Ben Roethlisberger completed all but four passes and threw one touchdown pass in the Steelers’ Sunday night win over the AFC North’s first-place Bengals.
Big Ben shines, Cincy shrinks in prime time

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportRiding a 21-0 first quarter, the Steelers went on to upset the Bengals, 30-20, on Sunday Night Football and throw a wrench into the postseason plans of their AFC North rivals.
The grit and determination Pittsburgh showed during the upset stems from its quarterback and captain, writes Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain.
Read Article >NFL playoff picture after Sunday Night Football

Gregory ShamusHere’s the rest of the playoff picture after Sunday.
(X) - clinched playoff berth (Y) - clinched division
Read Article >Steelers stay alive with 30-20 win over Bengals

Gregory ShamusThe Bengals started to fight back after halftime, but it was futile. With a dwindling crowd at Heinz Field, Dalton threw two touchdowns in the second half, but a few field goals from the Steelers kept the lead at a comfortable distance.
Instead of taking over the No. 2 seed in the AFC, Cincinnati stays right where it was to start the night. The AFC North division is still technically up for grabs, and Pittsburgh is still mathematically alive for the playoffs.
Read Article >Steelers beating Bengals 27-7 at halftime

Justin K. AllerBengals’ punter gets lit up, breaks jaw

Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY SportsNothing makes us cringe like specialists getting wrecked by big hits. Kickers and punters are incredible at their jobs, but they’re perennially out of place on a field with 4.4 40-runners, 300-pounders, and other superhumans. And when their (relatively) tiny bodies take massive hits, it reminds us why we’re glad we don’t play football.
We got a punter hit for the ages Sunday night on a 67-yard punt return touchdown by Antonio Brown, with Kevin Huber getting absolutely destroyed by Steelers linebacker Terence Garvin just ahead of the play.
Read Article >Big Ben loves his sweatpants

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportIt’s cold in Pittsburgh tonight, and Ben Roethlisberger is taking all precautions to make sure he stays warm during tonight’s divisional game against the Bengals.
Roethlisberger is no stranger to keeping things gray below the waist, so this shouldn’t surprise you. He wasn’t content with being the only Steeler in the pre-game warmups to keep his sweats on either; he went on to join honorary captains Franco Harris and Mel Blount for the coin toss still in his finest casual wear. They were dressed, well, a little bit nicer than Ben. I’ll let Dan Rooney’s granddaughter give you her perspective on the matter.
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Ryan Nanni, Stephen White and 2 more
Bengals vs. Steelers, SNF

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportHow to follow Bengals vs. Steelers in Week 15

Jason Bridge-USA TODAY SportsGame Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Dec. 15, 8:30 p.m. ET at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV schedule and distribution map: NBC; The506.com
Read Article >Bengals vs. Steelers preview

Kirk IrwinThe Steelers are having an rough year. Pittsburgh started poorly, then rebounded, but have now come back to Earth once again. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been up and down in Todd Haley’s offense for the second straight season, and the running game has reacted similarly.
PaVaSteeler of Behind the Steel Curtain thinks the Haley-Roethlisberger dynamic is not working for Pittsburgh:
Read Article >Bengals road favorites over Steelers

Andy LyonsHeading into the primetime matchup, the Bengals are favored by 2.5 points over the Steelers, according to Oddsshark.com. The over/under is set at 40.5.
• NFL Week 15 updates, highlights and GIFs | Live Scores
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