When it comes to identifying the Steelers' most prominent, fiercest rival, the Cleveland Browns seemingly have been there forever.

The Baltimore Ravens get the nod for the most recognizable rival in recent years. The Houston Oilers had a run as the Steelers' primary foil in the late 1970s. And the Jacksonville Jaguars did the same for a brief period two decades later.

The Cincinnati Bengals? They might be the Steelers' forgotten rival, of sorts. They are, however, the only team that has remained the Steelers' continuous division rival during the past 4 1⁄2 decades. And particularly recently, there have been plenty of important, late-season games between them.

When the teams kick off at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, it will mark the fifth December meeting in the past four seasons involving playoff implications — and the second in 22 days.



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