Slumping Steelers try to avoid series sweep against Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says every game against an AFC North opponent is an elimination game.

That starts Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have already defeated the Steelers once this year.

His urgency is warranted.

The Bengals (6-4) are in second place in the AFC North after beating Las Vegas. The Steelers (5-4-1) are trying to rebound from two disappointing games — a tie with winless Detroit and then a loss Sunday night by four points in a shootout with the Chargers.

Cincinnati has already beaten the Steelers by double digits this season and is seeking a series sweep for the first time since 2009. Another victory such as the one the Bengals pulled off at Heinz Field in September could push Pittsburgh to the fringe of playoff contention.

“These games are big. They are,” Tomlin said. “You’re not going to backdoor your way into the single-elimination tournament. You’re not going to backdoor your way into division significance. You’ve got to go on the road and win games in this division, and that’s just the reality of it.”

The previous time the Steelers won was Nov. 8 when they edged the Bears 29-27.

“You see where the AFC is, you see where the AFC North is,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “(Cincinnati) came here and beat us last time. We’re coming off a loss, they’re coming off a big win. Every game now is starting to become more and more important.”

Bengals coach Zac Taylor cautioned his team's upset victory on the road two months ago won't matter this time around.

“We know this is going to be a dogfight on Sunday,” Taylor said. “We know what happened the last time we played them has no bearing on this game whatsoever. Just like when they beat us up there in Pittsburgh last year, and then they came here and we won it. We put all that stuff behind us.

“To be the team we want to be consistently you have to be strong in the division,” Taylor said. “Whether it's Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, we want our team to feel confidence every time we walk on the field that we belong and we're going to win the game. This division is so strong.”

HEALTHY BENGALS

Cincinnati could be the healthiest team in the AFC North. A few players have been banged up and missed games, but the Bengals are close to full strength, a far cry from last season.

“We feel like we have really good depth, particularly at the skill spots on offense,” Taylor said. “There's a lot of different ways you can utilize that to your advantage, and I think that's why we've been pretty efficient on offense these past six, seven weeks.”

CAM CAN

The names around Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward seem to change by the week. The production and effort level from the 11-year veteran does not.