11 a.m., Steelers by 3 1/2
Last meeting
Steelers won 27-13 at Cincinnati on Oct. 23.
Who knew
Steelers won 15 games last season, but they’re not as dominant as you might think. Fact: They’ve covered the spread twice in their past seven home games.
Spotlight on: Carson Palmer
Peyton Manning: 232-for-341, 2,779 passing yards, 22 TD passes, 8 INTs. Palmer: 252-for-361, 2,922 yards, 23 TD passes, 7 INTs. Any more questions about whether Palmer is an MVP candidate? Talk about a picture of consistency. Palmer, in his third NFL season – counting his “redshirt year” of 2003 – has a 100-plus passer rating in 10 of 11 games. Now for the fine print: His lone sub-100 rating came in Week 7 in loss to Steelers, when he was 53.8. As usual in these kinds of situations, Palmer hasn’t done it alone. The Bengals’ offensive line has made great strides in recent years. Cincy has allowed 15 sacks, fewer than all but three NFL teams.
Etc.
Bengals first in the league in turnovers at plus-20, Stillers plus-9. … Cincy, 4-1 on the road, seeking ninth W, a level club hasn’t reached since 1990. … Bengals have sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times in past two meetings. … TB Willie Parker healthy again for Steelers. Good thing. He ran for 131 yards on 18 carries in Week 7 win at Cincy, including 37-yard TD run. … Bengals WR Chad Johnson talks the talk and walks the walk. Dude has AFC-leading 66 catches, 1,085 receiving yards. … Both QBs have 100-plus passer rating for season – Palmer 107.1, first in league, Roethlisberger 103.5, third. … Ex-Bronco CB Deltha O’Neal, now the cornerstone of Cincy secondary, tied for league lead with seven INTs. … Pitt’s Hines Ward the best-blocking WR in da bid’ness and ranks second in AFC with seven TD catches.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Steelers 30
– Jim Armstrong
