Ben Roethlisberger is expecting to be back on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they face their biggest test of the season against the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals.
Bengals vs. Steelers 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Pittsburgh might get Ben Roethlisberger back and is 6-2 against Andy Dalton.
At 4-3, the Steelers are in danger of falling out of touch with the 6-0 Bengals and slipping out of the AFC postseason hunt entirely. Mike Vick and Landry Jones did a reasonable job while waiting for Roethlisberger to return from his knee injury, but with the Bengals coming into Heinz Field, Pittsburgh is going to do everything possible to get him back onto the field.
If he does play, it will be the first time this season that Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown will be on the field together, thanks to injuries and suspensions. Between Bell and DeAngelo Williams, the Steelers have put together one of the league's best rushing games, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. They've had to carry a huge portion of the offense, though, with Vick and Jones unable to put together a vertical passing attack.
That should change if Roesthlisberger is healthy, but it won’t be clear how close to 100 percent he is until he hits the field against a Bengals defense that is expecting linebacker Vontaze Burfict back from a knee injury. Teams haven’t thrown a ton against Cincinnati, both because of a strong pass rush and the ability to succeed with the run. The Bengals rank 28th in the league on rushing defense at 4.9 yards a carry, so expect Bell and Williams to get a lot of work no matter who is under center.
For Cincinnati's offense, there's no secret involved. Andy Dalton has the Bengals' passing attack rolling along right now. They are the most efficient attack in the league, and he's thrown 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Marvin Jones and A.J. Green have given Dalton a pair of deep threats at wideout, but it is tight end Tyler Eifert who has been the breakout star, scoring six touchdowns in six games.
The Bengals haven't had as much success running the ball, though. Jeremy Hill has struggled to get anything going, only averaging 38.7 yards a game and 3.1 yards per carry. While Hill has five rushing touchdowns, he's lost more playing time to Giovani Bernard, who is averaging 5.5 yards a carry and is also a much better receiver out of the backfield.
The Steelers should be able to keep Cincinnati from eating up yards on the ground -- they are ranked 10th in the league against the run -- but unusually for a Pittsburgh defense, they are 20th against the pass. With CB William Gay battling a shoulder injury, they will need a strong pass rush to keep Dalton from tearing them apart.
The Steelers' best chance might be the mental edge they have over the Bengals. They've won three in a row in the series and hold a 6-2 record against Dalton and an 18-7 against Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
Network: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn
Online: NFL Game Pass
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