BENGALS at STEELERS WEEK 13 GAME PREVIEW...Can both TEAMS catch the RAVENS for the AFC NORTH Crown...KEY GUYS with injuries must play.

WEEK 10 the STEELERS WIN a hard fought victory at the JUNGLE in CINCY in Round 1. Now the STAKES are even higher as we are in DECEMBER Football and the STEELERS are a GAME behind the RAVENS and the BENGALS are Two behind the RAVENS and One behind the STEELERS.

In the last Match Up the STEELERS went up quickly on the BENGALS 10-0 before the BENGALS settled down in the game and got a rhythm and for the most part stayed in the game the rest of the way. The KEY INJURY in the GAME was BENGALS Rookie WR AJ GREEN on a TD PASS hurt his lower leg and could not return to the game. That seemed to put a damper on the BENGALS Deep Ball and when you have to throw SHORT PASSES vs Dick LeBeau's 3-4 Zone Blitz....BAD THINGS happen.

Now fast forward to this SUNDAY's Match Up at the BIG KETCHUP BOTTLE....the STEELERS have issues of their own. BIG BEN is still nursing that Broken Thumb on his throwing hand. The GOOD NEWS out of STEELER Camp OLB Lamaar WOODLEY did practice with that DAY-to-DAY HAMSTRING as did SAFETY Troy POLAMALU with a MILD CONCUSSION sustained from SUNDAY NIGHT at ARROWHEAD.

The BENGALS are looking to get back into the AFC NORTH Division Race as well as keep their AFC WILD CARD Hopes alive. The BENGALS have already exceeded expectations as Head COach Marvin LEWIS went on record last week saying, " DALTON is the BEST ROOKIE NFL Player he has ever been around"....which includes a LEWIS DRAFT PICK in 1997 of Current Ravens MLB Ray LEWIS......YEAH.

The TALE of the TAPE for BENGALS @ STEELERS at HEINZ Field:

OFFENSE
BENGALS 23.5 pts. (13th) 334.6 yds. (18th) 226 PASS yds. (17th) 108 RUSH yds. (20th)

STEELERS 21.2 pts. (19th) 375 yds. (10th) 265 PASS yds. (8th) 109.6 RUSH yds. (18th)

DEFENSE
BENGALS 19.5 pts. (8th) 307.7 yds. (5th) 215 PASS yds. (11th) 92.7 RUSH yds. (5th)

STEELERS 17 pts. (4th) 277.5 yds. (2nd) 181 PASS yds. (3rd) 96 RUSH yds. (6th)

OFFENSIVELY: The BENGALS are pretty good inside the RED ZIONE where the STEELERS are not. The STEELERS hold advantages at TOTAL YARDS, PASS yds., and a slight edge in RUSHING YARDS but their not effeiecient enough in the RED ZONE. In WINNING TIME if that doesn't change...you GO HOME.

DEFENSIVELY: The BENGALS are a really good squad as they surrender less in the RUN than the STEELERS but give more YARDS up in the PASSING GAME and TOTAL YARDS. What has to be the KEY for both squads is the TURNOVER MARGIN. Who ever wins that BATTLE will probably WIN the GAME.

THE SKINNY: BOTH TEAMS no each other BACKWARDS and FORWARDS and it will be all 3 PHASES. The STAKES are really high and BOTH TEAMS know if your going to play in the WILD CARD Round...you might as well play it at home.

If the BENGALS WIN they out themselves tied with the STEELERS and in a good place to claim one of those WILD CARDS. If the STEELERS WIN they put PRESSURE on both the BENGALS and RAVENS as neither one of them want to see the CURTAIN in WINNING TIME...especially the RAVENS.