BALTIMORE vs CINCINNATI
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 13.5
PREDICTION: CINCINNATI , BALTIMORE

Oddsmakers currently have the CINCINNATI listed as 13.5 point favorites versus the BALTIMORE, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

The Baltimore Ravens will look to punch their ticket for a third straight trip to the playoffs with a win Sunday over host Cincinnati, which has won two straight games.

The Ravens (10-5) clinch a spot in the AFC playoffs by beating the Bengals (4-10-1), or if the Cleveland Browns (10-5) lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3), or via a loss by the Indianapolis Colts (10-5) to the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14).

The Ravens could also get in with a tie, if the Dolphins (10-5) lose to the Buffalo Bills (11-3) or if the Tennessee Titans (10-5) lose to the Houston Texans (4-11). If the Ravens and the Colts or Browns also tie, the Ravens would advance.

“You try not to look too far elsewhere, but we control our own fate, and that’s a great feeling,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “We’re just trying to get better and win this game, and the cards will fall how they fall.”

The Bengals are seeking to end the season on a three-game winning streak by defeating the Ravens for the first time in five meetings dating back to a 34-23 win in Cincinnati on Sept. 13, 2018.

The Ravens, who are coming off a victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, have won four straight games to control their postseason destiny.

“Obviously, we still have another one that we have to win,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “So, we’re still in the process of trying to finish this thing out the right way and get into the playoffs.”

Lamar Jackson has fueled the Ravens’ surge, throwing for 2,644 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has also rushed for a team-high 908 yards and seven touchdowns, leading a rushing attack that also features Gus Edwards (663 yards, six TDs) and rookie J.K. Dobbins (645 yards, seven TDs).

The Ravens are the only team in the NFL history — based on data since 1932 — with three players who have rushed for at least 600 yards and six touchdowns in a season.

The Bengals have played their two best games of the season in consecutive weeks, following a 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 with a 37-31 win at Houston on Sunday.

Quarterback Brandon Allen threw for a career-high 371 yards, two touchdowns and a 126.5 passer rating against the Texans.

Tee Higgins, who is questionable for Sunday’s game (hamstring), had six catches for 99 yards and a score and Samaje Perine added 13 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns as Cincinnati posted 540 yards of total offense. Perine will start against the Ravens after head coach Zac Taylor said Joe Mixon, the team’s leading rusher with 428 yards, remains sidelined with a foot injury suffered in Week 6.

Allen was forced into action after Joe Burrow, the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, tore his left ACL and MCL and also suffered partial tears to his PCL and meniscus during a 20-9 loss to Washington on Nov. 22.

“Winning two games in a row is really insignificant in this NFL, but it is significant for us right now, just everybody seeing what we’ve been through,” Taylor told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It means a lot to these guys and something to build off of.”

The Ravens had nine players sit out practice Wednesday including receiver Willie Snead (ankle), defensive backs Jimmy Smith (ribs, shoulder), Marcus Peters (calf) and Marlon Humphrey (shoulder), running back Mark Ingram (illness) and defensive end Calais Campbell (calf). Punter Sam Koch was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and his availability for Sunday’s game is unclear.

Cincinnati linebackers Logan Wilson (ankle) and Jordan Evans (hamstring), receiver Tyler Boyd (concussion) and center B.J. Finney (abdomen) all missed practice Wednesday after not playing against the Texans last week.

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CINCINNATI vs HOUSTON
When: 12/27/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -7.5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -7.5 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

The image of Deshaun Watson gazing in disbelief after another costly late-game fumble against the Indianapolis Colts is sure to linger with Houston Texans fans.

The quarterback and the Texans (4-10) will attempt to rebound Sunday when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-10-1).

Watson had once again dragged the short-handed Texans to the brink of victory with his exceptional play against the Colts, only to be undermined by a second red-zone turnover in three weeks. Houston lost each of those two games to Indianapolis on either side of a loss at Chicago.

The juxtaposition of the results for the Texans this season against Watson and his impressive performances will resonate into an offseason during which the Texans will have multiple needs to address, including vacancies at head coach and general manager.

Watson is the one constant. No one would question his bona fides as a top signal-caller, considering he ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (4,134) and passer rating (110.6) despite attrition at the Texans’ skill positions.

“I think all of that will make him better because he’s able to adapt to the receivers that he has on the field and he can still put up the good numbers,” Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “I think that when he gets a consistent crew, that’ll just make him better down the line.

“Even though he’s had good numbers, I think that he will say that the fact that we’re not winning doesn’t satisfy him. I think his choice would be to have good numbers and to have a lot of wins to go along with it.”

The two demoralizing losses to Indianapolis left the Texans assured of a losing record this season following back-to-back AFC South division titles.

The Bengals’ 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday qualified as impressive at face value. Cincinnati was riding a five-game overall losing streak, had dropped 11 consecutive games against its AFC North rival and was a double-digit underdog entering the primetime affair.

Cincinnati overcame those odds, doing so with a third-string quarterback (Ryan Finley) and without their leading receiver, Tyler Boyd, who was knocked from the contest in the early stages after sustaining a concussion.

The Bengals appear undaunted by the chore of traveling to Houston during the holidays to square off with the Texans. Preparedness hasn’t been an issue.

“It hasn’t been a challenge to get these guys focused at all, to be quite honest, and I think that shows on how we played the other week,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “This week there’s a lot of things to manage. It’s a short week, we’re on the road, you’ve got Christmas. But again, I’ve got a lot of faith in our guys to handle it the right way and we’ve laid out our expectations for them. And we know that they’ll be pros about it.”

Playing out the string of a 16-game schedule is a task in itself. Doing so during a pandemic-altered season can sap enthusiasm. The Bengals might still be without Boyd and quarterback Brandon Allen (knee) against the Texans, but their effort Monday provided a bit of a boost, perhaps enough to carry Cincinnati through the final two games of the schedule.

“This was something that we all needed,” Bengals running back Giovani Bernard said of beating the Steelers. “It’s something that I’m sure everybody is proud of.”

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The Bengals (3-10-1) were 14-point underdogs and had lost five in a row before toppling playoff-bound Pittsburgh 27-17 in prime time to snap a streak of 11 straight losses to the Steelers.

Now they’ll try to keep that momentum going as they look for their first road win against the struggling Texans (4-10), losers of three straight.

“Monday night was just a huge moment for all of us and our spirits,” Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “It was what we needed, to say the least. To come away with a win against a division rival on prime time just shows the world and gives us the confidence that we can play anybody and do what we need to do to get wins.”

Monday was Cincinnati’s first win since quarterback Joe Burrow, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 22. They got it behind the solid play of third-string QB Ryan Finley with Brandon Allen out with a knee injury.

It’s unclear if Finley or Allen will start against Houston.

“We will continue to see where the health is at before making those decisions, but I thought Ryan played a really tough, tough, gutsy effort on Monday night,” coach Zac Taylor said. “He took some big hits and was able to make some plays for us that helped us win that game.”

Things are much different in Houston where the Texans are trying to regroup after a second heartbreaking loss to the Colts in three weeks. In the first game against the Colts on Dec. 6, Houston had a chance to take the lead with about 90 seconds left with the ball at the Colts 2. But Deshaun Watson fumbled a low snap from center Nick Martin and Anthony Walker pounced on it to secure Indy’s 26-20 victory.

Last week, the Texans had a chance to tie it with 19 seconds left when wide receiver Keke Coutee grabbed a pass from Watson, but Darius Leonard knocked the ball out before he could cross the goal line. And again, the Colts recovered the fumble and it sealed their 27-20 win.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel was asked if he thought the last-minute loss to the Colts could bleed into this week and impact the team’s performance against the Bengals.

“Only if we let the tough loss bring us down,” he said. “You can look at it two ways. We fought and we played hard and we came up short. What I tell them is you’ve got to keep fighting. If you keep fighting hard enough and long enough then you’ll be able to win some of those games that we’ve come up short in. That’s what we’re going to try to do for two weeks.”

While there’s uncertainty at quarterback for the Bengals, the position is the most solid area of the team for the Texans where Watson has been one of the few bright spots in Houston’s dismal season.

Watson, who was selected to his third straight Pro Bowl this week, ranks second in the NFL with 4,134 yards passing and has thrown a career-high 27 touchdown passes. He threw for a season-high 373 yards on Sunday for his eighth 300-yard game this season and has thrown for 300 yards or more 18 times in his career, which ranks second in franchise history.

NOT AGAIN

Taylor wasn’t excited about dealing with Houston defensive end J.J. Watt this week after facing his younger brother, Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt twice this season.

“Yeah, I’m tired of seeing that name on the back of the jersey every week we play,” Taylor said.

Taylor recalled his introduction to the elder Watt.

“The first time I faced him was my first game in the NFL coaching for the Dolphins,” Taylor said. “We opened at Houston and I think he deflected five passes, three of them got picked off. That was my first, `Welcome to the NFL’ coaching moment. He’s a tremendous player and you have to be aware of him at all times.”

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has defended seven passes, has five sacks, 12 tackles for losses, and returned an interception for a touchdown this season.

CLEMSON TIES

Bengals rookie receiver Tee Higgins is looking forward to catching up with Watson, a fellow former Clemson standout, after Sunday’s game. Higgins, who ranks third among rookies with 809 yards receiving, arrived at Clemson the year after Watson led the Tigers to a national title in the 2016 season.

Higgins got his own title at Clemson when he helped the Tigers to another championship in the 2018 season. He said he’s talked to Watson a couple of times but hopes to get a picture with the quarterback this weekend.

“He went to Clemson, won a national championship for the first time in a long time,” Higgins said. “He’s definitely at the top of the mountain out there in Clemson.”

PILING ‘EM UP

Houston inside linebacker Zach Cunningham ranks first in the NFL with 136 tackles and has three sacks this season. He and Tampa Bay’s Devin White are the only players in the NFL to have at least 130 tackles and three sacks this year.

Cunningham is the second player in franchise history to have at least 80 tackles in each of his first four seasons and the fourth player to have 100 tackles in three straight seasons. He has seven games with 10 or more tackles this season to give him 19 in his career, which is tied for second-most in team history.

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LA CHARGERS vs CINCINNATI
When: 9/13/2020 4:05 PM
Where:

TV: 4:05 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: CINCINNATI , LA CHARGERS

Oddsmakers currently have the CINCINNATI listed as 3 point favorites versus the LA CHARGERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.5.

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CINCINNATI vs CLEVELAND
When: 9/17/2020 8:20 PM
Where:

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -7.5
PREDICTION: CLEVELAND , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the CLEVELAND listed as -7.5 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

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SAN FRANCISCO vs CINCINNATI
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. 
LINE: Bengals -1.5. 
O/U: 45.5.
PREDICTION: Bengals 31, 49ers 28

Oddsmakers currently have the CINCINNATI listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the SAN FRANCISCO, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.5.

Forcing turnovers was a big problem for the San Francisco 49ers while going 4-12 last season, but one game into 2019 it appears the problem is resolved. The 49ers will try to keep the interceptions coming when they visit Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

San Francisco was last in the NFL – by a wide margin – with just two interceptions last season but recorded three in a 31-17 victory over Tampa Bay in Week 1 while totaling four turnovers, and the defense believes it can play better. “You know, we played sloppy today, but it’s the first game, we’ve got to knock out some of the wrinkles,” veteran cornerback Richard Sherman told reporters. “… We’ve gotta find a way to play a more mistake-free football game, myself included. I had a couple penalties that I shouldn’t have had. Just ticky-tack, I’ve got to put myself in better position and we’ve got to hold ourselves to a standard. It was a decent game for us, but we have to get better.” That defense will be going up against a new-look Cincinnati offense under first-year head coach Zac Taylor that stalled in the red zone in a 21-20 loss at Seattle to open the season. “We know what the errors were,” Taylor told reporters. “We missed a field goal, had a turnover and they stopped us on fourth-and-one. We feel like those were self-inflicted plays to be exact. … Those are all things we felt like we could have done a better job controlling.”

ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-0): San Francisco recorded three sacks in the opener – including one each from first-round pick Joey Bosa and trade acquisition Dee Ford – and the upgraded defensive unit is hyping up offense as well. “I mean watching (Nick) Bosa get sacks, and watching the Dee Ford strip and get fumbles, it gets the offense going,” tight end George Kittle told the team’s website. “When your defense is playing like that, and (Richard) Sherman gets a pick-six, and Akhello (Witherspoon) with the pick-six. It just gets you fired up. … When your defense makes those big plays, it just gets everyone excited. It gets the offense moving, it’s just good vibes really, it just gets you going.” Kittle’s eight catches for 54 yards led the receiving corps as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (18-of-27, 166 yards, one TD, one INT) had an uneven season debut in his return from an ACL tear in his left knee.

ABOUT THE BENGALS (0-1): Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton threw the ball 51 times and finished with a career-best 418 yards to go with two touchdowns in his first game running Taylor’s offense, and he feels good about where the offense is going. “We know what we’re capable of, and then to go out and be productive in a game, especially our first one, it’s big,” Dalton told reporters. “It’s big for confidence. What we’re going to do here is going to work. Guys were pleased with the production; obviously we weren’t pleased with the result. With all the things we were able to do, I thought guys were happy with a lot of the stuff we did. It definitely gave us confidence.” Wide receiver John Ross was Dalton’s main target in Week 1 and established career bests of 158 yards and a pair of TDs on seven catches.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bengals waived backup QB Jeff Driskel on Wednesday.

2. San Francisco RB Tevin Coleman (high ankle sprain) was ruled out for Sunday.

3. Cincinnati WR A.J. Green (ankle) is continuing his rehab from surgery and is not expected to play in Week 2.

PREDICTION: Bengals 31, 49ers 28

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CINCINNATI vs SEATTLE
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS.
 LINE: Seahawks -9.5.
O/U: 44
PREDICTION: Seahawks 31, Bengals 23

Oddsmakers currently have the SEATTLE listed as -9.5 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

The Seattle Seahawks added a prime asset to their defense and the visiting Cincinnati Bengals show off a new coach when the teams square off in Sunday’s season-opening contest. Seattle recently added star defender Jadeveon Clowney in a trade from the Houston Texans while Zac Taylor has replaced Marvin Lewis (16 seasons) as coach of the Bengals.

Clowney’s presence provides Seattle’s defense with a prolific game changer who is a three-time Pro Bowler and star middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is looking to see what impact his presence has on the defense. “His motor for sure,” Wagner told reporters of what impresses him about Clowney. “His effort. The vicious hits in the backfield. The running back has the ball and before he makes a step, he’s getting him. The sacks. You watch a couple plays where he just moves a 350-pound lineman out of the way like it’s nothing. It’s just the power.” Taylor is working on changing the direction of a squad that has experienced three consecutive losing campaigns. “We’ve worked on setting the foundation and the culture for this team the last six months,” Taylor told reporters. “Now we’re relying on that to carry us through the season. We talk to players all the time – there’s going to be some great moments, there’s going to be some adversity we face – and we just need to be the same through the whole process. This will be the first test for us.”

ABOUT THE BENGALS (2018: 6-10, LAST IN AFC NORTH): Quarterback Andy Dalton has seven 3,000-yard seasons in his career but is facing criticism at age 31 on whether he is the long-term solution under the new coaching regime despite Taylor’s public praise. “He’s very level-headed,” Taylor said. “When you face adversity over the course of the season or within a game, at least you know that your quarterback is that calming influence for everybody – sometimes for the head coach too. If you look over and your quarterback is calm, it calms you down too. It’s really good to have a leader like him – someone who has the football acumen that he has.” Running back Joe Mixon is looking to build on a big season (1,168 on the ground) while seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins (10 sacks) leads the defensive unit.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (2018: 10-6, SECOND IN NFC WEST): Clowney’s addition late in training camp was a stunner but it displayed the urgency at improving a defense that has slipped in recent seasons and allowed 353.3 yards per game last season, ranking 16th. Quarterback Russell Wilson is already the franchise’s all-time leader with 196 career touchdowns and joined Peyton Manning as the only signal callers in NFL history to pass for 3,000 yards and 20 scores in each of their first seven seasons. Wagner had 138 tackles last season and has reached 100 in his first seven campaigns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bengals won the past two meetings and hold a 10-9 series edge.

2. Seattle is hoping to have LG Mike Iupati (foot) available after he missed most of training camp.

3. Cincinnati LT Cordy Glenn (concussion) remains in the protocol and his status is unclear.

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CINCINNATI BENGALS vs LA CHARGERS
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, December 9, 2018
Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California

TV: 4:05 PM
LINE: -14
PREDICTION: LA CHARGERS , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the LA CHARGERS listed as -14 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.5.

The Los Angeles Chargers attempt to move closer to securing an AFC playoff berth when they host the struggling Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Chargers have registered eight wins in their last nine games while Cincinnati has dropped four straight contests.

Los Angeles is one game behind first-place Kansas City in the AFC West and has a showdown with the Chiefs waiting four days after the matchup against the Bengals. “We can’t look forward because that is how you lose games,” Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward told reporters. “We have to make sure we are disciplined because those guys are pros, and if we sleep on them, they will beat us. We will focus on K.C. next week.” Cincinnati is alive in the playoff race but has been fading in the wrong direction as it has lost by an average of 17.3 points during its skid. “We’ve got to play harder. From offense to defense, special teams, we’ve got to play harder,” Bengals running back Joe Mixon told reporters. “We can’t just let people come in and try to do whatever they want.”

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chargers -14. O/U: 47.5

ABOUT THE BENGALS (5-7): Cincinnati already was without Andy Dalton (thumb) for the season but now has lost standout receiver A.J. Green (toe) for the rest of the campaign, and that rates as a huge blow for fill-in quarterback Jeff Driskel. “Losing A.J. is a big deal,” Driskel told reporters. “At the end of the day, we have other good players out there, and the coaches are going to do a good job of getting those guys in position to make plays. … We’re going to have to overcome and make some plays out there in his absence.” A shaky defense has been a major problem as the Bengals rank last in the NFL in scoring defense (30.9 points) and total defense (433.1 yards).

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (9-3): Philip Rivers has passed for two or more touchdowns every game this season and is clicking well with wideout Keenan Allen (83 catches, 996 yards), who had 14 receptions for 148 yards in last Sunday’s 33-30 win over Pittsburgh to fall one catch shy of matching the franchise mark he shares with Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow (1984). Running back Melvin Gordon (knee) likely will miss his second straight game and rookie Justin Jackson (eight carries, 63 yards versus Pittsburgh) is expected to receive more of the workload after Austin Ekeler struggled with just 21 yards on 13 carries. Safety Derwin James (three interceptions, 3.5 sacks) has been one of the top defensive rookies in the league while standout defensive end Joey Bosa has recorded three sacks in as many games since returning from a foot injury.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bengals have won the last four meetings.

2. Los Angeles NT Brandon Mebane is back with the team after a two-game absence due to complications stemming from the premature birth of his daughter.

3. Cincinnati WR Tyler Boyd needs 62 yards for his first career 1,000-yard receiving season.

PREDICTION: Chargers 45, Bengals 23

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CINCINNATI BENGALS vs KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: KANSAS CITY , CINCINNATI

Oddsmakers currently have the KANSAS CITY listed as -6 point favorites versus the CINCINNATI, while the game’s total is sitting at 59.5.

The Kansas City Chiefs will face a third consecutive AFC contender when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. The Chiefs put the best record in the conference on the line against the Bengals, who are tied atop the AFC North standings.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from crushing losses a week ago. The Bengals took the lead with 1:18 left, only to see Pittsburgh drive for a score with 10 seconds remaining and claim a 28-21 victory. Kansas City phenom Patrick Mahomes led a spirited comeback in the second half at New England, which kicked a field goal in the final seconds for a 43-40 triumph. “We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Mahomes told reporters. “We wanted to win and we ended up coming up a little short, but I feel like that fight that we had in the second half of that game will carry over into this next week.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Chiefs -6. O/U: 58

ABOUT THE BENGALS (4-2): Cincinnati ranks just 23rd in total offense but sixth in scoring thanks to a league-best 75 percent touchdown rate in the red zone. Andy Dalton has thrown seven interceptions but also has 14 touchdown passes – including three to veteran star A.J. Green and four to Tyler Boyd, who has emerged as a dangerous secondary target. With the exception of a Week 3 loss at Carolina, the Bengals have been solid against the run, but the secondary has struggled – in large part because of an inconsistent pass rush.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (5-1): Kansas City’s offense is producing at a record-setting clip, with Mahomes passing for 1,865 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions through six games. The second-year quarterback is surrounded with talent – including running back Kareem Hunt and versatile speedster Tyreek Hill, who have combined for 13 touchdowns. The defense has been another story, ranking last in the NFL in total defense and 27th in scoring, as it has struggled mightily against the pass and still is without safety Eric Berry (Achilles) while linebacker Justin Houston (hamstring) could miss his second consecutive game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mahomes is the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for 300 yards in five consecutive games and second in the league to do so (Aaron Rodgers) since 2016.

2. The Bengals have recorded 12 sacks in their four wins and only one in their two losses.

3. Hill has averaged 47.4 yards on his 27 career touchdowns.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 37, Bengals 30

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS vs CINCINNATI BENGALS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 14, 2018
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -2
PREDICTION: CINCINNATI , PITTSBURGH

Oddsmakers currently have the CINCINNATI listed as -2 point favorites versus the PITTSBURGH, while the game’s total is sitting at 52.5.

The Cincinnati Bengals are off to a hot start and sit in first place in the AFC North, but they are not taking that position for granted. The Bengals will try to make a statement and push aside one of their biggest rivals when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The Steelers were the easy pick to repeat as AFC North champions, but it was Cincinnati that exploded out of the gate by winning four of the first five games while scoring an average of 30.6 points – fourth in the NFL. “We handle things by blocking out all of the noise and continuing to grind,” Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green told reporters. “Nobody gave us a chance when the season started. Why do they believe in us now? We’re going to continue to keep playing and keep playing for each other.” Pittsburgh is finally starting to build some positive momentum and thrashed Atlanta 41-17 in Week 5 while leaning on running back James Conner, who is stepping out of Le’Veon Bell’s shadow while his more famous teammate is away from the team. “He is staying focused and working on his craft,” offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert told reporters of Conner. “The way he handles himself, even before he was drafted, he carried himself as a professional. He earned a lot of respect from guys around here. We love him. We love his presence. We love him as a player. We hope he keeps building and gets the opportunity to showcase his talents.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -2. O/U: 52.5.

ABOUT THE STEELERS (2-2-1): A big issue during the team’s 1-2-1 start was the play of the defense, but the victory over Atlanta marked a big step in the right direction for the unit. The Steelers held the Falcons to 62 yards rushing and sacked Matt Ryan six times, with linebacker T.J. Watt leading the way at three sacks and a forced fumble. “Everything we do is a team stat,” Watt told reporters while heaping praise on the rest of the defense. “We realize that as a team, if we want to be great, we all have to do our job and accept whoever gets the play and be happy for everybody. … I think it will be a great boost for us.”

ABOUT THE BENGALS (4-1): Linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been in the middle of several controversial plays in games against the Steelers over the years, and his presence in the middle of the Cincinnati defense makes it a more dangerous unit. Burfict returned from a four-game suspension last week and recorded seven tackles while helping a defense that scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in the 27-17 triumph over Miami. Burfict logged 34 snaps in the win and could see his playing time increase on Sunday despite his history against the Steelers, which includes past hits that injured Bell and star receiver Antonio Brown.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Bengals RB Giovani Bernard (knee) missed practice on Thursday while WR John Ross (groin) was limited.

2. Steelers S Morgan Burnett (groin) sat out the last three games and is unlikely to return on Sunday.

3. Pittsburgh is enjoying a six-game winning streak in the series, including four straight at Cincinnati.

PREDICTION: Steelers 35, Bengals 31

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