The Cincinnati Bengals are pinning their postseason hopes on AJ McCarron as starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers in this Saturday's Wild Card Weekend matchup. Starter Andy Dalton did have his cast removed early in the week and was able to participate in practice, taking snaps and throwing the ball with his left hand. But he is not yet physically ready to take the field for the Bengals and has been ruled out, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
AJ McCarron will be the Bengals’ starter against the Steelers
Andy Dalton is not yet ready to return from a broken thumb and will not play against the Steelers on Saturday.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
McCarron has been starting since Dalton injured his right thumb in Week 14. The Bengals are 2-1 in his three starts, and McCarron has steadily improved. In five total games this season, McCarron has completed 79 of 119 passes for 854 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Both of McCarron’s interceptions came against the Steelers in Week 14, when he saw his first substantial play of the season after Dalton was injured.
This will be the third time the Bengals have faced the Steelers, an AFC North rival, this season. Cincinnati won at Heinz Field in Week 8 by a final score of 16-10. Dalton was injured against the Steelers at home in Week 14, and Pittsburgh won that matchup 33-20.
Division games are often chippy, and there’s plenty of bad blood between these teams. The Steelers were unhappy about the way Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict reacted after injuring running back Le’Veon Bell in Week 8, and James Harrison and Burfict had to be separated after a scuffle before the Week 14 game. Burfict was fined for a low hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Week 14.
The Bengals have historically struggled in Wild Card games. Their last Wild Card win came in 1990 against the Houston Oilers, and the Bengals went on to lose to the Los Angeles Raiders in the divisional round. Since that time, the Bengals have had six Wild Card appearances and zero playoff wins.
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