Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers entered “Monday Night Football” looking for their first victory of the 2019 NFL season, but there’s absolutely no question which team deserved the “W” after the rivals’ Week 4 matchup.
The Bengals hung around early at Heinz Field, forcing a fumble and striking first on a field goal following their takeaway. But from that point on, it was all Steelers, who rode a dominant ground game and pass rush to a 27-3 rout of Cincinnati, which did its best to legitimately join the conversation of which team is the worst in theNFL.
Second-year signal-caller Mason Rudolph, making his second straight start for the injured Ben Roethlisberger, was efficient throughout the night, even if his passes rarely traveled more than 10 yards down the field. And he had a killer rushing attack to lean on, with James Conner and Jaylen Samuels combining for more than 200 yards from scrimmage as part of the Steelers’ surprise reliance on Wildcat sweeps and pitches. Defensively, the Steelers were just as good, if not better, taking advantage of a porous Bengals offensive line to sack Andy Dalton eight times and render Cincinnati utterly lifeless.
Stay tuned for even more on Monday night’s AFC North rivalry.
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Neither the Cincinnati Bengals nor the Pittsburgh Steelers have a victory through three games of the 2019 NFL season, but that should change on Monday night, as the AFC North rivals clash in prime time.
(“Should” is the operative word there. Considering the way this season has started for both Cincy and the Steelers, is anyone really ruling out the possibility of a tie?)
Few people would’ve been surprised had you told them before the season that the Bengals would be seeking their first win in Week 4, what with new coach Zac Taylor rebooting a team long run — with many mediocre results — by Marvin Lewis and sans an injured A.J. Green. The Steelers, however, are a different story, having gone from potentialSuper Bowlcontender to potential top-five 2020 drafters thanks in large part due to Ben Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow injury.
That doesn’t mean either side will be without motivation on Monday night in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have shown fight under second-year signal-caller Mason Rudolph, while Cincy has threatened upsets early in 2019, too, despite a shoddy rushing attack, offensive line and secondary. Most importantly, however, the AFC North remains relatively wide open considering the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns are tied atop the division at just 2-2. A win to close Week 4 would not only inject some much-needed momentum into either the Bengals or Steelers. It would also propel them right back into the AFC North race, regardless of how unfeasible their long-term postseason chances really are.
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