On a rain soaked night that made Heinz field soggier then day old cheerios, the Bengals proved once again that they just aren’t that good this season. If you notice a weird aroma in the air on Saturday, that’s the smell of Fox’s worst announcing crew (which may or may not include Ron Pitts) headed to Paul Brown Stadium for Sunday’s epic Rams-Bengals game. 
On a side note, the Browns did lose this past Sunday, and like any other sadistic Bengals fan, my heart warms at the thought of a last second Browns loss on a controversial “no” touchdown.
Well, there are plenty of teams still alive for the playoffs (just not in the cities of Cincinnati or St. Louis), so without further adieu, lets get to the rankings…

NFC

1. Dallas Cowboys- With a win this week, the Cowboys can clinch their way into the playoffs, since they have been number one in these rankings since early in the season, I see no reason to pick against them now…Unless Tony Romo elopes with Carrie Underwood, then Dallas might have a problem, I’ll say Romo doesn’t elope and I’ll take the Cowboys 38-24 over the suddenly not so scary Lions.

The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 9-3 on a rain-soaked night at Heinz Field, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-10.

PITTSBURGH – Bring on the Patriots.  The conditions at Heinz Field were not all that different from what they were here last Monday night when the Steelers and Miami Dolphins slogged their way through the mud in a 3-0 Pittsburgh victory.  But the Steelers, who travel to New England next week to take on the unbeaten Patriots, apparently learned something in that low-scoring affair about how to move the ball in less than ideal conditions.

While Pittsburgh relied on a short passing game and a straight-ahead rushing attack, Cincinnati didn’t adjust from its normal down-the-field passing attack.  The result was less-than-stellar performance from Carson Palmer and company, who looked inept all night and were unable to take advantage of four Pittsburgh turnovers.  The Steelers lost two fumbles and with two interceptions, but Cincinnati (4-8) never found any offensive rhythm.

Now, there is finality.  There will be no last-ditch playoff run, no hope of salvaging the season.  The Bengals' season is now officially a failure.  The reasons were on full display to a national television audience last night during a 24-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field.

"Obviously, this is a loss that doesn't sit well with us," coach Marvin Lewis said.  Cincinnati's supposedly vaunted offense, which came alive in last week's thrashing of the Tennessee Titans, reverted to its underachieving form of most of the season.  The Bengals defense created four turnovers, but couldn't stop the Ben Roethlisberger-to-Hines Ward connection. Ward caught two touchdown passes and hauled in several third-down passes to keep drives alive.

The special teams faltered again. Shayne Graham missed a 43-yard field goal attempt on the rain-soaked field. Glenn Holt fumbled a kickoff return for the second time this season. An offsides penalty on a punt with five minutes remaining allowed Pittsburgh a first down and the chance to milk precious time off the clock.

Bengals' season slips and slides away in the muck of Heinz Field

Cincinnati continues to hurt itself with mistakes and blown scoring opportunities.  Here's the challenge facing the Bengals after their 24-10 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night:  They must run the table and beat St. Louis, San Francisco, Cleveland and Miami to finish 8-8 for the fourth time in five years.  After blowing numerous scoring opportunities, the Bengals (4-8) got buried at the convergence of the Monongahela, Ohio and Allegheny rivers as the Steelers (9-3) smashed Cincinnati for the third straight time and improved to 7-0 at home.

Slippin' and slidin' on Heinz Field's soggy grass, the Bengals couldn't take advantage of the absence of Pittsburgh's superstar pair of strong safety Troy Polamalu and wide receiver Santonio Holmes.  No problem for the Steelers. They had quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward. The two hooked up for a pair of touchdowns as Ward set the franchise record with 64 TD receptions, breaking the old mark of 63 held by Pro Football Hall of Famer John Stallworth.

Bengals (4-7) at Steelers (8-3)
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m., Heinz Field (65,050, grass) Line: Steelers by 7

Forecast: Showers, 42 degrees

Story line
The Bengals hope to build on the momentum they gained from last week's 35-6 rout of Tennessee. Just as they did with the Titans, the Bengals might be catching Pittsburgh at the right time. The Steelers are coming off a Monday night game and will be without injured WR Santonio Holmes and probably S Troy Polamalu.

What's at stake?
The Bengals must win to even retain a mathematical chance at the playoffs, though they're probably doomed as it is. Of more immediate urgency is the need to regain some of their lost confidence.

After Monday night's mudbath, the Heinz Field turf just might get as much attention as Ben Roethlisberger.Game plan What the Steelers will do: Ben Roethlisberger hasn't attempted a lot of passes in past victories against the Bengals, but he uses the run to set up big pass plays. Willie Parker has averaged 119 yards rushing in the past five vs. the Bengals, but has averaged just 3.01 yards per rush since the first meeting. The Bengals have played better defensively the past three games, particularly on third down. After allowing 176 rushing yards and 8 of 13 third-down conversions in a Nov. 4 game in Buffalo, the Bengals have allowed 177 yards rushing and 8 of 31 third-down conversions the past three.

What the Bengals will do: Off-ensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski typically uses multiple-receiver formations to spread the field and run the ball against the Steelers' nickel defense, a device designed to get NT Casey Hampton off the field. RB Rudi Johnson, who did not play in the first meeting because of injury, will start. But RB Kenny Watson, who had 88 yards in the first game, has been more productive. The return of Chris Henry to a receiving crew that also includes Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh gives QB Carson Palmer three receivers to attack the Steelers' No. 1 pass defense. Johnson (71 catches) and Houshmandzadeh (83) are the NFL's top receiving tandem.

Keep an eye on:  DE Robert Geathers: He played outside linebacker in the first meeting because of injuries at that position. He has been switched back to defensive end and leads the team with 21/2 sacks. The Bengals have only 18 sacks -- fifth fewest in the AFC -- but the Steelers have allowed 16 in the past three games against teams who ranked at or near the bottom of the league in sacks.

Pitssburgh Post Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07336/838472-66.stm