redlegsfan21
09-21-2006, 06:39 PM
By J.S. ROUSE
The last time Pittsburgh played Cincinnati, Carson Palmer started the game with two healthy knees, Ben Roethlisberger still had an appendix and the Steelers hadn't won a Super Bowl since the Carter administration.
My, how things have changed.
A recuperated Palmer leads his banged-up Bengals (2-0) against a recovering Roethlisberger on Sunday in an early battle between two premier AFC North contenders whose quarterbacks dominated the offseason headlines with injury concerns.
One of them has responded with flying colors. The other probably wishes he just stayed in the hospital a little longer.
Coming off an appendectomy which followed a life-threatening June motorcycle accident, Roethlisberger's highly anticipated return Monday night was a flop. In his first start since a February Super Bowl victory, he threw two interceptions, passed for only 141 yards and saw his offense blanked 9-0 at Jacksonville.
"When you go from preseason to regular season, everybody's going through that period of acclimation to the speed of the game," said Steelers coach Bill Cowher. "But when you come into it the second week of the season and (the opponent) already has been through that first week of acclimation, it's tough."
Palmer, on the other hand, comes off a 34-17 win over Cleveland that saw him throw for 352 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. He'll get a chance at revenge Sunday when he takes on the team that ended his season - and then the Bengals' - last January with a shot to the left knee by since-departed Kimo von Oelhoffen. Cincinnati lost that game 31-17.
Despite the hoopla of the rematch, Palmer refuses to let his injury play a role in his motivation.
"It's a game," he said. "I've said time and time again, bad things happen some games. Good things happen some games. I don't hold any grudges toward that team or an individual. It's part of the game. I'm not concerned with any of that."
What he will be concerned with is a stout Pittsburgh defense, a deafening Heinz Field crowd and a bevy of injuries that have ironically made him one of his team's healthiest players.
"Communicating in that crazy atmosphere, it's going to be loud," said Palmer. "The fans are going to be into it. They do a lot of different looks, a lot of different coverages. They scheme very well against what you do offensively. They're a handful. There's not just one thing they do well. They are physical, fast, quick, experienced guys, veteran guys."
Already without injured receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (heel) and left tackle Levi Jones (ankle), Cincinnati lost starting center Rich Braham (knee), safety Dexter Jackson (ankle) and linebacker David Pollack (neck) to injuries in the first half last week. Pollack is out for the year, and Braham and Jackson probably won't play Sunday.
Add to that woozy wideout Chad Johnson, who had his helmet knocked off and chin gashed by the Browns' Brian Russell on the Bengals' final pass play, and the result is an injury report that resembles Week 17 rather than Week 3.
"This is probably the most banged up we've been," Palmer said.
It's unlikely the Steelers (1-1) will be sympathetic, as they have plenty of problems of their own. Their offense looked downright pathetic against the Jaguars and their defense could be handicapped by an injury to its biggest playmaker, All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, who's nursing a sore shoulder.
Quarterback play aside, the Steelers advanced the ball beyond midfield just once and were held to 26 yards rushing in getting shut out for the first time in three years,
"The most important thing is not to dwell on it," Cowher said. "It would serve no purpose. We've got to learn from it, but the biggest thing is to get our minds focused on a divisional opponent, the defending division champs. Stay focused on that and be ready to move on."
Last Dec. 4, the Steelers used a 38-31 loss to Cincinnati to springboard them to eight straight wins en route to a championship. That was their last defeat prior to Monday's debacle.
To get back on track, Pittsburgh will need a return to form from their third-year quarterback and another strong performance from its defense, which will be tasked with stifling an explosive offense that features Palmer, Johnson and running back Rudi Johnson, who ran for 145 yards and two TDs in last week's win.
As usual, this weekend's matchup has high stakes. Cincinnati's win at Pittsburgh last December secured its first winning season since 1990; a month later, making their first postseason appearance in 15 years, the Bengals were bounced from the playoffs.
"I don't think our players are worried (about putting too much on Sunday's game)," Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. "It's a whole new season. Let's go play it. It's a team in our division fighting for the same thing we are."
http://sports.myway.com/news/09212006/v5608.html
The last time Pittsburgh played Cincinnati, Carson Palmer started the game with two healthy knees, Ben Roethlisberger still had an appendix and the Steelers hadn't won a Super Bowl since the Carter administration.
My, how things have changed.
A recuperated Palmer leads his banged-up Bengals (2-0) against a recovering Roethlisberger on Sunday in an early battle between two premier AFC North contenders whose quarterbacks dominated the offseason headlines with injury concerns.
One of them has responded with flying colors. The other probably wishes he just stayed in the hospital a little longer.
Coming off an appendectomy which followed a life-threatening June motorcycle accident, Roethlisberger's highly anticipated return Monday night was a flop. In his first start since a February Super Bowl victory, he threw two interceptions, passed for only 141 yards and saw his offense blanked 9-0 at Jacksonville.
"When you go from preseason to regular season, everybody's going through that period of acclimation to the speed of the game," said Steelers coach Bill Cowher. "But when you come into it the second week of the season and (the opponent) already has been through that first week of acclimation, it's tough."
Palmer, on the other hand, comes off a 34-17 win over Cleveland that saw him throw for 352 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. He'll get a chance at revenge Sunday when he takes on the team that ended his season - and then the Bengals' - last January with a shot to the left knee by since-departed Kimo von Oelhoffen. Cincinnati lost that game 31-17.
Despite the hoopla of the rematch, Palmer refuses to let his injury play a role in his motivation.
"It's a game," he said. "I've said time and time again, bad things happen some games. Good things happen some games. I don't hold any grudges toward that team or an individual. It's part of the game. I'm not concerned with any of that."
What he will be concerned with is a stout Pittsburgh defense, a deafening Heinz Field crowd and a bevy of injuries that have ironically made him one of his team's healthiest players.
"Communicating in that crazy atmosphere, it's going to be loud," said Palmer. "The fans are going to be into it. They do a lot of different looks, a lot of different coverages. They scheme very well against what you do offensively. They're a handful. There's not just one thing they do well. They are physical, fast, quick, experienced guys, veteran guys."
Already without injured receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (heel) and left tackle Levi Jones (ankle), Cincinnati lost starting center Rich Braham (knee), safety Dexter Jackson (ankle) and linebacker David Pollack (neck) to injuries in the first half last week. Pollack is out for the year, and Braham and Jackson probably won't play Sunday.
Add to that woozy wideout Chad Johnson, who had his helmet knocked off and chin gashed by the Browns' Brian Russell on the Bengals' final pass play, and the result is an injury report that resembles Week 17 rather than Week 3.
"This is probably the most banged up we've been," Palmer said.
It's unlikely the Steelers (1-1) will be sympathetic, as they have plenty of problems of their own. Their offense looked downright pathetic against the Jaguars and their defense could be handicapped by an injury to its biggest playmaker, All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, who's nursing a sore shoulder.
Quarterback play aside, the Steelers advanced the ball beyond midfield just once and were held to 26 yards rushing in getting shut out for the first time in three years,
"The most important thing is not to dwell on it," Cowher said. "It would serve no purpose. We've got to learn from it, but the biggest thing is to get our minds focused on a divisional opponent, the defending division champs. Stay focused on that and be ready to move on."
Last Dec. 4, the Steelers used a 38-31 loss to Cincinnati to springboard them to eight straight wins en route to a championship. That was their last defeat prior to Monday's debacle.
To get back on track, Pittsburgh will need a return to form from their third-year quarterback and another strong performance from its defense, which will be tasked with stifling an explosive offense that features Palmer, Johnson and running back Rudi Johnson, who ran for 145 yards and two TDs in last week's win.
As usual, this weekend's matchup has high stakes. Cincinnati's win at Pittsburgh last December secured its first winning season since 1990; a month later, making their first postseason appearance in 15 years, the Bengals were bounced from the playoffs.
"I don't think our players are worried (about putting too much on Sunday's game)," Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. "It's a whole new season. Let's go play it. It's a team in our division fighting for the same thing we are."
http://sports.myway.com/news/09212006/v5608.html