Pittsburgh Steelers: Stephon Tuitt Devastates Cincinnati

With the first-place Bengals forced to go without quarterback Andy Dalton — who fractured his right thumb while trying to tackle Pittsburgh defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt after Tuitt’s first-quarter interception — suddenly things seem wide open.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (5) throws in the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in Cincinnati.

The Steelers (8-5) rumbled with the Bengals during pregame warmups and then led the whole way, sending Cincinnati to its first lopsided loss of the season.

Andy Dalton has started 80 straight games at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals.

He had thrown a grand total of four passes until Sunday, when he had a pair of scoring passes and a pair of picks in a 33-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers won by being better on possessions downs, by being more efficient in the red zone, by compiling a better turnover ratio including included takeaways that directly impacted the scoreboard, and by giving as good as they got.

Seattle (8-5) has won six of seven to move into position for an NFC wild card but lost rookie running back Thomas Rawls to a broken left ankle. On the season, Dalton has 3,250 yards and 25 touchdowns passing.

“A lot was made this week of them being able to clinch the division and get in the playoffs, and we didn’t want us to be the reason that they got in”, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “We’ll go week-to-week on it. He stays in a cast”, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told reporters Monday. Dalton was immediately ruled-out for Cincinnati’s next game against the 49ers, and now some reports have him missing the rest of the season. “Hopefully, we can get Tyler Eifert back”.

The X-ray revealed a fracture that will cause Dalton to miss a game for the first time in his five-year career. Against Pittsburgh on Sunday, McCarron completed 22 of 32 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.

But it didn’t happen, and for the Bengals franchise that has been a recurring issue whenever they’ve had to line up opposite the team that has its logo on only one side of its helmets.

I really thought this was finally going to be the year the Bengals didn’t poop the bed in the playoffs.

The Bengals still have a very good shot at getting to 11-3, but face a buzzsaw in their most important game of the season: Week 15 at Denver. Mallett recently worked out for the Baltimore Ravens and was cut by the Houston Texans earlier in the season.

The defeat also ended the Colts’ 16-game winning steak against AFC South division opponents, which stretched back to 2012.

It is hard to disagree considering the Bengals are 10-2 and now hold the top seed in the AFC. Plus, McCarron has a long way to go to be even the second cockiest signal caller in Ohio.

Dalton wasn’t the only player injured in a disastrous first half for the Bengals’ health.

Saints 24, Buccaneers 17: In Tampa, Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes to Marques Colston and New Orleans stopped a four-game losing streak. The team makes the playoffs and falls short of expectations and doesn’t win a game.