Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers still have the Cincinnati Bengals number. The Steelers took early control of the AFC North after a 24-16 win over the Bengals at Heinz Field in Week 2.
It was a win which should have taught the Bengals a thing or two about their rather predictable offense. Specifically, quarterback Andy Dalton has to know what to do when star wide receiver A.J. Green is taken away.
It would help if he were aided by a credible running game. Managing less than 50 yards on the ground is never going to help settle a tough divisional battle, and the Bengals still don’t have a bell-cow back they can trust.
By contrast, the Steelers served serious notice that theirs is a depth tailor-made for a run. Despite missing a host of key skill players, Roethlisberger still found ways to move the ball and reach the end zone.
Here are the three most notable things we learned about the Steelers and Bengals after Week 2.
1. Take away A.J. Green and you’ll beat the Bengals
The New York Jets couldn’t do it in Week 1, and they lost. Green had 12 catches for 180 yards and a score on the opening weekend, but he was limited in the Steel City. To two catches for 38 yards, to be precise.
Jay Morrison of the Cox Media Group summed up how off his game Green was:
An A.J. Green drop. He has 2 catches on 8 targets today after 12 on 13 last week. #Bengals
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) September 18, 2016
But those numbers spoke a lot to how the Steelers kept Green out of sync, with defensive coordinator Kevin Butler mixing up the coverage looks in front of Cincinnati’s biggest threat.
Sometimes he had him played in man; other times he chose to have the secondary zone Green off. What didn’t alter was Ross Cockrell following No. 18 everywhere.
It was a superb display from unheralded third-year cover man Cockrell. Yet, what his performance really highlighted was how reliant the Bengals, and particularly Dalton, are on Green.
To an almost unhealthy degree.
2. Pittsburgh’s next man up approach working for offense
Unlike the Bengals, the Steelers proved they are capable of coping without star men. Roethlisberger threw three touchdowns and received solid support on the ground, despite Martavus Bryant and Le’Veon Bell still serving suspensions.
DeAngelo Williams rushed for 94 yards on 32 tough carries. He’ll never be as explosive as Bell, a true lightning-in-a-bottle runner, but Williams is the type of steady workhorse Roethlisberger needs.
The quarterback’s own gung-ho temperament suits a deep threat like Bryant. But even without his premier burner, Big Ben is finding ways to keep the chains moving.
He’s doing it by ticking off the names on the depth chart and trusting the next man up to make plays. This trait was most obvious at tight end against the Bengals.
Xavier Grimble and Jesse James both caught touchdown passes. Roethlisberger went their way because Heath Miller’s retired and Ladarius Green, an excellent signing in free agency, is on the PUP list.
Yet, the Steelers just don’t seem to care who is out and who’s available. Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley will continue finding ways to pile up the points.
3. Lack of a running game the main worry for Cincy
The Bengals have managed just 103 yards rushing through two weeks, a sorry state of affairs for a team with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard in the rotation.
However, neither back seems capable of regularly carrying the load. It’s a problem for an offense needing a dependable, chain-moving facility to complement Dalton and Green’s big plays through the air.
Questions also need to be asked about how the Cincy O-line is failing the team’s rushing attack.
Sure, the Steelers have a better defensive front than many think. Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward are a nasty double act up front. Meanwhile, you’d be hard pressed to find a better tandem of inside linebackers than Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons.
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But a group with Kevin Zeitler insider and Andrew Whitworth on the edge, should be knocking open a few more inviting holes. At the moment, no phase of the Cincinnati running game is operational.
It’s something head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Ken Zampese have to fix and fast.