What it is

"Bipolar" is a word that's been used to describe the Steelers a lot lately. Apparently, it also applies to the Bungles.

Steeler Nation has all week to wonder which Black 'n Gold team will show up next week in Atlanta. Never mind that the Falcons are a bad team. We'll worry about that next Sunday.

For now, let's all enjoy the win over the mistake-prone, mystifying Cincinnati Bengals, whose fans must be dumbfounded and confounded. It's going to be a long week for Andy Dalton, who can't win the big game, the latest instance of which was Sunday's tilt vs. the Steelers. The Bungles bungled a perfect opportunity to extinguish the Steelers' playoff hopes, slam the coffin lid, nail it down and bury the Steelers for the 2014 season. They failed, miserably.

Andy Dalton was occasionally brilliant, as on almost every pass he threw to the formidable A.J. Green (11 catches for 224 yards) and on his own 20-yard TD run off a perfectly executed play-fake handoff where Dalton tucked the ball and ran past a faked-out Troy Polamalu into the end zone.  Despite going 21 of 29 for 302 yards and two touchdowns, Dalton didn't do enough to overcome the failures and miscues of a highly touted, much-hyped Cincinnati defense featuring five first-rounders in the secondary. And, of course, Dalton made a crucial mistake, botching a handoff to Jeremy Hill. The fumble was recovered by Arthur Moats, and a few plays later, the Steelers converted the miscue into seven points.

Good Ben showed up for the Steelers in Cincinnati, as opposed to the Bad Ben who took the field last week in Pittsburgh vs. the Saints. Antonio Brown was electric, again, and the offensive line played cohesively for the most part, thank you, Mike Munchak.

But the star of the game, of course, was Le'Veon Bell*, who joined the immortal Walter Payton as among the backs in NFL history to tally three consecutive games of 200 total yards from scrimmage. Elite company, indeed, and hope for Steeler Nation that maybe this Steelers team can stand a measure of success, after all, and build on it to attain some semblance of consistency.

A good win, and hopefully one that foreshadows three more just like it over the next three weeks.

*Le'Veon Bell: 185 yards on the ground, six pass receptions for 50 yards; three touchdowns; no fumbles.

The Bengals take a step back this year?

On the one hand, it's a team that's had a taste of success and should be hungry for more.

On the other hand, the Cincinnati Bengals carry the weight of a crushing history of ignominious failure when it counts.

On the one hand, the Bengals have drafted extremely well, uncharacteristically so, for the past five years.  A.J. Green, Giovanni Bernard, Geno Atkins, etc. and this year, high hopes for Darqueze Dennard and others, no doubt.

On the other hand, all those other number one draft choices in the secondary -- six of 'em (Dennard, Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Terence Newman, Dre Kirkpatrick, Reggie Nelson; not all drafted by the Bengals) -- those guys haven't played up to expectations.

There were enough question marks about Hall, Jones, Newman and Kirkpatrick (all corners) that the Bengals invested yet another No. 1 in Dennard. And, honestly, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls weren't sold on Dennard at No. 15 for the Steelers; it could be that he is a half-step too slow and that his clutch-and-grab tricks won't fly in the NFL.

Shaky Quarterback?

On the one hand, the Bengals have Andy Dalton.

On the other hand, they have Andy Dalton. 

The fourth-year quarterback (entering his contract year without an extension) has performed well in the regular season. Miserably in three playoff appearances. Last year, he took 29 sacks, lost three fumbles and threw 20 interceptions. There is room for improvement, and he knows it. Everybody knows it.

Two New Coordinators

We were initially inclined to look at the two new coordinators as a minus, but Hue Jackson actually may do some good for the Bengals. Dalton threw an unseemly 586 times last year. If Jackson can whittle that number down by about 180 passes, Dalton may reduce his mistakes and the Bengals may increase their time of possession, which would help the defense -- if they actually commit to the run, as Jackson said they will.

Then again, do you really expect the Bengals to be anything but a finesse team? It's in their franchise DNA. 

The departure of Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator is likely to hurt more than the loss of Jay Gruden as offensive coordinator. New d-coordinator Paul Guenther has been with the Bengals for eight years, though, so he should know what he's doing. Still, Zimmer was a proven commodity. His absence will be felt.

A Tougher Schedule

Perhaps most importantly, the Bengals face a tougher schedule this year, by virtue of winning the division last year.  The division will be better. And, yes, the Steelers will be better.

And, as with any team, there will be injuries, which are unpredictable. As with any team, you wonder how the Bengals will fare if their starting quarterback goes down, or a star like A.J. Green. 

But if Andy Dalton misses any significant time with injury, look out below. The backups are Jason Campbell and A.J. McCarron. Ugh.

It says here the Bengals take a step back this year. They can't stand success.

Talent is Talent

It's always fun watching the playoffs, and this weekend's games should be especially compelling. People who aren't into football as much as some of us are sometimes wonder why we take such an interest in the draft. Well, the simple answer is, that's how you build teams.

One example: With the 35th pick of the 2011 draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected quarterback Andy Dalton. With the very next pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Do you think the Bengals would pick Dalton over Kaepernick today? The Bengals seem to have most of the pieces in place to still be playing this weekend — if Andy Dalton hadn't played so brutally in their home playoff loss to San Diego. The Bengals need a quarterback who can take advantage of all that talent around him and lift the team to the next level. In time, Dalton may do that. He hasn't done it yet.

Of course, it didn't help Dalton that his coaches (offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who was just named head coach of the Redskins, and Marvin Lewis) had him. absurdly, throwing the ball 51 times in extremely windy, cold, rainy conditions; nor did it help Dalton that Giovanni Bernard fumbled the ball in the red zone.

Still, Dalton has yet to win a playoff game, and Kaepernick's been to the Super Bowl already and is on the verge of going again this year.  Do you think Cincinnati fans aren't wondering how Kaepernick would look throwing to A.J. Green, Mohammed Sanu,Tyler Eiffert, etc.?  But for the Bengals, Dalton was the safer choice, and look where it's got them. Home. Meanwhile, Kaepernick and the Niners will be getting busy against the Seahawks.

Where the chips fall
By the way, with the 31st in the 2011 draft, the Steelers selected defensive end Cameron Heyward, and he looks like an emerging force on the defensive line.

Like so many other Steeler fans, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are always on the lookout for that next developmental quarterback who can be groomed as a backup to Ben Roethlisberger, and step in and play well if and when called upon. And, no, Landry Jones does not appear to be that guy.

At the time, in April 2011, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls liked the idea of Kaepernick playing for the Steelers and had him pegged, potentially, as that guy, if the Steelers could somehow snag him (even as high as the second round). His draft stock had been rising, and we'd been paying attention. He was no secret. Before the draft started on April 28, 2011, here's what we wrote to close out our final draft-preview. The following paragraphs are an excerpt from that draft-day post:

***

We suspect the Steelers will target three positions in the first three rounds -- cornerback, defensive line and offensive line — but, of course, it all depends how the chips fall. There are any number of guys we'd love to see in a Steelers' uniform next year ... even Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick.

In fact, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would LOVE for the Steelers to somehow grab Kaepernick, but we don't see it happening. He is likely to be drafted early to mid-second round. Just a feeling the guy not only has a ton of legitimate NFL-quality talent, but he also seems to have his head screwed on straight, since he says things like ...

"I feel like I’m a good person. I'm not going to put myself in a bad position or the team in a bad position with things I do off the field. That's what you look for when you're looking for a leader. Is this person responsible and mature enough to realize no matter what as a quarterback you are face of that franchise and you need to carry yourself a certain way? Certain things you can’t get away with."

Sounds like Kaepernick gets it. 

Who Dey? The Bungles!

A pivotal moment: Antonio Brown's momentum carried him
out of bounds vs. Miami in the snow at Heinz Field

Steelers' players and coaches must've been saying, "That should've been us," while watching the Chargers push around the Bengals.

It's the Steelers' own fault.

Blessed with a soft schedule, the Steelers fell flat against six teams they should have beaten: Tennessee, Chicago, Oakland, Minnesota, Baltimore, Miami.

That's six losses to teams that were poor to middling, at best, this year. And that says all you need to know about the 2013 Steelers. As a team, average, at best. There is room for improvement.

What a miserable day Cincinnati fans endured on Sunday, what with the weather and that execrable mess they witnessed on the field. And what a long, miserable off-season it's going to be for Andy Dalton. We'd say it may be a short off-season for Marvin Lewis, but owner Mike Brown is likely to stay the course. On the other hand, if Brown wants to keep defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer ...

Philadelphia Eagles fans

So much for the Eagles. Philadelphia fans are famously gentle and forgiving, however, so all should be happy and upbeat in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Saints were impressive in Philadelphia, but their recent track record of playing on the road is not good. Winning in Seattle won't be easy, but something tells us NFL defensive coordinators are beginning to figure out Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.

We could see New Orleans defeating the Seahawks to set up a Saints-49ers NFC Championship game, and that would promise to be a doozy of a wildly entertaining affair.

The 49ers have a defense, a running game and a play-making quarterback. They look like the team to beat in the NFC. Although Carolina beat San Francisco by a score of 10-9 in Week 10 of the regular season, the playoffs are a different animal. Carolina is going to have to actually accomplish something in the post-season before they convince Joey Porter's Pit Bulls they're legit.

What a performance by Oliver Luck and the Indy Colts vs. the Chiefs on Saturday. Good for them. Down 28 points in the third quarter, so much had to go right for them to win that game, and it did, including Alex Smith's fumble on an early third-quarter strip-sack by Robert Mathis, the extraordinary leaping catch by Da'Rick Rodgers, solid running by Donald Brown and the big-time breakout game by T.Y. Hilton.

Now, all the Colts have to do is go to Massachusetts and defeat Tom Brady, Bill Bellichick and the Patriots. Good luck.

Since about mid-season, we've suspected that San Diego is better than most people acknowledge. Still, it will be a big challenge for the Chargers to go into Denver and beat the Broncos. But they did it just a few weeks ago. And Peyton Manning has gone one-and-done in the playoffs, what? Eight or nine times? Should be interesting.

The Bengals had Zoltan Mesko punting? After his lousy performance with the Steelers, we were surprised to see him back in the NFL.

Taking the Bengals Down a Notch

The Steelers won't be going to the playoffs, but they showed enough last night to make Steeler Nation proud: Pride, Resilience; Determination.

Le'Veon Bell ran hard. Antonio Brown did his thing. The offensive line blocked okay. The secondary covered. The defensive front seven attacked. Shawn Suisham showed how to nail field goals in the wind at frozen Heinz Field. And Ben Roethlisberger played with composure and poise, and threw accurately.

Cincinnati fans will whine and moan, and bitch and complain because that's how they're constituted, but once again, the Steelers schooled the Bengals. And that's what the Bengals do: They choke in big games. On a day when top-seeded New England lost and the Bengals had a chance to really assert themselves in the AFC ... they came up short. In every way.

If we were Bengals' fans, and thank God we're not, we would have to be very, very concerned about Andy Dalton at quarterback. He was awful last night.  Enough about him, and the Bengals. We're done with them for 2013.

Whither Woodley?
A couple of notes from last night's game, specifically: Terence Garvin showed us something, and not just on the devastating pancake flattening of Cincinnati's punter. When playing linebacker, Garvin showed mobility, speed and spark that LaMarr Woodley (who is hurt again), hasn't shown for quite a while. We're not suggesting that Garvin is the answer at linebacker; just that we liked the way he played. It was refreshing, but the bigger issue is that Woodley's absence will spark more debate about whether he should be back for 2014.

Two Games Left
The Steelers are playing for pride at this point, and there's something to be said for that. This year's Steelers may not have the talent some other teams have, but last night it was if they finally looked in the mirror and realized who they are: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

On that note, we close this post with a quote from Jack Lambert:

"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play" 
-- Jack Lambert 

And, as As Antonio Brown likes to say, "Head up. Chest up. Prayed Up."

Next up: a visit to Green Bay, where Aaron Rogers will return to action, and the Packers still have a chance to win the NFC North backup after Matt Flynn led them to yesterday's stunning win over the Cowboys in Dallas. And thank God we're not Cowboys' fans.

  * * *

Sunday Night-Game Day 14: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

Tyler Eiffert left the Steelers' defense behind

"If we don't shore things up, we won't win a game. Simple as that. It's not mystical."
-- Steeler safety Ryan Clark, following the Sept. 16th loss to the Bengals

Tonight at frozen Heinz Field, the 5-8 Steelers will host the 9-4 Cincinnati Bengals for the second prime-time TV match-up of the two AFC North Division foes this year.

Nearly three months ago, on the night of Monday, Sept. 16, the Bengals won, 20-10. Since then, the formerly forlorn Bengals have risen up to seize firm control of the division once dominated by the Black 'n Gold. The Bengals have won three in a row; the Steelers have lost two straight.

We all know how the Steelers have fared since that Monday night loss, in which the Bengals seized the early opportunity afforded by tight tend David Paulsen's pivotal fumble (as the Steelers were driving to possibly take a 10-0 lead in the first quarter). Andy Dalton immediately hit tight end Tyler Eiffert with a 74-yard pass-and-run. It was all downhill from there.

The Bengals went on to control the clock for more than 35 minutes, as the Steelers couldn't put together anything on offense. Over the first 23 minutes of the second half, Todd Haley's offense mustered all of minus-two yards. The offensive line allowed only two sacks, but opened no lanes for the running backs. Defensive end Michael Johnson owned left tackle Mike Adams all night long.

Sign of Things to Come
Perhaps more ominously, in the big-picture scheme of things, that pass to Eiffert presaged many more big plays the Steelers would surrender this season. In fact, this year the Steelers have surrendered an astounding 18 plays of 40 yards or more, including 11 plays of 50 yards or more. The Steelers have given up five runs of more than 40 yards. Pittsburgh's run defense is ranked 24th in the NFL.

That game in Week 2 of the regular season served notice of many significant issues the Steelers would face this season -- and have not fixed yet.

As for the match-up itself, prior to that Week 2 game, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls flagged a number of storylines to watch, and many of them still apply:

James Harrison; the Steelers' inconsistent offense; the Steelers' secondary vs. a Bengals receiving corps featuring A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eiffert (whom the Steelers had a chance to draft No. 1 but passed on him in favor of linebacker Jarvis Jones, who may have to match up on occasion with Eiffert), Dick LeBeau's defensive schemes; and Ben Roethlisberger, of course, as always, etcetera, etc.

Yeah, lots of angles and storylines to watch tonight, again. Let's hope for a better result.

Dinner at Maurkice Pouncey's House?

We have to ask: Will Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey (currently on injured reserve) invite Cincinnati's offensive line over to dinner at his house on Saturday night?  ... the way he supposedly did for his twin brother Mike's team, the Dolphins, last Saturday night? ... the night before the Dolphins beat the Steelers.

The Pouncey twins, wearing their "Free Hernandez" hats.

At least that's what was reported here, before the supposed dinner event.

We can't help but wonder: Do you get the feeling Maurkice Pouncey would rather be with the Miami Dolphins than the Pittsburgh Steelers? He's from Florida, his twin brother plays with the Dolphins, and he could play guard just as easily as center. The twins could even wear their "Free Hernandez" hats.

And Mike's pal Richie Incognito, a guard, won't be in Miami next year, so that could open a spot at guard for Maurkice -- which is where the Steelers might consider putting him anyway.

Just wondering.

Here Come the Bengggals, with a grrrowl ...

For a worthy overview of this year's Cincinnati Bengals, visit Anthony DeFeo's write-up over at Behind the Steel Curtain: "These Aren't Myron Cope's Cincy Bungals Anymore."

Maybe, but they're still the Bungles.