful)
THE KEY VARIABLE
It's been quite a while since the Bengals had the more experienced quarterback in a matchup against the Steelers. In fact, you'd have to go all the way back to 2004 when Roethlisberger was a rookie and the Bengals were starting Carson Palmer.
But the Bengals now have a big advantage over the Steelers at quarterback. Rudolph will be making his second career start, while Andy Dalton will be making his 124th since becoming the Bengals' starter as a rookie in 2011.
Taylor has put more on Dalton's plate than ever before. In fact, the nine-year veteran entered Week 3 ranked second in the NFL with 979 passing yards.
It's a very Rams-like offensive scheme and Taylor is having Dalton throw the ball around.
"Andy Dalton has been there for a long time. He’s capable," Steelers cornerback Joe Haden told me. "(Joe) Mixon is a good running back. But they trust Dalton to throw it."
And throw it Dalton has. Dalton's 129 passing attempts were second only to Cardinals' rookie Kyler Murray entering Week 3. The Bengals have run the ball, meanwhile, just 52 times, only one more than the Steelers.
Dalton also has been sacked 11 times, as the Bengals have dropped back to throw the ball more than 70 percent of the time.
With star receiver A.J. Green still out with a foot injury, former Pitt star Tyler Boyd has settled in once again as his main target. Boyd is among the league leaders with 24 receptions, including seven on third downs. Third-year pro John Ross, a top-10 draft pick, has finally started to live up to his promise, as well. The speedster is averaging 22.5 yards per catch and leads the Bengals with three touchdowns.
"It’s a timing-based (offense) and Ross is getting a whole lot better," Haden said. "He’s emerged as a deep threat. He doesn’t really run intermediate routes. Boyd is very balanced. On first and second downs, they’ll spread it around. On third downs, he’s kind of the guy who gets the ball."
But after facing three quarterbacks to open the season who wanted to get the ball out quickly, the Steelers are welcoming a chance to play a team that wants to go down the field. Especially one with the Bengals' offensive line issues.
Left tackle Cordy Glenn has been out with a concussion, while first-round draft pick Jonah Williams, who was supposed to help solidify the line, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the offseason. The Bengals' offensive line has been so bad, the team is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.
That's great news for the Steelers, who have been struggling to stop the run early. If they slam the door on Cincinnati's rushing attack, the Steelers can finally unleash a pass rush that has led the league in sacks the past two seasons.
"They’re kind of going gunslinger," outside linebacker Bud Dupree told me. "The first three games we have played have been quick-pass games. So we might get a chance to get after the quarterback."
THE HISTORY LESSON
The year was 1970. The Steelers were off to a 2-4 start with rookie quarterback Terry Bradshaw starting the first six games when the Cincinnati Bengals, fresh off the move over to the NFL from the AFL after the two leagues merged, made their first trip to Three Rivers Stadium.
It would mark the first meeting between second-year Steelers head coach Chuck Noll and his mentor, Bengals head coach and founder Paul Brown.
Bradshaw started the game, but he wouldn't finish it after completing just 4 of 12 passes for 40 yards. Terry Hanratty relieved Bradshaw and completed 7 of 11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers came from behind to nip the Bengals, 21-10.
The Bengals took a lead in the second quarter on a 2-yard pass from Virgil Carter to Eric Crabtree. But a trick play by the Steelers tied the score at 7-7 when running back Dick Hoak threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Hughes before the half.
The Bengals regained the lead at 10-7 on a 43-yard Horst Muhlmann field goal in the third quarter before Hanratty rallied the Steelers.
First, Hanratty threw a 72-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Hughes that was the longest touchdown pass of Hanratty's career.
Then, Warren Bankston scored on a 2-yard run to set the final score and put the game away.
Carter was 15 of 29 for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions as the Steelers forced three Cincinnati turnovers. Jess Phillips had 76 yards rushing on 15 carries for Cincinnati.
Hoak, playing in his final season before retiring and joining the Steelers as their running backs coach two years later in 1972, led the rushing attack with 39 yards on 12 carries while also throwing the touchdown pass.
The Steelers would win just two more times in Noll's second season, finishing 5-9, with one of those losses being a 35-7 defeat at the hands of the Bengals later that season. Cincinnati finished 8-6 in its first season in the NFL.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
If it's ever going to happen for James Conner and the Steelers' running game, this is the week.
Opposing running backs have feasted on the Bengals run defense this season, gaining 408 yards on 78 rushing attempts -- a 5.2 yards-per-attempt average. They've scored four touchdowns.
Yes, the Bengals, like the Steelers, were tortured on the ground by the 49ers -- to the tune of 259 yards on 42 attempts -- but the Bengals also allowed 175 yards rushing on 36 attempts last week to the Bills. That included giving up 76 yards on 14 carries to 36-year-old running back Frank Gore.
The Steelers haven't run the ball much or well. They're averaging just 64 yards per game on the ground -- Cincinnati is last at 41.7 yards -- while the Steelers' 51 rushing attempts are tied for last in the NFL.
But the Steelers also have faced the fourth-most stacked boxes in the league.
"You can run against it," offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said of the eight- and nine-man boxes the Steelers are seeing. "You’ve got to scheme it. You’ve got to put guys in position to formulate angles and block on those bodies. But what you’d like to be able to do is keep them out of it. You keep them out of it by throwing the football and not allowing them to do that."
Connecting on some deep throws would help that. So would converting more first downs. The Steelers have converted just nine of 35 in their first three games. Only the Jets and Dolphins have been worse.
"Everybody keeps talking about the running game, but we’re just not holding the ball," DeCastro said. "We’re just going out and going three-and-out, which is terrible. That’s not helping the running game because we’re not staying on the field. We don’t have a chance to stick with the running game, which isn’t helping our defense out. We should be out there grinding away, winning the time of possession, and we’re just not doing that.
"We’re not playing good on offense. Third down is the key. If you can’t stay on the field, you can’t run, you can’t do anything. It’s just not good."
No, it's not.
And the stacked boxes figure to continue until the Steelers can do something to loosen them up and create more manageable third downs.
The Steelers ran primarily out of a shotgun formation last week in a 24-20 loss to the 49ers, going with a formation with which Rudolph was more comfortable. He fumbled a couple of snaps under center during practice leading up to the game, so the coaching staff simplified things for him.
Because Rudolph wasn't the starter and Maurkice Pouncey worked primarily with Roethlisberger, he and Rudolph didn't get a lot of work on the center-quarterback exchange in the offseason or at training camp. That has changed the past two weeks.
"We got some good work in the OTAs, but you can’t simulate the live reps in a practice situation," Rudolph said. "We’ve been flawless this week, which has been the plan, and we’ll continue to do that, however the coaches want to run the ball. I think every team has a little bit more of a college flash to it, a little flavor. Whether it’s in the gun or under center, we’ll execute the play."
THE QUOTES
• "The goal is to win wherever you’re at. That’s what I’ve always done. I’m a winner, and that’s how I feel. That’s what we’re going to do." -- Rudolph
• "I also think the competitor in all of us is a little bit pissed off, and appropriately so." -- Mike Tomlin
• “We know the importance of this game. Every year it has been important, regardless of who’s on the other side. Their team is going to look a little different not having some of these guys that had been there for a while. The importance is still the same. Both teams are fighting for their first win. It’s a division game. All the same stuff is still there.” -- Dalton
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• Boyd is fourth among NFL receivers with 40 targets in three games. Boyd has at least 10 targets and six receptions in every game this season.
• The Steelers are tied for seventh in the league, allowing only 45 percent of opposing drives inside their 20 to reach the end zone. Opponents are 5-11 scoring touchdowns inside the Steelers 20.
• Opponents are 26 of 29 for 323 yards and three touchdowns when targeting their slot receivers against the Steelers this season. All three touchdowns came in Week 1 against the Patriots. Boyd has run 67 percent of his routes from the slot this season.
• The Steelers are 15-2-1 in their last 18 games against AFC North opponents.
• Through three weeks, there have been 23 games decided by six points or less, one off the league record set in 2013. The Steelers and Bengals have been responsible for four of those, two each.
• The Steelers are 46-24 all-time on Monday nights, including a 25-5 record at home. They are 13-2 under Tomlin on Monday nights. This, however, is their first home Monday night game since Oct. 20, 2014.
• The Steelers have won six consecutive Monday night games, with their last loss coming in 2013 at Cincinnati.
• Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt is second in the league with five tackles for a loss.
• Ross leads the NFL in dropped passes with five. Steelers receiver Donte Moncrief, who was inactive last week, officially has four.
• Conner has 598 scrimmage yards (149.5 per game) and five touchdowns (four rushing, 1 receiving) in his past four games against AFC North opponents.
FANTASY CORNER
Last week's lineup was done in by bad days by Kenny Golladay, James Washington and Mark Andrews. But we'll try again. Here's this week's lineup using DraftKings.com's salary totals. Today's lineup will feature the 15 Sunday and Monday games with a $50,000 salary limit.
Quarterback: Russell Wilson ($6,100): Wilson against the Cardinals' pass defense? Yes please. And the Cardinals will score enough to keep the Seahawks interested.
Running backs: James Conner ($6,500), Mark Ingram ($6,800): This is the game Conner has to put up. He's been fantasy gold against AFC North opponents and will be looking to atone for his late fumble last week. Ingram, meanwhile, should find running lanes against a struggling Browns defense.
Wide receivers: Sterling Shepard ($5,800), Kenny Golladay ($5,900), DK Metcalf ($4,800): The Redskins' secondary is a mess right now, so Shepard should be solid. This is the second-straight week for Golladay, who underwhelmed last week, but now faces the Chiefs in what could be a track meet. I like the Wilson-Metcalf stack against the Cardinals.
Tight end: Will Dissly (3,600): Tight ends have eaten the Cardinals alive, as well, catching 25 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns -- in three games. With Nick Vannett now with the Steelers, Dissly should be golden this week.
Flex: Cooper Kupp ($6,500): Kupp has 31 targets in three games this season. And he's been valuable in all three. He will be again versus the Bucs.
Defense: Chargers ($3,800): Not overthinking this one. The Chargers are playing the Dolphins.
Dale Lolley (2-1): It's circle-the-wagons time for the Steelers. There's a lot of pride in that locker room and it's a little bruised right now. Tomlin is 17-6 all-time against the Bengals, and that's been against some pretty good Cincinnati teams. This is not one of those. The Bengals will struggle to protect Dalton and the Steelers' run defense should be better. Mixon got going a little with 60 yards last week against the Bills, but that could mean it's Conner's turn this week against a soft Cincinnati run defense. The Steelers also will allow Rudolph to go downfield more than last week to soften things up. The Bengals have turned the ball over eight times, tied for the league lead. The Steelers' defense should get a couple there, as well -- though we saw last week that doesn't necessarily mean success. In this case, it will. Steelers, 24-17
Christopher Carter (0-3): The Bengals are the perfect opportunity for the Steelers' defensive front to get back to stopping the run. Mixon's struggles on the ground are due to an offensive line that hasn't found answers. There isn't a better time for Heyward and Tuitt to lead a dominant performance by the front seven. Rudolph has to trust his playmakers more, and I think he will. The Bengals' defense lacks discipline and, if softened up by a big pass or two early, Conner and the ground game can finally get on track. Steelers, 23-13
Hunter Homistek (2-1): The losing streak ends here. Expect Dalton to spend plenty of time on the Heinz Field grass, and expect Rudolph to open up as he gets more comfortable, throwing for 250+ yards with three touchdowns and two picks. I can see Mixon having himself a nice game, posting around 120 all-purpose yards and a score. But it won't be enough. I called this one with Carter on our inaugural episode of Sports on Tap, so I'm sticking with that prediction. Steelers, 31-17
Matt Sunday (1-2): I very honestly want to pick against the Steelers every week until they prove me wrong ... but I'm not doing that again. So, I'm ready to be 1-3 with my picks after this week instead. Boyd and Mixon have the potential to gash the Steelers defense, and do it often, but I really liked what I saw out of the primary 11 guys out in Santa Clara. Here's the deal: If the offense can control more clock and run the ball, and they should be able to against this Bengals team as Dale pointed out, I like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Devin Bush and the others to smother the Bengals' advances. Steelers, 27-16
Dejan Kovacevic (0-3): Upon walking into London's Wembley Stadium six years ago for another collision of 0-3 teams, the Steelers and Vikings, I never could have foreseen the former emerging 0-4. But they did. And I still can't believe it, given how bad and banged-up that Minnesota team was. Now? Well, I again can't see 0-4. Because these Bengals are bad, they're banged-up and they're the Bengals. Also, it's going to be Jaylen Samuels -- not Conner -- who takes command. Maybe for the foreseeable future. Steelers, 27-13
