Cincinnati Bengals beat Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 to claim playoff berth 2nd straight season – NFL News
The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 on Sunday (Dec. 23) to rewrite history by making the playoffs for second consecutive season since 1981 and 1982.
Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a superb 21-yard pass to wide receiver A.J. Green, who setup place kicker Josh Brown for a 43-yard field goal to allow the Bengals a three-point lead at 13-10, with just four seconds left in the regulation. This further consolidated
the Bengals’ lead situation on the points table to 9-6.
Andy completed 24 of total 41 attempted passes for 278 yards. He also conceded two interceptions but overall his performance along with Green's was enough to beat the hosts in front of their home-crowd. Green held 10 passes for 116 yards.
On other hand, QB Ben Roethlisberger managed to complete 14 out of 28 attempted passes for a total of 220 yards. It was not enough to give the Steelers a chance to stay alive in the playoff contention.
The Bengals win was a historical one in many perspectives, apart from their second straight berth into the playoffs. First, it has helped them beat the Steelers after loss of nine combined games against them and the Baltimore Ravens. Both are their American
Football Conference (AFC) North rivals, and had been thrashing them consecutively for last two years.
Second, it has eliminated the Steelers out of the playoff race, which is not a surprise for some analysts who had seen the way the team had started the season, progressed and ended it. The phase was marred with injuries, controversies and some other highs
and lows.
At the same time, this was probably not what the Bengals might have expected at start of the season. Their start to the season at least did not reflect that they could reach the playoffs.
Nevertheless, it was a great comeback on the back of QB Andy Dalton’s quick return to prime form and then impressive workout of Green. It was an historical moment for the receiver as well, because when the Bengals made the playoffs for two successive times
in 1981 and 1982, Green was not even born.
He said of the playoff berth this time:
"This has been our goal coming in at the beginning of the season. A lot of people talked about we hadn't been in back-to-back seasons in 30 years. I don't worry about that stuff. I've been here two years and we made the playoffs all two years. That's all
we can control."
It was an end of the Steelers – to the much disappointment of coach Mike Tomlin and probably owner Art Rooney II. The coach tried to find some consolation in his post-game remarks that it was probably not their season.
He said:
"Not our day and thus, not our year. Just not enough significant plays at the moments. Sounds like a broken record but reality as we sit here."
The loss provides the Steelers with some food for thought about some of their decisions over the course of the season, including the one of letting offensive coordinator Bruce Arians go unceremoniously at crucial juncture of the season. It did not please
quarterback Ben since its outset and some commentators believe it was one of the reasons behind their below-par performance on the offensive line.
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