CINCINNATI -- Since 1944, there have been just five teams that have gone through an NFL season without winning a game.
Ten games into the 2019 season, the Bengals are threatening to add their names to that dubious list.
And the Steelers would love nothing more than to keep them on that path when the two teams meet at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday, especially considering what happened to them in their most recent game.
The Steelers went into their Thursday night matchup with the Browns last week riding a 4-game winning streak that had raised them from the dead -- OK, a 1-4 record -- and put them in a deep hole. But a sloppy, four-turnover game marred by an all-out brawl at the end of of a 21-7 loss somehow felt like multiple losses, despite counting only as one and dropping their record to 5-5.
"It was a tough way to lose. It was a poor performance, really sloppy, especially on our side of the ball," said David DeCastro. "We couldn’t get anything going and were kind of dejected. I think we’re just ready to move on and get a win this week."
The Bengals (0-10) all too often have only been too gracious to give them one.
The Steelers have won the past seven meetings between the two teams and own a 17-3 record against the Bengals this decade. It's a better record than they have even against the Browns, which is noteworthy considering the Bengals have been far more competitive overall than their Ohio counterparts.
But after going 6-10 last season, the Bengals fired Marvin Lewis, bringing in first-time head coach Zach Taylor and a new outlook. Or at least that had been the hope.
Things have not gone exactly as planned for Taylor in his first season, including a 27-3 loss to the Steelers earlier this season at Heinz Field that gave Pittsburgh its first win after an 0-3 start.
"That really started our first day here in April, building a culture and foundation that we believe in," Taylor said of what has kept his team engaged despite the difficult start. "Everybody is about the right things and having a connected team. We knew we would face some adversity this year. We didn’t know how much. We’ve faced quite a bit of it. But our guys have stuck together, coaching staff, players. If you watch the tape, you see a team that’s still fighting like crazy and believing we can win. It hasn’t come yet, but we know there will be a time when these wins start falling for us and all the things we’ve worked for will start paying off."
The Steelers would like to avoid being that first victory in the Taylor era. There have been some close calls, including a 21-20 loss in Week 1 at Seattle and a 17-10 defeat last week at Oakland. But that first win still awaits.
The undermanned Steelers could struggle.
All they'll be missing in this game is Ben Roethlisberger -- as they have most of the season -- James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster to injury, and Maurkice Pouncey to a two-game suspension for his involvement in the fight in Cleveland last week. That's four former Pro Bowl players taken out of an offense that has been struggling all season without Roethlisberger. The Steelers rank 28th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring.
"We understand some of the components of the people that we’re working with on offense," Mike Tomlin said. "We’ve got to do fundamental things well.
"We can’t have negativity in the run game that puts us behind the chains. Behind the chains is not good for us in the condition we’re in right now, in terms of the players that are available to us. So we have complete control over that, in terms of working to keep ourselves out of those circumstances and executing the calls that we do call in an effort to stay on schedule. That will be a big charge for us."
And the defense needs to get back to its ways of taking the football away.
The Steelers failed to force a turnover for the first time since a Week 1 loss at New England, breaking a streak of eight consecutive games with multiple turnovers. Given the state of the offense, they can't afford for that to happen again if they hope to avoid allowing the Bengals to hang around and feel like they have a chance at that first victory.
"It’s the NFL. Every week is a tough week, a tough opponent that are capable," T.J. Watt said. "They have a lot of good weapons for us to focus on. We can’t step off the gas pedal at all. We’re learning that this year. We have to take each opponent with respect each week and go out and try to start stacking wins late in the season."
THE ESSENTIALS
• When: 1:02 p.m.
• Where: Paul Brown Stadium
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM 229, Internet 826
• Forecast: 48 degrees, sunny
• Lots open: 9 a.m.
• Will call open: 11 a.m.
• Gates open: 11 a.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee, out), RB James Conner (shoulder, out), CB Artie Burns (knee, doubtful)
Bengals: WR A.J. Green (ankle, out), TE Drew Sample (ankle, out), WR Auden Tate (concussion, questionable), WR Stanley Morgan (illness, questionable)
THE KEY VARIABLE
Much of the focus in Pittsburgh this week has been about who the Steelers will be missing from their offense. It just as easily could have been on who the Bengals will have available for this game.
Or, in the case of rookie quarterback Ryan Finley, who they choose to start.
When the Steelers beat the Bengals earlier this season, 27-3, for their first win of the season, they limited Cincinnati to 175 total yards.
Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 171 yards but was sacked eight times for 69 yards in losses. His leading receivers were Auden Tate and John Ross, who combined for eight receptions for 86 yards.
None of them will play in this game -- assuming Finley doesn't get knocked out of the game or isn't pulled -- though Tate, who suffered a spinal concussion last week is questionable.
Not only that, star receiver A.J. Green remains sidelined, as he has all season, with an ankle injury, leaving receiver Tyler Boyd and running back Joe Mixon as the Bengals' biggest offensive threats.
Mixon just scored his first rushing touchdown on 146 attempts last week in the Bengals' 17-10 loss at Oakland, a game in which Boyd, who has one touchdown among his 58 receptions, failed to catch any of the three passes Finley threw in his direction.
For the Steelers in this game, the defensive plan should be shut down Mixon and shut down the Bengals.
"He’s good. He makes people miss and finds the right holes, finds the right gaps," Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave said of Mixon.
"He’s always been good. I’ve always felt he was a top back in this league. He’s got really strong legs and is hard to tackle."
Mixon is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry this season behind a makeshift offensive line. But the Bengals have been leaning on him more since turning things over to Finley, whom they drafted in the fourth round this season out of North Carolina State.
Mixon has carried the ball 45 times for 200 yards in the past two games for the Bengals to help offset the lack of much of a passing game with Finley at quarterback. In two starts, Finley has completed just 47.5 percent of his passes for 282 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
His biggest contributions have been when scrambling. He's run eight times for 69 yards.
"He’s a little bit more mobile," Watt said. "We’ll have to look at the rush lanes a little more. Obviously, we let up some quarterback mobility last week, so he’ll probably be watching that tape, as well. We’re just trying to be smart, knowing that he’s watching the same film we’re watching and we’ll try to be more disciplined in our rush lanes."
The Bengals haven't scored more than 17 points in any of their past five games and have been held under 13 in each of their past three games.
The struggles of the rookie quarterback haven't been unexpected for Taylor, who is using the rest of the season to see of Finley can be the Bengals' quarterback of the future or if they'll need to take one in first round of next year's draft. The Bengals currently hold the top spot in the draft.
"You can make some general statements about all young quarterbacks their first couple of games," Taylor said. "There’s going to be some experiences they learn from and then there are going to be some flashes that you’re encouraged by, that you knew they had in them. You try to weather the storm. We’ve been playing some tough defenses and we play another one this weekend."
THE HISTORY LESSON
The Bengals matched a franchise record with their 10th consecutive loss last week with their 17-10 defeat at Oakland. That equals their 0-10 start under David Shula in 1993.
But the 1998 Bengals also strung together a nine-game losing streak that they ended against their hated rivals from up the Ohio River, the Steelers.
In fact, the 1998 Bengals' went 3-13 with two of their three victories coming against the Steelers.
The Bengals beat the Steelers in Cincinnati, 25-20, Oct. 11, as quarterback Neil O'Donnell beat his former team by going 20 of 26 for 298 yards with three touchdowns, while Corey Dillon ran for 99 yards.
The Bengals then lost their next nine games under Bruce Coslett before rolling into Three Rivers Stadium at 2-12 for a Week 16 game. The Steelers were mired in a losing streak of their own, having dropped four straight after beating the Jaguars to start the season 7-3.
At 7-7, they were still clinging to playoff hopes. But the Bengals would end those hopes on this day.
Kordell Stewart started at quarterback for the Steelers, but was pulled at halftime in favor of Mike Tomczak after completing just 5 of his 13 passes for 30 yards.
Tomczak didn't fare much better, going 5 of 11 for 70 yards and an interception as the Steelers' defense provided most of the team's scoring.
The Bengals jumped out to a 13-0 lead -- with their touchdown coming on a 55-yard return of a Stewart fumble -- when Carnell Lake intercepted Jeff Blake and returned the ball 15 yards for a touchdown.
The Bengals led 16-7 at the half, but David Dunn fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half at midfield and teammate Chris Oldham scooped it up and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown to trim the lead to 16-14.
The Steelers grabbed the lead at 21-16 on a 4-yard Jerome Bettis touchdown run, but the Bengals took it right back when Blake found Darnay Scott behind the defense on the first play from scrimmage on the ensuing possession for a 60-yard touchdown.
The Bengals went for a two-point conversion and failed, so the lead was just 22-21, which Norm Johnson turned around after Lance Brown recovered a Cincinnati fumble on a punt return to give the Steelers great field position.
The Steelers drove to the 4 before settling for a 22-yard Johnson field goal and a 24-22 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Blake led the Bengals on a long drive, all the way to the Steelers' 4 before stalling out.
A Doug Pelfrey field goal gave the Bengals a 25-24 lead with just over five minutes remaining and after trading punts, Tomczak was intercepted by Artrell Hawkins at the Cincinnati 18 to end the Steelers' playoff hopes.
Blake threw for 367 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Scott caught seven passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. Running back Brandon Bennett, subbing for an injured Dillon, had 63 yards on 25 carries but also caught three passes for 113 yards.
Bettis had 21 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers were outgained 483-211.
The Steelers would lose again the following week to finish 7-9, failing to make the playoffs for the first time under Bill Cowher while also handing him his first losing season.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Unmoving object meet completely movable object.
That's been the Steelers offense and the Bengals defense this season. It's not often that a game hinges on two units that are both at the bottom of the league, but that's the case this week.
The Steelers haven't been good on offense this season, but the Bengals have been even worse on defense, ranking dead last in the league.
When these two teams met back in Week 4 at Heinz Field, the Steelers gained 326 yards and put up 27 points. The yardage total -- however meager -- was their second-best this season. They had 394 yards against Miami. It also matches their season-high in points, which also came against the Dolphins.
But that was with a reasonably healthy offense. And a large dose of the Wildcat with Jaylen Samuels at quarterback.
It worked as Samuels and Conner became the first running back duo since the Chargers' Gary Anderson and Lionel James in 1985 to both have eight carries and eight receptions in the same game.
But Mason Rudolph also had one of his more effective days throwing the football, completing 24-of-28 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Dionate Johnson had six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers have only used the Wildcat in one other game -- scrapping it after Samuels threw an ill-fated interception early in an overtime loss to the Ravens the next week -- but that doesn't mean the Bengals don't have some expectation to see it again.
"You’ve got to be ready for anything. Coach (Randy) Fichtner has got a creative mind. He’s been doing it for a long time," Taylor said. "I remember watching him in 2005 at Memphis running the Wildcat when his quarterback went down. He’s got a history of doing whatever it takes to get a win."
Fichtner will be working with one hand tied behind his back in this game without his team's leading receiver and rusher. Then again, Smith-Schuster had just three catches for 15 yards in the Steelers' previous win this season over the Bengals, while Conner had 10 carries for 45 yards, contributing more in the passing game. He had a game-high eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in that win.
The Steelers are hopeful the return of rookie running back Benny Snell after missing three games with a knee injury will help their rushing attack.
"Hopefully he’s still in a good position to be able to contribute and get back to us," Fichtner said. "So that always helps because he’s right here to be a runner, and I thought he was making some really nice strides the last time we saw him. So hopefully that’ll keep staying on track."
Seeing Rudolph get back on track would help, as well.
After having perhaps his best overall game two weeks ago in a win over the Rams, Rudolph threw four interceptions in his worst game in a loss to the Browns. It didn't help matters that skill players were dropping around him like rocks, but Fichtner wouldn't use that as an excuse for the poor outing.
"A couple throws he’d like to have back," Fichtner said. "I know it had nothing to do with who was running the route and those type of things. It has everything to do with where you put the ball and the decision you made, and there’s going to be times in a competitive guy who you have to know when to say when."
Saying when at times against the Bengals and turning things back over to the defense might not be a bad thing. Punting in this game is certainly preferable to turning the ball over.
"We are not looking for excuses," Tomlin said. "We are trying to win football games. We are presented with a set of circumstances or variables week in and week out, some of which we do not have control over. We do have control over our preparation and our readiness. Ultimately, the execution is those available to us and so that is our focus."
THE QUOTES
• "I just think the initial rule, the intent of the rule, was to change the catastrophic play. The plays that call the credibility of the game into question, and I think that was the bar. The bar was extremely high, and that was made very clear in the spring. I think earlier September, that bar moved a little bit and so we all started challenging a little bit more than we initially anticipated. Well, once that bar got back to where it was intended, I think we all need to fade away from the challenges, as I know that I have." -- Tomlin on why pass interference challenges aren't being overturned
• “I definitely didn’t say anything that escalated it. But ... I have to do a better job of keeping my composure in those situations and I think it was an unfortunate situation for both teams involved.” -- Rudolph on last week's brawl against the Browns
• “(Conner) has been out, I have been out some games. We haven’t been on the field like that a lot this year. Whenever we both are healthy, I am sure you will see more of him and I on the field together.” -- Samuels
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• The Bengals are the 20th team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to start a season 0-10. Of the previous 19 teams, six won in Week 11.
• The Steelers' Jordan Berry is the only punter in the league who has not kicked a ball out of bounds this season. He also has just two touchbacks on the season.
• The Bengals rank last in the league in sacks (13) and hits (37). By comparison, Watt has 10.5 sacks and 24 hits by himself.
• Samuels has averaged 8 pass targets and 6.4 catches over the Steelers' past five games.
• Despite having faced 292 pass attempts, the fewest in the league, Cincinnati has allowed the NFL’s third-most 20-plus-yard completions (47).
• Vance McDonald has gotten seven targets in each of the Steelers' past three games, playing 50, 71 and 69 snaps in the those games. The Bengals have allowed completions on 76.3 percent of passes thrown to tight ends this season for an average gain of 10.1 yards.
• The Steelers have six runs of 20 or more yards this season. The Bengals have three. The Bengals have allowed an NFL-worst 18 runs of 20 or more yards. The next closest team -- the Panthers have allowed 12.
•The Bengals allow an NFL-high 9.1 yards per pass attempt. By comparison, the Steelers are tied for ninth, allowing 7.0 yards per attempt. The Patriots lead the NFL at 5.3 yards.
• The Steelers are 34-17-1 in AFC North road games since the division was formed in 2002 and 73-31-1 overall.
• Tomlin's next win will be his 131st in the regular season, moving him into a tie for 24th place on the all-time list with former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Chiefs Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram.
FANTASY CORNER
Because last week's game was played on Thursday, I had to make my DFS lineup Wednesday. Then, Jordan Howard, my flex start, was declared out on Saturday. So, I swapped him out for Deebo Samuel at a savings of $700. That allowed me to also adjust my quarterback from Kyle Allen at $5,300 to Philip Rivers at $5,800. It also worked out, as Christian McCaffrey, John Brown, D.J. Moore, Samuel and the Saints defense all had very good games and I finished in the money with 168.62 points. We'll go back to a Sunday-Monday slate this week.
Quarterback: Sam Darnold ($5,800) -- Sam Darnold? Yep. The Raiders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season, including 24 touchdown passes. And they're 1-3 on the road this season. Darnold has the targets to take advantage.
Running backs: Nick Chubb ($8,100), Todd Gurley ($6,000) -- Chubb is going to get the ball and get it a lot against the Dolphins. Gurley is coming off a 25-carry game last week, which is what he should be doing every week down the stretch. The Rams can't save him for the playoffs if they don't make it.
Wide receivers: Tyler Lockett ($7,600), Tyrell Williams ($5,900), Diontae Johnson ($5,100) -- Lockett is the most underrated receiver in the league, while Williams has largely produced each week he's been healthy. I expect Johnson to be cleared in concussion protocol and he six catches for 77 yards and a score in the first meeting with the Bengals.
Tight end: Ryan Griffin ($4,200) -- Griffin has had three big games in his past four outings, ranking as the second-highest scoring fantasy tight end over that period.
Flex: Alshon Jeffery ($4,900) -- Jeffery is slated to return this week for the Eagles, who badly need him in their passing game against a soft Seattle secondary.
Defense: Broncos ($2,400) -- The Broncos on the road against the 7-3 Bills? Sure. Chris Harris will lock down John Brown and allow the Broncos to get after Josh Allen.
Dale Lolley (5-5): The Steelers could keep their offense on the sideline and just allow the Bengals to take the ball 12 times at their own 20 and win this game on a defensive score. But the league won't allow that, so the offense will have to take the field and be more careful with the ball. Expect that to happen. If Rudolph takes checkdowns in this game, it's because it's where you want to attack the Bengals, who are terrible at linebacker and not much better on the back end. They're soft in the middle of the field. Cincinnati has the league's worst defense, so even the offensively depleted Steelers should be able to move the ball. Snell is the sleeper here. If he can get 50 or so yards on the ground, that would go a long way toward the Steelers winning -- as long as they don't turn it over. Steelers, 17-6
Christopher Carter (3-7): All the injuries do add up, and it will cause problems for an offense that has struggled all season. But for every struggle the Steelers have moving the ball, the Bengals are even worse off. And they don’t have a defense with Fitzpatrick who leads the NFL in interceptions and defensive touchdowns. The Bengals have rushed for over 100 yards for three straight games. But the Steelers know that and won’t let their ground game carry them to victory. Steelers, 16-3
Hunter Homistek (6-4): There's a level of concern about the Bengals snagging their first win, but nah, not happening. The Steelers' defense played well even in the loss to the Browns, the Bengals can't offer that level of firepower, and there are too many other variables that would need to go wrong for the Steelers to lose this one. Which is kind of sad in and of itself: I can't think of a reason the Steelers will win. I can only justify why they won't lose. Steelers, 24-12
Matt Sunday (6-4): Honestly, I want to just choose "tie" option here but hope we don't actually have to watch any extra minutes. You can look at the injuries, the stat lines, the everything and see why this is going to be the complete opposite of the Steelers vs. Bengals games we loved earlier this decade. But, when you look at all of the injuries and you look at how bad both offenses have been ... one of those teams still has to play the Steelers' defense and it isn't Rudolph's side. Fitzpatrick, Watt & Co. win another one. Steelers, 13-6
Dejan Kovacevic (5-5): Not going to lie: I'm hesitating here. Because the Bengals having the league's worst defense is pretty much offset by the Steelers, in their current incarnation, having the league's worst offense. Because I see no sign of the latter changing anytime soon. Because no JuJu, no James, no Maurkice. But then ... I can't. I just can't. The Steelers' defense will eat Ryan Finley alive, they'll force turnovers galore, they'll run a couple back, and we'll bury the real problem for another week. Steelers, 26-9