The good, the bad, and the ugly

As John Clayton noted, the Steelers controlled the game statistically:

The Steelers ran 80 plays to the Bengals' 57. The Steelers controlled the ball for 33:51 seconds to 26:09. Willie Parker rushed for 133 yards on 31 carries for the Steelers. Palmer was sacked six times, had three fumbles and was responsible for three turnovers.

But the Bengals won the game. This is deja vu all over again for the Steelers. The similarities to last year's 38-31 loss are eerie.

What happened? A crucial lapse of concentration. With the Steelers ahead 17-14 and in control on both sides of the ball, Ricardo Colclough muffed and then failed to recover a punt return giving the Bengals the ball on the nine yard line. They scored on the next play. The Steelers got the ball back only to have Veron Haynes fumble. The Bengals recovered and again immediately turned the turnover into seven points. In a couple of minutes the Steelers went from being in control to being down 11 points.

The Steelers fought their way back only to come up short. Roethlisberger drove them down the field only to have Nate Washington drop a clear touchdown pass and force the Steelers to settle for a field goal. The defense held and again Roethlisberger drove then into the red zone. But with 22 seconds left, Ben forced a ball into the middle and it was picked off to end the Steelers' chances.

Roethlisberger looked a lot better today than he did against the Jags. Not Surprising given the banged up nature of the Bengals defense and the Steelers' ability to run the ball. He showed flashes of his ability to keep plays alive and make something happen, but he also had three interceptions - two in the end zone. If the Steelers are to dig their way out of this early hole - and it is worth remembering that the season is only three games old - Ben will have to learn to not force the play and turn the ball over.

In his defense, two out of the three picks were caused by the wind. On the first pick early in the first quarter, I think Roethlisberger thought he was throwing the ball where only his receiver could get it. But the wind was really blowing from that direction and it knocked the ball down and allowed the Bengal defender to make a play on it. The second pick was a deep ball that likewise got knocked down by the wind and ended up being severely under thrown. I am not sure why he didn't pick up on the wind conditions. Obviously, he is still getting into game shape.

Whatever the reason, that first pick was a big play. With first down at the six, the Steelers were in a position to go up 14-0 or 10-0 at worst and instead got nothing. The Bengals drove 97 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. And obviously the final pick ended the game.

No matter how you stack it this was a tough loss. To lose an important game at home, to a bitter divisional rival, is never good. The penalties and turnovers are ugly and not something you expect out of the Steelers. And the Steelers are now two games behind the Bengals.

But all is not lost. As noted above, the Steelers lost to the Bengals at home last year in much the same fashion and went on a run that ended with a Super Bowl trophy. There is still a lot of football to play. The Steelers defense is among the best in the league and their running game got back on track today. If they cut out the mistakes they are still a formidable opponent.

Given that the Steelers play Cleveland twice as well as at Oakland while hosting New Orleans and Kansas City there is no reason they can't win 10 or 11 games. They are stout against the run and they will face few teams with as many weapons as the Bengals. San Diego has LT but is Phillip Rivers ready for the Steelers blitzing defense? Teams like Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Carolina traditionally have good defenses and solid running games, but do they have a vertical passing game to challenge the Steelers down the field? Division rival Baltimore has a tough defense as well, but struggled against Cleveland today.

The Steelers must once again simply concentrate on cutting out the mistakes and winning one game at a time. If they can win nine of the next twelve games they would be 10-5 going into the final game against - that's right Cincinnati. The trump card in all of this is the tough road the Bengals have to hoe. They have a big game against New England next week before going on the road to Tampa Bay. The Bengals will have to toughen up their run defense if they hope to beat teams like Atlanta and Carolina who run the ball effectively. They also have a brutal last three games. They play AT Indy and AT Denver before hosting the Steelers. To make matters worse, the Indy game is Monday night giving them a short week before they face Mile High in December.

Spotting the Bengals a two game lead in the division is not good, but I am convinced the Steelers are still capable of great things. The defense is dominant and the offense has great potential. I would think that at this point the Super Bowl hangover is over. If being 1-2 and losing to the Bengals doesn't get their attention nothing will. Now we will see what the Steelers are made of.