Bengals-Steelers Preview Capsule
CINCINNATI (0-3) at PITTSBURGH (0-3)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
OPENING LINE - Steelers by 3ˆ½
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Cincinnati 2-1; Pittsburgh 1-2
SERIES RECORD - Steelers lead 64-35
LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Bengals 16-13, Dec. 30, 2018
LAST WEEK - Bengals lost to Bills 21-17; Steelers lost to 49ers 24-20
AP PRO32 RANKING - Bengals No. 30, Steelers No. 25
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (32), PASS (3).
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (27), RUSH (31), PASS (12).
STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (29), PASS (25).
STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (29), RUSH (28), PASS (31).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Steelers have won eight straight vs. Bengals and 11 of 12, with Cincinnati's only victory at Heinz Field in 2015. Streak includes playoff win at Paul Brown Stadium in 2015. ... Bengals 6-15 in prime-time games since 2011, when Andy Dalton was rookie, including 2-5 on Monday night. Cincinnati is 11-24 on Monday night; Steelers 46-24 on Monday night, 25-5 at home. ... Pittsburgh off to first 0-3 start since 2013. ... Bengals trying to avoid first 0-4 start since 2008, when they dropped first eight and finished 4-11-1. ... Steelers giving up 139 yards rushing per game. Bengals averaging NFL-worst 42 yards on ground. ... Zac Taylor 0-3 in first season as Bengals head coach, matching Marvin Lewis' start when hired in 2003. Bengals have never reached playoffs after opening season 0-3. ... Dalton ranks second in NFL with 978 yards passing, function of Bengals' inability to run. Running game ranks last in NFL. ... Joe Mixon ran for 105 yards in last game vs. Steelers. He's rushed for only 88 yards combined in first three games this season, averaging 2.8 per carry behind depleted line. ... WR A.J. Green misses fourth game with ankle injury suffered in training camp. Bengals expect him back sometime in season's first half. ... WR Tyler Boyd had seven catches and two TDs in last game vs. Pittsburgh. ... Steelers QB Mason Rudolph passed for 174 yards, two TDs, one pick in first NFL start last week vs. 49ers. Rudolph's two TDs matched franchise record for QB in first start. ... Pittsburgh produced five turnovers in loss. ... Newly acquired TE Nick Vannett expected to play after midweek trade from Seattle. ... Steelers RB James Conner has 97 yards rushing, one TD through three games. Conner had 217 yards rushing, three TDs through three games in 2018. ... Pittsburgh DL Stephon Tuitt's 3 1/2 sacks sixth in NFL. ... Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick had interception, forced fumble in Pittsburgh debut vs. 49ers. ... Rookie WR Diontae Johnson caught first career TD pass vs. 49ers in first start. ... Steelers without first-quarter TD in last five games dating to 2018. ... Opposing QBs have 116.3 rating vs. Steelers. .... Pittsburgh averaging 25:08 time of possession, 31st in NFL. Fantasy tip: Dalton typically struggles vs. Steelers, but Pittsburgh's secondary uneven at best.
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