Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (10-2)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Site: Paul Brown Stadium (65,515) • Cincinnati, Ohio Playing Surface: Synthetic
TV Coverage: CBS-TV (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2)
Announcers: Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (color analyst) and Jamie Erdahl (sideline)
Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network, WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970)
Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Tunch Ilkin (color analyst) and Craig Wolfley (sideline)
National Radio: Westwood One Sports
Announcers: John Sadak (play-by-play) and Ross Tucker (color analyst)
A LOOK AT THE COACHES
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin**
Overall regular-season record: 89-51 (.636)/ninth season
Regular-season record with Pittsburgh: 89-51 (.636)/ninth season
Playoff Record/Years: 5-4/five years
Cincinnai Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis
Overall regular-season record: 110-92 (.544)/14th season
Regular-season record with Cincinnati: 110-92 (.544)/14th season
Playoff Record/Years: 0-6/six years
STEELERS-BENGALS SERIES HISTORY
Series History: Series began in 1970
Overall Regular Season: Steelers lead, 55-35
At Pittsburgh: Steelers lead, 30-16
At Cincinnati: Steelers lead, 25-19
Neutral Sites: n/a
Streak: Bengals won previous meeting
Last Regular-Season Meeting: Nov. 1, 2014, in Pittsburgh
Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 10
Postseason Series: Steelers lead, 1-0
Last Post-Season Meeting: Jan. 8, 2006, in Cincinnati - Wild Card
Pittsburgh 31, Cincinnati 17
(preseason and postseason record not included in overall series record)
This week's game marks the 91st time the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will meet in the regular season...the Steelers hold a 20-game advantage in the all-time series (55-35), including a 30-16 mark at home...Sunday's game will mark the 22bd game between the two teams in the month of December (13-8) and 16th in Pittsburgh during December (9-6).
THE LAST TIME VS. CINCINNATI
Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 10
Nov. 1, 2015
Heinz Field (64,750)
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Check out the highlight photos from the Steelers vs Bengals game. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 16-10 on November 1st 2015.
PITTSBURGH** - With less than three minutes remaining in the game, QB Andy Dalton threw a go-ahead nine-yard touchdown to WR A.J. Green, and K Mike Nugent made a 44-yard field goal to seal the 16-10 victory for the Bengals.
The Steelers scored on their opening drive, going 80 yards in 12 plays. QB Ben Roethlisberger, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous four games due to a knee injury, capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to WR Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh's offense would struggle to move the football the remainder of the game.
On the Bengals' ensuing drive, Nugent connected on a 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. Nugent added a 45- yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to cut the lead to 7-6, which was the halftime score.
Midway through the third quarter, K Chris Boswell connected on a 32-yard field goal to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 10-6. But it would be the final points for Pittsburgh on the afternoon.
Both defenses forced turnovers, but neither offense could capitalize until S Shawn Williams picked off Roethlisberger at the Pittsburgh 45-yard line. Dalton then led the Bengals on a six-play, 45-yard drive that he capped off with the go- ahead score to Green.
Pittsburgh took over but Roethlisberger threw an intercep- tion to S Reggie Nelson on the team's first play. Nugent then made his 44-yard field goal to seal the win.
The Steelers had one last chance to win the game. Roeth- lisberger led the team to the Bengals' 16-yard line, but his final pass was thrown out of the end zone.GAME SUMMARY
| Bengals(7-0) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| STEELERS(4-4) | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| TEAM | Q | TIME | PLAY | DRIVE | SCORE |
| PIT | 1 | 7:46 | Brown 1 yd. pass from Roethlisberger (Boswell kick) | 12-80; 7:14 | 7-0 |
| CIN | 1 | 2:50 | Nugent 44 yd. FG | 10-54; 4:56 | 7-3 |
| CIN | 2 | 14:55 | Nugent 45 yd. FG | 5-12; 1:46 | 7-6 |
| PIT | 3 | 6:27 | Boswell 32 yd. FG | 9-78; 4:16 | 10-6 |
| CIN | 4 | 2:57 | Green 9 yd. pass from Dalton (Nugent kick) | 6-45; 2:37 | 10-13 |
| CIN | 4 | 1:47 | Nugent 44 yd. FG | 4-0; 0:57 | 10-1 |
STEELERS-BENGALS CONNECTIONS
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Here is a look at the statistical leaders for the both the Steelers and Bengals heading into their AFC Wild Card game at Paul Brown Stadium.
QB Ben Roethlisberger has completed 319 of 469 passes (68.0%) for 3,938 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions and enters the game with a quarterback rating of 94.5.
Bengals QB AJ McCarron enters the game having completed 79 of 119 passes (66.4%) for 854 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 97.1.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton enters the game having completed 255 of 386 passes (66.1%) for 3,250 yards, 25 touchdown, and 7 interception and has a quarterback rating of 106.2.
RB DeAngelo Williams leads the Steelers rushing attack with 907 yards on 200 carries (4.5 avg.) and has a team high 11 touchdowns this season.
Heading into the playoffs, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint has only carried the ball 18 times for 42 yards this season.
RB Jeremy Hill leads the Bengals rushing game with 794 yards on 223 carried (3.6 avg.) and 11 touchdowns in 2015.
Bengals RB Giovani Bernard has carried the ball 154 times for 730 yards (4.7 avg.) in 2015.
WR Antonio Brown ended the regular season with a team-high 136 receptions for a team-high 1,834 yards. Brown has also hauled in 10 receiving touchdowns this season.
WR Martavis Bryant has caught 50 passes for 765 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns.
WR Markus Wheaton is averaging 17.0 yards per receptions this season (44 rec. for 749 yards) and has 5 receiving touchdowns.
WR A.J. Green leads all Bengals pass catchers this season in receptions (86), receiving yards (1,297) and is 2nd in the team in touchdown receptions (10).
Bengals TE Tyler Eifert has recorded 52 receptions for 615 yards and leads the team in touchdown receptions with 13.
LB Lawrence Timmons lead the Steelers defense with 119 total tackles (77 solo and 42 assists) on the season. Timmons also has 5 sack and one interception in 2015.
The Bengals defense is led LB Vincent Rey who has recorded 95 total tackles (62 solo and 33 assists) on the season. Rey has also recorded 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries in 2015.
DE Cam Hayward's 7 quarterback sacks on the season currently leads the 2015 Steelers defense. Heyward has also accounted for 54 tackles and 13 quarterback hurries this season.
DE Stephon Tuitt has recorded 6.5 sacks, 54 tackles, 11 quarterback hurries and 1 interception in 2015.
DE Carlos Dunlap leads all Bengals defenders with 13.5 quarterback sacks this season. Dunlap also has 32 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumble in 2015.
Bengals DT Geno Atkins has recorded 42 tackles, 11 sacks and 21 quarterback hurries in 2015.
S Mike Mitchell leads the Steelers secondary with 3 interceptions this season. Mitchell has also accounted for 80 tackles and 9 passes defended.
Bengals S Reggie Nelson leads the team in interceptions with 8. Nelson has also defended 14 passes and recorded 72 tackles this season.
Former Steelers/Bengals**
• Pittsburgh LB James Harrison played one season (2013) in Cincinnati.
• Bengals HC Marvin Lewis served as the Steelers' LB coach for four seasons (1992-95).
• Bengals TE coach Jonathan Hayes coached with the Steelers from 1994-1996. His Brother, DL coach Jay Hayes, also in Pittsburgh from 1999-2001.
• Cincinnati LB Chris Carter was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth- round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played three years (2011-13) with Pittsburgh.
• Bengals OQC/asst. OL coach Brian Braswell had a stint in Pittsburgh, doing spring/summer work for the Steelers in 2010.
Area Connections
• Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was the DB coach at the University of Cincinnati from 1999-2000.
• Steelers LB James Harrison is from Akron, Ohio, and attended Kent State University.
• Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, an Ohio native, played his collegiately at Miami University (Oh.) in Oxford.
• Steelers FS Mike Mitchell hails from Fort Thomas, Ky.
• Pittsburgh FB Roosevelt Nix is from Reynoldsburg Ohio, and also played at Kent State University.
• Bengals HC Marvin Lewis was born in McDonald, Pa., and coached for the University of Pittsburgh from 1990-91.
• Cincinnati DE Will Clarke is from Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Bengals TE coach Jonathan Hayes and his brother, DL coach Jay Hayes, were born in South Fayette, Pa.
• Bengals WR coach James Urban coached at Clarion University from 1997-98.
• Cincinnati asst. HC/OL coach Paul Alexander was a GA at Penn State from 1983-84.
• Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton was a strength and conditioning asst. at Penn State for five years (1987-1991).
NFL Connections
• Steelers STC Danny Smith and Cincinnati QB coach Ken Zampese worked together on the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff in 1998.
• Steelers OC Todd Haley was the HC in Kansas City from 2009-11 when Bengals DE Wallace Gilberry was a played for the Chiefs.
• Pittsburgh OL coach Mike Munchak spent five seasons (2004- 08) with Cincinnati LB coach Matt Burke in Tennessee.
• Munchak coached Bengals CB Adam Jones for two seaons with the Titans (2005-06).
• Pittsburgh ILB coach Jerry Olsavsky played for Baltimore when Bengals STC Darrin Simmons was on the Ravens' staff in 1998.
• Pittsburgh C/G Cody Wallace and Gilberry were teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the start of the 2012 season.
• Steelers S Mike Mitchell and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey each spent two seasons (2010-11) in Oakland with Bengals OC Hue Jackson.
College Connections
• Steelers S Will Allen played four seasons (2000-03) with Bengals K Mike Nugent at Ohio State.
• Allen also played with Cincinnati LB A.J. Hawk for two years at Ohio State (2002-03).
• SteelersOTMarcusGilbertwasteammateswithBengalsDECarlos Dunlap (207-09) and S Reggie Nelson (2006) at Florida.
• Pittsburgh G David DeCastro was teammates with Cincinnati HB Ryan Hewitt for three seasons (2009-11) at Stanford.
• Steelers WR Martavis Bryant was a Clemson teammat of Bengals DT Brandon Thompson in 2011.
PIT-CIN SERIES HIGHS
Passing Yards
Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger, 386 - 12/4/2005
Bengals: Jon Kitna, 411 - 12/30/2001
Rushing Yards
Steelers: Le'Veon Bell, 185 - 12/7/2014
Bengals: James Brooks, 133 - 9/30/1985
Receiving Yards
Steelers: Lynn Swann, 192 - 12/2/1979
Bengals: A.J. Green, 224 - 12/7/2014
STEELERS AWARDS IN 2015
QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER
• Week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week: Completed 21-of- 27 passes for 369 yards with three touchdowns for a passer rating of 155.8 against the San Francisco 49ers.
• Week 10 AFC Offensive Player of the Week/ FedEx Air Player of the Week: Completed 22-of-33 passes for 379 yards with three touchdowns for a passer rating of 123.2, after entering the game in the first quarter vs. Cleveland due to an injury to Landry Jones. His 379 passing yards set a single-game NFL record for the most by a quarterback that did not start the game.
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WR ANTONIO BROWN**
• Week 9 Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week: Late in the game against Oakland, Brown pulled down a 57-yard catch and run to set up the game-winning field goal. He finished the game with 17 catches for 284 yards receiving, both single-game franchise records.
• November AFC Offensive Player of the Month: In the month of November, Brown led the NFL in receptions (39), receiving yards (521) and receiving yards per game (130.3), to go along with three receiving touchdowns.
• Week 13 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week: Totaled 74 punt return yards, including a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 45-10 victory against Indianapolis. It marked his fourth career punt return for a touchdown, tying the Steelers' all-time record.
RB DeANGELO WILLIAMS
• Week 9 FedEx Ground Player of the Week: Carried the ball 27 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' 38-35 win against Oakland.
K CHRIS BOSWELL
• Week 6 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week: In just his second career game, Boswell made all four field goal attempts and his lone extra point attempt in the team's 25-13 win vs. Arizona.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
FROM THE STEELERS
• With a win, the Steelers will improve to 431-276-2 during the regular season since 1970.
• The Steelers look to improve to 56-35 all-time against the Bengals in the regular season and to 26-19 on the road.
• Pittsburgh aims for its second consecutive road win against Cincinnati (2014: 42-21).
• The Steelers look to extend its December game winning streak to nine games, dating back to Dec. 15, 2013.
• With a win, Pittsburgh will extend its December road game winning streak to four, dating back to Dec. 22, 2013.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
• A win would improve Tomlin to 90-51 during the regular season, inlcuding 38-32 on the road.
• Coach Tomlin looks to improve to 13-5 in the regular season against Cincinnati and move to 7-2 on the road at the Bengals.
• With a win, would improve to 24-12 in the month of December and to 8-6 on the road in the month.
FROM THE STEELERS OFFENSE
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The best photos of QB Ben Roethlisberger from the 2015 season.
QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER**
• Is 49 pass completions from 250 in 2015 to mark his fifth consecutive year with at least 250.
• With 300 passing yards on Sunday, will extend his franchise record for consecutive 300-yard games to five.
• Needs 293 passing yards to become the sixth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards in 10 consecutive seasons.
• Will reach 20 passing touchdowns in 2015 with five to extend his consecutive seasons with 20 touchdown strikes to five.
WR ANTONIO BROWN
• With his next touchdown, will move into sole possesion for 10th on the Steelers' all-time touchdown chart with 41.
• With two touchdown catches, will move into a tie for seventh on the team's touchdown reception chart with Elbie Nickel (37).
• With his next 100-yard game, will become the third player in in franchise history with 24-such performances in the regular season (Hines Ward – 29 and John Stallworth – 25).
• With 100 receptions in 2015, will extend his franchise record of consecutive seasons with at least 100 catches to three.
• With 110 catches in 2015, will become the second player in NFL history to record 110 or more receptions in three consecutive years (Wes Welker, 2007-09).
• With 125 receptions in 2015, would become the first player in NFL history to record back-to-back seasons of 125 catches or more.
TE HEATH MILLER
• Is 29 receptions from joining Hines Ward (1,000) as the second player in team history with 600.
• Needs six touchdown catches to become just the fourth player in Steelers history with 50.
• With 50 receptions in 2015, will record his fifth consecutive 50-catch season.
RB DeANGELO WILLIAMS
• Will record the 22nd 100-yard rushing game of his career with his next 100-yard performance.
FROM THE STEELERS DEFENSE
DE CAMERON HEYWARD
• With 2.5 sacks will match a single-season career-high set in 2014 with 7.5
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The best photos of Linebacker James Harrison from the 2015 season thus far.
LB JAMES HARRISON**
• Is three sacks from setting the Steelers sack record (Jason GIldon, 77.0) since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
CB WILLIAM GAY
• Will match Rod Woodson (5) for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns in team history with his next pick six.
FROM THE STEELERS SPECIAL TEAMS
K CHRIS BOSWELL
• Is five field goals in 2015 from tying Kris Brown (25, 1999) for the most field goals by a Steelers rookie/first-year kicker.
WR/PR ANTONIO BROWN
• Needs 124 punt return yards to surpass Antwaan Randle El (1,650) for the most in team history.
• One punt return for a touchdown to break a tie Antwaan Randle El (4) for the most in Steelers history.
