Bengals rise from bad start
Their turnaround started, as many do, with a 31-7 victory in Cleveland far more impressive than the Steelers’ three-point squeaker to open theseason there. The Bengals followed with a 20-16 win at home against Buffalo and then had last week off.
There also was the return of linebacker Vontaze Burfict, not from the dead but from a three-game NFL suspension for a typical Burfict move — an illegal hit on Kansas City’s fullback in the preseason. His past caught up to him again in the form of a five-game suspension, later reduced.
The Bengals are 2-0 since his return.
“I think it started when Burfict came back,’’ Steelers guard Ramon Foster said. “He is the lifeline of that team. They’re on a two-game win streak. That says a lot about who he is as a player, him and Pacman’s leadership, whether people like him or not, they do make that team go.”
Sometimes, they make it go home, as they did when Burfict and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones combined on two stupid penalties to help the Steelers keep their late, winning touchdown drive alive to win a playoff game in Cincinnati in the 2015season.
The Bengals did not make the playoffs last season, tumbling to 6-9-1. After their 0-3 start in this one, it appeared more than Zampese might go, that Dalton and even Lewis could follow.
But Dalton recovered as well. He threw four interceptions in their 20-0 opening los sat home to Baltimore and has not thrown one since. He has six touchdown passes in their two victories.
The change in coordinators to quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor seems to have worked.
“Obviously, when you don’t get off to the start that you anticipated, you got to regroup,’’ Lewis said. “I credit our guys for doing a great job of that.”
The Steelers have noted the changes in the Cincinnati offense.
“[Dalton] seems more accurate,’’ Cam Heyward said. “I think his O-line has settled down a little bit. They have a good running game now. [Rookie Joe] Mixon has been their feature back and done a realnice job for them.
“They settled it down, stopped doing so much and just started to focus on a couple of things.”
The rivalry settled down somewhat last season, too. Burfict missed the season’s second game at Heinz Field because he was suspended forthe first three games of the season for his head shot on Antonio Brown in that 2015 playoff loss.
The Bengals then lost both games against the Steelers last season.
It was Burfict who twisted Le’Veon Bell’s leg and knocked him out for the rest of the season in Week 8 of 2015. Bell Wednesday repeated his charge that not just Burfict but all “the Bengals were” targeting him in pastseasons.
“I’m going to go out there and play football, protect myselfand play hard,” Bell said.
Bufict and Jones head a defense ranked No. 2 in the NFL, and their offense is rolling again. The once-dead Bengals are back, whether in zombie form or ghouls, and their bloodrivalry with the Steelers isabout to be renewed.
Injury updates
Five Steelers starters did not practice Wednesday because of injuries: Maurkice Pouncey (chest), Ramon Foster (back), Marcus Gilbert (hamstring), Stephon Tuitt (back) and Vince Williams (hip). Coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday he was optimistic about Foster and Williams returning. Backup inside linebacker TylerMatakevich (shoulder) went through a full practice.