In many ways, the Cincinnati Bengals’ dismantling of the Denver Broncos last Monday just might be the best thing to happen to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the lead up to their winner-take-all showdown this week, the main storyline was expected to be the Bengals’ continuing failures in prime time. Well that narrative went out the window courtesy of a killer defensive game plan executed to perfection, a two-headed rushing attack capable of racking up yards on anyone and a maligned quarterback who simply did his job.

Now, as the jungle cats prepare to stalk into the unfriendly confines of Heinz Field, their divisional big brother must heed a timeless warning: the Bengals shouldn’t be feared, but they must be respected. Too many times this season, the Steelers have started games against lesser opponents with a lax attitude. Punctuated by boneheaded turnovers, awful secondary play and disastrous breakdowns on special teams, Pittsburgh lost games they should’ve handily won on paper. That’s part of the reason they’re in this precarious position in the first place..........

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