Steelers becoming Bengals' nightmare

[stillers4me]

Oh please, please, please let the Steelers win this one,too............


Steelers becoming Bengals' nightmare
Column by The Post's Lonnie Wheeler

Twice a year, it comes to this. It always comes to this.

Last year, last game, Bengals-Steelers. Pittsburgh, losing record. Cincinnati, winning record. Pittsburgh can't make the playoffs. Cincinnati can.

Game in Cincinnati.

Overtime. Santonio Holmes. Ohio State. Rookie. Open.

Ben Roethlisberger. Miami. Quarterback. Sees him.

Bengals eliminated.

By the Steelers.

Again.

When will it stop?

If not now, when? Marvin Lewis is in his fifth season. Carson Palmer is in his fifth season. Willie Anderson's knees are beginning to betray him. Chad Johnson is getting restless. T.J. Houshmandzadeh has hit his prime.

This would be the time. And the Bengals are 2-4. In last place.

The Steelers have a new coach for only the second time in 38 years. They were mediocre last year. And they're 4-2. In first place.

When is the worm going to do what worms are supposed to do when something has been one way for way too long and it's finally time to be the other? Turn already, you malingering worm.

The worm made a half-hearted attempt two years ago. It was Cincinnati's best season in the last 18. Won the division. Made the playoffs, for a change.

For most of the season, the Steelers weren't so great, for a change. They were 7-5 at one point, pretty much out of it.

Won their last four to make the playoffs. First round, played Cincinnati. In Cincinnati.

Kimo von Oelhoffen. Former Bengal. Not a particularly memorable one.

He's memorable now. Ever since he grabbed Palmer by the knee on that 66-yard completion to Chris Henry. It was Palmer's first pass of the day. And last.

The Steelers won. Then again. Then again. Then again. That last one was the Super Bowl.

The Bengals have their best year since vinyl records. And the Steelers win the Super Bowl.

As if they needed another one.

They won it with the quarterback from Miami - who has never lost in Cincinnati, incidentally - and defense. The defensive coordinator was, and is, Dick LeBeau, who was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals in the late '90s, when they were very terrible. Then he was the Bengals' head coach in the early 2000s, when they were very, very terrible.

Then he went back to Pittsburgh. Different story. Very different story.

When it comes to the Bengals, the Steelers remind you of Bear Bryant, of whom Bum Phillips once said. "Bryant can take his and beat yours, and then he can turn around and take yours and beat his."

That's the way it is.

In the '80s, the Steelers had a cornerback from Cincinnati. Dwayne Woodruff. Terrific player.

Two decades later, the Bengals had a cornerback from Pittsburgh. Artrell Hawkins. Not such a terrific player.

Justice must have gotten snagged on a log around Mingo Junction or somewhere.

Both teams are owned by famous, long-time football families. Both play in Ohio River cities of similar size and sensibility.

So many similarities.

Such a difference.

Of course, the Bengals have been missing a lot of people lately. On defense, especially. That's why they got sliced up by the Browns, the Patriots . . .

A few weeks ago, the Steelers were missing Troy Polamalu, their star safety, and Casey Hampton, their star nose tackle. That day, they shut out the Seahawks.

Most likely, the fans from upriver will be here Sunday, again, when the Bengals attempt to find some relevance in what has been another miserable season. Their only hope starts with beating the Steelers, who have won their last five games here. Good luck with that.

As always, the Pittsburghers will have their lovely yellow towels in tow. If you're in the vicinity, they might also try to give you a hard time about the Bengals.

Not much you can say.

Maybe you could bring up the Pirates. Thank heaven for them.

Contact Lonnie Wheeler at lwheeler@cincypost.com.

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....T03/710270381/

[klick81]

Muahahaha. Let's bring these kitties ON!!!!

[stillers4me]

He forgot to mention who Ben's QB coach is...........

[stlrtruck]

Gotta love it when reality begins to set in and you can't do a dang thing about it!!!

[duma]

Anyone that lives in the 'Nati can tell you that this article is opposite of how the city feels. They think they can win. Not only that, but they have to win. Cincinnati is in desperation mode, and for good reason.

I'm concerned about this game. That last two times the emotions have been high, this team lost. Arizona wanted to get some revenge for their coach, and Denver wanted to get some honor for their lost players. Cincinnati wants to get their fans, coach, and team back. This week is the best chance they have to do that.

The team better be fired up. The defense better be ready, and Parker/Najeh better get some good yards. If not, the radio around my house is going to have to be turned off. The only thing worse then a Bengal win, is when there is a Bengal win the same moment as a Steeler loss.

[stillers4me]

Originally Posted by duma

Anyone that lives in the 'Nati can tell you that this article is opposite of how the city feels. They think they can win. Not only that, but they have to win. Cincinnati is in desperation mode, and for good reason.

I'm concerned about this game. That last two times the emotions have been high, this team lost. Arizona wanted to get some revenge for their coach, and Denver wanted to get some honor for their lost players. Cincinnati wants to get their fans, coach, and team back. This week is the best chance they have to do that.

The team better be fired up. The defense better be ready, and Parker/Najeh better get some good yards. If not, the radio around my house is going to have to be turned off. The only thing worse then a Bengal win, is when there is a Bengal win the same moment as a Steeler loss.

I do live in Cinci.....and while there's some truth in what you say, it's seems it's only the team itself that's fired up. Not good for the Steelers, but they usually seem to handle the rivalry well, in fact they seem to thrive on it. I'm not as worried about the pressure to win in Cinci as was in Zona or Denver. Cincinnati is a division rival and familiar territory for the Steelers. They know what to expect and how to get under their skin. It's not called Heinz Field West for nothing.

The fans themselves have given up. Several of them said to me yesterday......."man, you're gonna kill us." I always scold them and tell them to have a little more faith in their team. They are so fickle......I don't get it. They didn't really care last New Year's Eve either.........very few jerseys worn at work for that game...........and if they had beaten us they would have went to the playoffs. Of, course, then the bandwagon would have been full again........for another week. Just like it will next week if the unthinkable happens.

[Edman]

I'm not so sure about this game. I thought the Steelers would win last week. This team is much different on the road than at home. They can beat the Bengals, but the question is which team will show up? The bumbling Steelers last week in Denver, or the dominant executing force we seen at Heinz this year? There goes that feeling of doubt again.

Was Denver an abberation? A Bye-week hangover? Team rustiness? I just don't know.

[SteelCityMan786]

Originally Posted by stillers4me

He forgot to mention who Ben's QB coach is...........

Why should they? I'm sure anderson feeds off that disrespect.

[duma]

Originally Posted by stillers4me

The fans themselves have given up. Several of them said to me yesterday......."man, you're gonna kill us." I always scold them and tell them to have a little more faith in their team. They are so fickle......I don't get it. They didn't really care last New Year's Eve either.........very few jerseys worn at work for that game...........and if they had beaten us they would have went to the playoffs. Of, course, then the bandwagon would have been full again........for another week. Just like it will next week if the unthinkable happens.

You and I must not get around the same type of Bengal fan. At the most, I have only noticed a reluctant confidence in the team. However, most feel as though Denver has exposed the way to beat the Steeler D, and feel they can win in a shoot out.

The AM station, 1530, had a good number of fans call in and suggest that by numbers they should lose, but feel they will win b/c of emotion. I think the entire week I only heard 2 to 6 fans call in despondent. Either way, I hope we can get a good number of loud Steeler fans in there - and get up early to take out the Bengal fans.

I wish I didn't have to work today. I'll watch most of the game, and listen to the rest. But, I really wanted to be there.