Postgame
Well, it sort of leaves you speechless, but somehow Marvin Lewis is still in search of that elusive playoff victory.
However none of that really matters. Despite the fact that this game became one of the more interesting encounters a football fan will ever see in his lifetime, the truth is that it was disgraceful, from the warm-ups until the final play.
There will be plenty to discuss in the coming hours and days, but for now, here is the bottom line:
Saturday:
Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots
Sunday:
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos
And with that, good morning, good afternoon and good night.
Steelers 18-16 Bengals, Final
McCarron’s hail mary is knocked down and this game is thankfully over.
“We won the game that’s all the matters” says Roethlisberger to CBS.
But it not.
The NFL should be embarrassed, if that’s at all possible, by one of the most disgusting games of football you will ever watch.
Updated
FIELD GOAL! Steelers 18-16 Bengals, 0:18 4th quarter
Boswell is good from 35 yards, and while you’d like to call this an incredible escape by the Steelers, really, it’s the most horrific end to a football game you’ll ever see.
We’re seeing the Jones foul now, it seems he punched Steelers coach Joey Porter.
Unreal.
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:18 4th quarter
Now Adam Jones is flagged for a personal foul - and the Bengals have completely and totally melted down here. That’s 30 YARDS of unfathomable penalties, putting this one on a tee for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are now on the Bengals 17, a chip shot for Boswell.
Updated
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:22 4th quarter
Roethlisberger in the shotgun: has time and throws high and over the head of Antonio Brown - BUT THERE’S A FLAG!
IT IS A PERSONAL FOUL ON BURFICT WHO PUT A COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY UNNECESSARY HEAD-TO-HEAD HIT ON BROWN!
It does not get any nastier - he’s been looking for that opportunity, he found it, and it could cost the Bengals their season.
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:22 4th quarter
Roethlisberger finds Brown! First down and Pittsburgh are alive and at the Cincy 47!
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:28 4th quarter
Little pass to a double covered Antonio Brown on the sideline. It sets up a 3rd & 7.
Toussaint is streaking towards a first down run but he’s tripped up at the last second by Michael Johnson! Did that save the season?
It’s 4th &3, and season for Pittsburgh, who call their final timeout, before the Bengals call their final timeout after taking a look at what the Steelers offense were showing.
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:37 4th quarter
Toussaint catches a floater towards the sideline for a first down, and more importantly, that stops the clock. They’re on their own 24.
Now another first down - a completion to Toussaint for another 10 yards. Timeout Pittsburgh, their first.
Roethlisberger is looking for Toussaint again - incomplete.
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:54 4th quarter
Bengals call for time, they have one remaining. I’d say they need about 46 yards to make it interesting.
FUMBLE! Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 0:54 4th quarter
My brain is going to fall out.
OK, so here comes Big Ben, presumably playing with one shoulder. They’re on their own nine-yard line.
He finds Bryant on the near sideline, and that means he can actually throw. Now he’s incomplete looking for Brown.
Still a very long way to go here but Pitt have all three timeouts.
FUMBLE? PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 1:23 4th quarter
Did Hill just fumble on the play? It sure as heck looks like it...
They’re reviewing the play but this is gonna go to Pittsburgh...AND HERE COMES ROETHLISBERGER!
ARE YOU KIDDING?
INTERCEPTION! Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 1:36 4th quarter
There’s Vontaze Burfict, again, making the pick to potentially seal this game! He’s been in the middle of everything, good and bad all night, so it makes sense that he makes the grab!
Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 1:51 4th quarter
Cincy attempt to gwt two but fail, Hill can’t reach paydirt. It’s a one-point game.
Landry Jones hasn’t thrown a pass yet - he’ll have to now.
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 15-16 Bengals, 1:51 4th quarter
McCarron is looking for AJ Green who has his back to the endzone - jump ball, Green has room, pulls it down, avoids the tackle and runs into the endzone!
The Bengals have taken the lead!!
Updated
Steelers 15-10 Bengals, 2:00 4th quarter
McCarron, poised in the pocket, finds Jones over the middle - first down and a gain of 10, passing the gut-check with flying colors.
Now he’s scrambling for a three more yards as we hit the two minute warning...
A wild finish to a crazy night, coming right up.
Steelers 15-10 Bengals, 2:46 4th quarter
Can the kid miraculously lead the Bengals to the unlikeliest of playoff wins? He’s definitely feeling it right now.
He finds Hill for three yards, then Marvin Jones on the near sideline for six more. 3rd & 1...
McCarron throws it away, and why the were not running I have no idea.
They’re going for it, of course.
Steelers 15-10 Bengals, 3:28 4th quarter
Jones throws short looking for Brown on the near side and the Bengals make a stop!
A 24-yard return on punt no12 and they’ll start from the Steelers 45-yard line!
This game is ridiculous.
Updated
Steelers 15-10 Bengals, 3:56 4th quarter
Jones finds Brown for seven on the far side. Then Todman scrambles to get back to the line of scrimmage. Huge third down play here - Pittsburgh need four.
What the?
Ben Roethlisberger is in pads on the sideline but Jones is still at QB...
Updated
FIELD GOAL! Steelers 15-10 Bengals, 5:12 4th quarter
Mike Nugent is good from 35 and Cincy are down five in need of a defensive stop.
Pittsburgh has all three of their timeouts, Cincinnati has two.
Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 5:30 4th quarter
Another big third down - Cincy need eight yards.
McCarron in the shotgun, under pressure, he moves to his right before dumping it off to Burkhead who has it but is short of the first down. Here comes the kicking team - no hesitation from Marvin Lewis in his decision.
Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 5:52 4th quarter
McCarron is blitzed, but he floats a ball over the middle and into the hands of Eifert for a gain of 18 and a first down! That is a huge play there from the kid, who was poised in the face of a furious rush.
FYI, Hill is back in the game. Cincy are going no-huddle.
Green, a nine-yard reception and a short run from Hill means another Bengals first down - they’re at the Steelers 24 now.
Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 8:04 4th quarter
Eifert is wide open deep over the middle but the throw is slightly off - still the TE should have made that grab. Missed opportunity for at least 20 more yards there.
Now a draw that goes nowhere - big 3rd & 9 coming up. They call their first time out to talk it over.
Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 8:59 4th quarter
Hill, a screen with room to run: he has first-down yardage.
There’s more from Hill, who bounces free from the line and has another solid gain - 24 yards on two plays. But Hill is banged up and leaves the field as we hear that Bernard isn’t coming back after the crushing blow he suffered.
Now McCarron is running for a first down as Cincy approach midfield, gaining confidence.
Bengals fans threw garbage at Ben Roethlisberger as he was carted off after injury: https://t.co/0AWkW3QHOz pic.twitter.com/q0KueYmLzx
— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 10, 2016
Ugly. And there’s still time for it to get worse.
Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 11:49 4th quarter
Todman, a 25-yard run before Cincy tighten up.
Jones is sacked on second down by Dunlap and Sims setting up a 3rd & 17.
The Bengals get the stop and the ball after Bryant’s short reception goes nowhere.
After punt no11, Cincy start at their own 13.
Landry Jones
He’s the replacement for Roethlisberger - a 2013 fourth round pick. Jones’ last full game was v KC in a loss where he was 16/19 with two picks and a TD.
Updated
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 15-7 Bengals, 13:57 4th quarter
Hill - right up the middle and into the endzone for Cincinnati.
So suddenly, with no Roethlisberger and plenty of time on the clock, we’ve got, and I really can’t believe I’m writing this, a ballgame.
But I’m not sure that’s a good thing based on the ugliness we have seen thus far.
Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 14:34 4th quarter
McCarron goes deep to Green who is interfered with on the far sideline by Will Allen! That’s the biggest gain of the day, a 42-yard penalty! Life for Cincy?
Meanwhile, this Steelers/Bengals game could potentially end in a riot. Like a 5% chance, but it's on the table. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) January 10, 2016
Cue the debris as Roethlisberger is carted off to cheers from the Bengals crowd.
Steelers 15-0 Bengals, end of 3rd quarter
On 3rd & 18, Burfict sacks Roethlisberger, who lands on his right shoulder. He can’t move it...trouble here for Pittsburgh.
Updated
FUMBLE RULED! Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 1:37 3rd quarter
So on an illegal play where a player is creamed in an illegal helmet-to-helmet fashion and drops the ball, it’s ruled a fumble. They will say Bernard was a runner at that point but we are talking about split seconds here. The whole thing is a bit gross.
Now Vontaze Burfict is totally losing it on the sideline, and nothing will surprise me less. No love lost here at all. It’s barbarism at Paul Brown Stadium.
FUMBLE ! UNDER REVIEW! Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 1:37 3rd quarter
Important 3rd & 9 here for the Bengals.
McCarron in the shotgun, quickly fires to Bernard who is absolutely leveled by Ryan Shazier - helmet to helmet. They missed the call on the field and Bernard is shaken up, understandably.
He’s surrounded by the training staff as tempers flare up-field.
Somehow Bernard gets up under his own power, and runs to the lockers. Man, that was absolutely awful to watch.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is challenging the call, claiming Bernard fumbled and Shazier recovered.
It looks like Pittsburgh will get the ball here, somewhat amazingly.
Updated
PLAY UNDER REVIEW! Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 3:07 3rd quarter
McCarron’s pass, ruled a backward pass and a fumble is overruled on the challenge, saving Cincy from a 2nd & 17.
Now a screen to Eifert for eight brings up a 3rd & 3...key down here.
Sanu makes a big four-yard catch and that’s a first down! Cincy approaching the red zone.
Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 3:58 3rd quarter
Misery in Cincinnati - pouring rain, down 15, a rookie quarterback, lost in a storm.
It looks like 0-7 for Lewis at this moment.
An 11-yard reception for Green, a holding call on Gay and a strong run up the middle by Bernard plus a face mask call has Cincy on the Steelers’ 35.
This is a real drive, and they really gotta go to the house on this one...obviosuly (how is that for analysis?).
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 15-0 Bengals, 5:02 3rd quarter
Then Pittsburgh go for two and don’t get it. But it’s not like Cincy can score anyway.
And who cares - this happened!
TOUCHDOWN? UNDER REVIEW! Steelers 9-0 Bengals, 5:02 3rd quarter
Roethisberger finds Bryant in the far corner of the endzone - Bryant makes the catch high, brings the ball down behind his back, with one hand and keeps control WHILE IN A FULL SOMERSAULT!
YES, THAT HAPPENED!
Did he have control? I think so!!!
Steelers 9-0 Bengals, 5:37 3rd quarter
Or not! There goes Antonio Brown - catch-and-run, over the middle, running left, then cutting right, all the way down to the Bengals 10-yard line! First and goal to go!
Next play - Toussaint is wrapped up before fighting in the endzone. I love football fights.
Steelers 9-0 Bengals, 6:55 3rd quarter
Toussaint getting some good blocks and making the most of them - this time a five-yard gain up the middle for a first down.
Steelers are looking for a 22-minute drive to close this one out. They’re on their 30-yard-line.
Breaking news
Sean Penn is on the Steelers sideline filming Mike Munchak.
Steelers 9-0 Bengals, 8:31 3rd quarter
AJ Green - a 22-yard catch making McCarron look like a real QB.
Then on 3rd & 11 normal service resumes: Junior rolls to his right and throws it away.
That means punt no10. Pitt begin on their 18.
This game sucks. I need a shower.
Updated
Steelers 9-0 Bengals, 10:09 3rd quarter
It’s all Boswell, all the time. He’s good from 34.
Meanwhile Dalton is whispering McCarron’s ear. “AJ, remember, you’re the greatest quarterback who ever lived. Got it?”
Steelers 6-0 Bengals, 10:13 3rd quarter
Razzle-dazzle - end around pitch to Bryant, who streaks down the far sideline and is only caught by a lightning quick Kirkpatrick.
Now it’s 3rd 6 from the Cincy 16. Roethlisberger overthrows Bey and the Bengals survive yet again. Here comes the field goal unit.
Updated
OVERTURNED! Steelers 6-0 Bengals, 12:20 3rd quarter
Thomas was indeed down on the play.
So Pitt have the ball on their 29, because the unsportsmanlike over-celebrating call on the the Steelers is still enforced. That is quite a turnaround for Cincy...
TOUCHDOWN!? UNDER REVIEW! Steelers 12-0 Bengals, 12:20 3rd quarter
McCarron loses control of the ball! Big Cam Thomas has it! He’s running, he’s tackled - he fumbles!
Now Pittsburgh’s William Gay has it, and he’s running to the endzone - that’s a touhdown!
Or maybe...was Thomas down? He looks down.
That was a perfect play for this bumbling of a game.
Stand by...
Updated
Steelers 6-0 Bengals, 12:22 3rd quarter
Big play - Jeremy Hill (remember him?)
Huge run - 38 yards! Wow!! And a nie block from AJ Green to boot.
Hope for the Bengals...
...They’re 0-13 if they’ve ever trailed in a playoff game, at any point, at any time.
Gulp.
On the bright side, McCarron rolls to his right and finds Sanu for a first down - that’s their third of the game. And how about that?!
And we're back...
...and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Bengals start from their 18.
The numbers
McCarron - 7/14 for 59 yards and 1 INT, Roethlisberger is 11/20 for 114 yards.
Giovani Bernard has just 14 yards for Cincy. Toussaint and Todman have 73 combined.
Brown has four catches for 40 yards, Eifert has three for 33.
Most impressive are the nine punts - we didn’t reach our target of 12 first-half punts, but I’m more than satisfied.
Reggie Nelson
The Bengals’ free safety will not return - it’s his knee, not his pulled hair keeping him off the field.
In case you missed it...
To clarify, #Steelers RB Fitzgerald Toussaint went through the NFL's concussion protocol on the team's sideline. He was cleared & returned.
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) January 10, 2016
He’s been all you could ask for if you’re a Steelers fan. Two catches for 43 yards, 11 carries for 38. Totally serviceable.
Steelers 6-0 Bengals, end of second quarter
And so ends the worst two quarters of football that I have ever seen in my entire life.
No, wait. There was that Monday night St Louis Cardinals Giants game in 1983 that ended in a tie that was god awful as well, now that I think about it.
But heck, this is the playoffs...isn’t that supposed to mean slightly above average football?
FIELD GOAL! Steelers 6-0 Bengals, 0:33 second quarter
Boswell is good, again, this time from 30 yards out.
Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 0:36 second quarter
On 3rd & 10 from the 12, Roethlisberger floats a ball in the middle of the field - right into the face mask of Vincent Rey.
Your grandmother could have caught that ball. I know mine could’ve.
The Bengals stop the drive, they should have the football right now. Here comes the field goal unit.
Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 0:42 second quarter
Roethlisberger, with time, fires over the middle and hits Miller.
Flag on the play - it’s Martavis Bryant, the wide receiver, is not on the line of scrimmage. That’s another mental error. So it’s 2nd & 15.
Now Roethlisberger hits Wheaten, who is hit, straight in the helmet, by the safety Williams. That’s just the kind of hit you never, ever want to see...
The unnecessary roughness call puts them on the Bengals 12.
Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 1:05 second quarter
Antonio Brown, streaking across the middle, makes a catch. He’s pushed out of bounds after a gain of 11, Pitt across midfield.
Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 1:18 second quarter
Toussaint looks good! He’s got another 16 yards, and get this, no personal foul on the play. Nice.
Miller has a catch for four yards before Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick goes down on the play. Injury timeout.
So Pittsburgh have all three timeouts and a chunk of time to work with. Cincy have just one remaining.
Pitt on their own 44.
Let's check in on Andy Dalton pic.twitter.com/tTXtT8DBXb
— pat muldowney (@patmuldowney) January 10, 2016
Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 1:57 second quarter
McCarron throws high on 3rd & 6 in search of AJ Green and Cincy come up short again on third down.
That means punt no9 has arrived, which is a beautiful thing.
Here come the Steelers, who start from their own 19 after a fair catch after the two-minute warning.
FIELD GOAL! Steelers 3-0 Bengals, 2:27 second quarter
Chris Boswell is good from 39 and the Steelers are on the board.
I’m starting to get concerned about the lack of punts here late in the second quarter.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 2:34 second quarter
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh somehow have over 70 yards rushing between Todman and Toussaint: let’s call them the T&T boys in an ironic sort of way.
So the Steelers are moving right along, interrupted by a another bonehead personal foul, this time on Pittsburgh’s Gilbert.
Roethlisberger overcomes more moronic play and close in on the red zone - a short pass to Brown becomes a 23-yard gain.
But on 3rd down, the drive stalls when Ben can’t find Brown on the near sideline. Here comes the field goal people to try and put real points on the board.
FUMBLE! INTERCEPTION! Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 4:22 second quarter
Markus Wheaton fumbles and George Iloka has it. Big turnover - can Cincy cash in?
No.
McCarron chucks right into the hands of Antwon Blake, so Pittsburgh have it right back.
It’s gar-bage time. In the second quarter. Of a scoreless playoff game.
Steelers on the Cincy 41.
Gross.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 5:56 second quarter
An illegal contact flag on the Bengals’ Rey Maualuga provides the Steelers a rarer than rare first down!
True story. But wait, there’s more. So much more.
Roethlisberger, who has lots of time, eventually gets thumped from behind by Geno Atkins for a mammoth loss.
But wait, there’s even more - Doata Peko, who is not playing, and wearing a cape, runs on to the field and pushes a Steeler for no reason what so ever. And so he’s flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
You can’t make this stuff up. This is high caliber playoff football right here.
Let’s call it the Genius Bowl.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 09:05 second quarter
So I’ve had some technical options but here’s what you missed.
- Punt
- McCarron fumble (Cincy recovered)
- Punt
We’re up to eight in our drive to reach 12. Possible?
Steelers start in what is now a cats and dogs sort of rain from their own 35.
Overheard in the House of Yinzer
“Dude, this game...sucks.”
#PITvsCIN Munchak last job. pic.twitter.com/qgfuE9DS4U
— Dab McTowel (@markand4503) January 10, 2016
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 11:31 second quarter
AJ McCarron and the Bengals offense stalls again. With rain falling steadily at Paul Brown Stadium, on 3rd and 3, the kid can’t find Eifert.
That means punt no6. Think we can get to a dozen by the half?
Pitt start from their own 35.
More Munchak
Looking at the replay again and again...the guy grabbed Nelson’s dreads: he should be ejected and suspended for that move.
On the field, the Bengals close the door on the drive, sacking Roethlisberger on 3rd & 10....it’s Nelson exacting a certain kind of justice right there...except he’s hurt on the play and we’re delayed - it looks like a twisted left ankle.
Punt no5 and a defensive holding play means Cincinnati start on their own 7.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, end of 1st quarter
Now it’s Connecticut product Jordan Todman with room to run, streaking for 16 yards before there’s action on the sideline...
...Steelers offensive line coach (and genius) Mike Munchak decides he wants to shove Reggie Nelson after he ran into him on the play.
That costs his team 15 yards and basically wipes out the gain. Sweet play.
Never mind. A Todman catch and a Toussaint run are good for 14 yards as time expires in the first quarter. When we return, Pitt are at the Cincy 29.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 1:16 1st quarter
Toussaint (no relation to the very first Haitian leader) has his nine yards running right up the Bengals guts.
Toussaint is hit for a loss on the next play before Roethlisberger has lots and lots of time on third and short, eventually hitting the running back with a pass up the middle and he streaks for 27 yards - that’s by far the biggest gain of this game and has Pittsburgh up near midfleld.
Is this a real drive?
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 3:58 1st quarter
Flags a-flying everywhere. A false start cancels out a first down catch for the Bengals...then something called a defensive delay (never heard of that one...) costs Pitt five yards.
Now Timmons is storming McCarron, opening up the rookie to be hammered by Harrison. That’s a two-yard sack, forcing 3rd & 12!
Next, a screen, to the tight end, on the far side - he gets a block and first down yardage.
And here is Eifert again! The TE has yet another catch, but pays the price with Blake delivering a hit that’s clean, but looked like head-to-head at first glance.
Whatever. The drive is done after McCarron can’t find his favorite targetr on third and short.
That’s punt no4, but it’s a good one. Steelers take over from their own six-yard line.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 7:51 1st quarter
Pitt manages one first down on the drive, but on 3rd and short, Roethlisberger’s pass to Heath Miller is short of the first down - that means punt no3.
The Steelers get done with interference on the kick, which improves Cincy’s field position - they’ll start from the 29.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 11:07 1st quarter
The kid looks good on 3rd & 11, AJ stepping up and finding room to roam before hitting Tyler Eifert on the near side, but it’s short of the first down and so we’ve got a pair of three and outs to start us off.
Kevin Huber kicks the pill to the 13, Aaron Brown picks up six on the return. That math means Roethlisberger and co. will start on their own 19.
Steelers 0-0 Bengals, 12:55 1st quarter
Martavis Bryant, part of the top Steeler triplets at wideout, has the first catch, a short one for four yards on the far sideline.
Then Toussaint gets absltely wrecked in the backfield by Vontze Burfict: the kind of tackle that exposes pads. Ugly.
3rd & 8, Big Ben’s pump fake fools the camera, but not Cincy’s defensive backfield: it’s incomplete to Darrius Heyward Bey, and Pitt are three and out.
After the punt the Bengals start from their 36.
Kickoff!
And we’re off with the Saturday night cap! Pittsburgh start at their own 20 after the kick when out of the endzone.
We got bad blood
Apparently, there’s enough between Cincy and the Steelers that the game officials are hanging out in something called the “no fly zone”, that is, the portion of the field that plays must not cross without paying some kind of price. The teams split their games season with Pittsburgh winning the last one in Paul Brown Stadium, 33-20 just a month ago.
That was the game Dalton broke his thumb while trying to make a tackle after throwing a first-quarter interception. It’s something of a tough break when you consider that since 2011, Dalton has the third most wins under center at 50.
Steelers + prediction
Thanks to internet connectivity I’m live blogging in a House of Yinzer...that being the apartment of a Steelers fan. So if anybody catches me waving a terrible towel during the following commentary, feel free to call me out on it.
Ho hum, they have six Super Bowl rings and it’s just another season where they can add to their trophy cabinet. They lost their stud starting running back for the season, their beefy star QB for four games and still managed to put 10 games in the can. In other words, business as usual.
They can score in just about every way possible, even with little known Fitzgerald Toussaint in the backfield: it just doesn’t matter at all. That’s why they are likely to kick the **** out of Cincy today, on the road by double digits.
Sorry Marvin, you’re going down 27-10. True story. But don’t take my word for it: tweet your prediction to @lengeldavid or send it the old fashioned way to david.lengel@theguardian.com
We’re about 10 minutes away from kickoff. Please stand by.
Bengals
You may have heard by now that Cincy haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, and that was against a team in Houston that wasn’t called the Texans with Boomer Esiason was quarterback.
Boomer is 54 now, but back then, he looked sharp.
What’s more amazing than that drought is that Cincy have been to the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons - regardless of Marvin Lewis’ inability to coach himself into the divisional playoffs, considering their now not-so-recent-history, that feels like an achievement in Bengals land. So is the fact that Lewis has only had three losing seasons in his 13 years at the helm. So yes, he’s a good coach, and really, all he is missing is a playoff win.
Until then he’s tied with Jim Mora Sr. for the most playoff losses at six.
And so what if they don’t have QB Andy Dalton? What has he done in the playoffs? Bowl-seasoned Bama baller AJ McCarren (and his three games of NFL experience) hasn’t embarrassed himself yet, so despite not having their starter on the field, there is some reason for optimism. So is being one of only two teams this season to boast two players with 10 or more sacks...although the other team just got their buts kicked 30-0...
Gulp.
Hola
Greetings everybody and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the worst NFL football season in terms of quality and skill level that I’ve seen in 30 years. It’s been bad football at nearly every turn: sloppy, nasty, filthy JV football featuring plenty of can’t-miss pass interference calls.
Will that change in the playoffs? Perhaps the high stakes will bring the product up to acceptable levels.
Then again perhaps they won’t. Normally, at this stage in the evening, with another game going on, I’d ask you to come back when its done, but who can stomach another second of KC’s mauling of the Houston Texans?
The Chiefs deserve credit for wearing an AFC patch and a now 11-game winning streak, but considering the strength of opponent, I’m not sure we learned anything new. So to all those who were watching, congratulations on surviving three hours of Jon Gruden and stand by for what actually could be phenomenal - an all-AFC North match up between the Steelers and Bengals.
Updated
David will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s DJ Gallo’s look at how Pittsburgh may be the most dangerous of a broadly dangerous fleet of wild-card teams this year.
Despite the 10-game win streak, the AFC wild-card team being called the “most dangerous” team in the playoffs is the Pittsburgh Steelers. And they very well may be. When Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant, Heath Miller and whichever healthy body the Steelers have at running back are clicking, there’s not an offense that can stay with them. Pittsburgh’s problem is consistency. One week they’re unstoppable, the next they’re getting lit up by Ryan Mallett while Roethlisberger throws picks. Could the Steelers put three solid games together against weak AFC top seeds and put themselves in position to win a seventh Lombardi Trophy? Most definitely. Could they struggle to slip by the Bengals this week and then go to New England and give up 600 yards passing to Tom Brady, while Roethlisberger turns the ball over and Bill Belichick out-coaches Mike Tomlin so badly that people question if he’s cheating again? Most definitely.
The Steelers truly are dangerous. They can wow you or explode on themselves. They’re the JPP’s fireworks of football teams.
