CINCINNATI, OH – If there’s three things guaranteed in life, it’s death, taxes, and the Bengals losing in primitive…and when you realize that primetime game is in the first round of the playoffs, oh man, there isn’t a shot of Cincinnati winning.
The Bengals are infamous for losing these games, racking up an 0-7 record in their last 7 playoff games, with a stellar regular season behind pro-bowler Andy Dalton, who suddenly transforms into the worst quarterback in the league when he reached the playoffs.
The team takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who snuck into the playoffs after the Bills, playing the role of spoilers, knocked off the Jets, eliminating their chances. Many feel as if the Steelers can beat anyone in the relatively wide open AFC right now, with arguably the most dangerous offensive in the NFL and a defensive who is steadily improving. A major blow to that offensive will be the injury to their running back DeAngelo Williams, who is in replacing starting RB Leaven Bell. This should help the stout Bengals’ defensive and allow them to put more emphasis in the secondary on covering the Steelers lethal wide revivers.
On the flip side, the Bengals’ Andy Dalton, only their most important player is out after injuring his thumb in the late weeks of the regular season. Dalton has had his cast removed but was not deemed ready yet to play by team doctors, with AJ McCarron under center, who has done a fairly decent job in Dalton’s absence. Who knows, for Bengals fans, it may be good news that the Red Riffle is out tonight.
