Monday Night Football Season 17 Episode 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
- October 13, 1986
The Pittsburgh Steelers are traveling to Cincinnati to take on their AFC North division rivals, the Bengals, in a highly anticipated Monday Night Football matchup. This will be the first of two meetings between these teams this season, as they will face off again in Week 15.
Both teams are coming off wins in Week 5, with the Steelers defeating the Atlanta Falcons 41-17 and the Bengals narrowly edging out the Miami Dolphins 27-17. The Steelers currently sit atop the division with a 2-2-1 record, while the Bengals are right behind them at 4-1.
The Steelers will be looking to continue their offensive dominance against a Bengals defense that has struggled against the pass this season. Led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers offense has been clicking on all cylinders in recent weeks, putting up 41 points in back-to-back games. Running back James Conner has also been a bright spot for the Steelers, filling in admirably for the holdout Le'Veon Bell while he continues his contract dispute.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers will be without their star linebacker, Ryan Shazier, who is still recovering from a spinal injury suffered last season. But despite this setback, the Steelers defense has still managed to hold their own, limiting the Falcons to only 17 points last week.
The Bengals offense, led by quarterback Andy Dalton, has also been playing well this season. They currently rank fourth in the league in total yards per game, and Dalton has thrown for over 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns through five games. Wide receiver A.J. Green has been Dalton's go-to target, hauling in 26 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bengals defense has been solid for the most part this season, but there are concerns in the secondary, where they have struggled against the pass. They will need to find a way to slow down Roethlisberger and Brown if they hope to come away with a win.
This game has all the makings of a classic AFC North showdown, with both teams fighting for division supremacy. The Steelers and Bengals have a long-standing rivalry, and there is sure to be plenty of trash talking and hard hits on both sides.
The Monday Night Football broadcast will be led by the always-entertaining trio of Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Booger McFarland, who will be calling the action from the booth. Sideline reporter Lisa Salters will also be on hand to provide updates and interviews throughout the game.
In addition to the traditional broadcast, viewers will also have the option to watch the game on ESPN2 with a "Film Room" broadcast. This unique viewing experience will feature NFL analysts Matt Bowen and Greg Cosell breaking down the game and providing their insights on each play as it unfolds.
Overall, this promises to be an exciting and closely-contested game between two talented teams. The Steelers will be looking to continue their momentum and take control of the division, while the Bengals will be looking to defend their home turf and move into a tie for first place. It should make for some great Monday Night Football viewing.