- Bengals-Steelers rivalry
The Bengals-Steelers rivalry is a rivalry in the NFL. The two teams have played each other twice a year since becoming division rivals in 1970, the lone exception being 1982, when the annual matchup in Cincinnati was canceled due to the player's strike; the teams only met in Week 2 in
Pittsburgh that season just before the start of the strike. Originally placed in the AFC Central following theNFL-AFL merger , the two teams currently compete in that division's successor, the AFC North.Though not as historic as both of the team's rivalries with the
Cleveland Browns (Battle of Ohio andBrowns-Steelers rivalry , respectively) or as bitter as their rivalries with theBaltimore Ravens , the Bengals and Steelers are still divisional foes with many similarities. Both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are situated on theOhio River , and both of the citiesbaseball teams (Reds and Pirates) play in the NL Central--the two baseball teams, in fact, had their own rivalry in the 1970's. Both of the team's former stadiums,Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati andThree Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, were often confused for one another due to their similar names and architectural styles, even for "cookie-cutter" standards of the day.Though the Steelers have mostly dominated this rivalry, it has heated up in recent seasons due to the Bengals resurgence among NFL teams. Even during the Bengals' dismal years in the 1990's and early 2000's when they were one of the NFL's worst teams, they would at times get the better of the Steelers, who were usually the dominant team in the division during the "Bungals" years. One notable example came in 1999, when the Bengals swept the Steelers in the season series while finishing 4-12 overall. (Their other two wins came against the Browns, who had returned to the NFL as an
expansion team that season.) The Steelers themselves were going through a rare down year, finishing 6-10 for the season.While the Steelers have a much older rivalry with the Browns and have a longer history against several teams from the NFC due to the Steelers being part of the "old" NFL prior to the 1970 merger, the Bengals have met the Steelers more than anyone else in their own history, due to the
Tennessee Titans being moved to the new AFC South in the 2002 realignment, while the Browns missed keeping pace due to being out of the league for three years.The rivalry has enjoyed a revival since meeting in the playoffs for the first time in the 2005 wild card. During the game, division champion Cincinnati quarterback
Carson Palmer was injured by SteelerKimo von Oelhoffen . Palmer's injured ACL and MCL kept him out of the game, which the Steelers won 37-17. After undergoing surgery to repair the damaged ligaments, Palmer was featured in aSports Illustrated article focusing on the new technique used to repair his knee. In that article, Palmer is quoted as saying "I hate the Steelers more than I hate UCLA," [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0605/gallery.palmer/content.1.html SI.com - Photo Gallery - The Rehab of Carson Palmer ] ] a reference to his college days at USC. Many fans from both sides remain bitter about this episode.Pittsburgh has a 52-27 series lead against the Bengals.
1970's (Steelers 13-5)
Year Result Location Notes 1970 Steelers 21
Bengals 10Three Rivers Stadium The inaugural game. Bengals 34
Steelers 7Riverfront Stadium 1971 Steelers 21
Bengals 10Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 21
Bengals 13Riverfront Stadium Steelers' first-ever season sweep of Cincinnati 1972 Bengals 15
Steelers 10Riverfront Stadium Steelers 40
Bengals 17Three Rivers Stadium 1973 Bengals 17
Steelers 10Riverfront Stadium Steelers 20
Bengals 13Three Rivers Stadium 1974 Bengals 17
Steelers 10Riverfront Stadium Steelers 27
Bengals 3Three Rivers Stadium 1975 Steelers 30
Bengals 24Riverfront Stadium Steelers 35
Bengals 14Three Rivers Stadium 1976 Steelers 23
Bengals 6Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 7
Bengals 3Riverfront Stadium 1977 Steelers 20
Bengals 14Three Rivers Stadium Bengals 17
Browns 10Riverfront Stadium 1978 Steelers 28
Bengals 3Riverfront Stadium Steelers 7
Bengals 6Three Rivers Stadium 1979 Bengals 34
Steelers 10Riverfront Stadium Steelers 33
Bengals 30 OTThree Rivers Stadium 1980's (Bengals 13-6)
Year Result Location Notes 1980 Bengals 30
Steelers 28Riverfront Stadium Bengals 17
Steelers 16Three Rivers Stadium Bengals' first-ever season sweep of Pittsburgh 1981 Bengals 34
Steelers 7Riverfront Stadium Bengals 17
Steelers 10Three Rivers Stadium 1982 Steelers 26
Bengals 20 OTThree Rivers Stadium Only Meeting Between Teams Due To Players' Strike 1983 Steelers 24
Bengals 14Riverfront Stadium Bengals 23
Steelers 10Three Rivers Stadium 1984 Steelers 38
Bengals 17Three Rivers Stadium Bengals 22
Steelers 20Riverfront Stadium 1985 Bengals 37
Steelers 24Three Rivers Stadium Bengals 26
Bengals 21Riverfront Stadium 1986 Bengals 24
Steelers 22Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 30
Bengals 9Riverfront Stadium 1987 Steelers 23
Bengals 20Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 30
Bengals 16Riverfront Stadium Steelers' Lone 2-Game Sweep of the Bengals during the '80s 1988 Bengals 17
Steelers 12Three Rivers Stadium Bengals 42
Steelers 7Riverfront Stadium 1989 Bengals 41
Steelers 10Riverfront Stadium Bengals 26
Steelers 16Three Rivers Stadium 1990's (Steelers 15-5)
Year Result Location Notes 1990 Bengals 27
Steelers 3Riverfront Stadium Bengals 16
Steelers 12Three Rivers Stadium 1991 Steelers 33
Bengals 27Riverfront Stadium Steelers 17
Bengals 10Three Rivers Stadium 1992 Steelers 20
Bengals 0Three Rivers Stadium Steelers' first-ever shutout win over the Bengals, as Pittsburgh's defense sacked QB David Klingler (in his first NFL start) 10 times.Steelers 21
Bengals 9Riverfront Stadium 1993 Steelers 37
Bengals 7Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 24
Bengals 16Riverfront Stadium 1994 Steelers 14
Browns 10Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 38
Bengals 15Riverfront Stadium 1995 Bengals 27
Steelers 9Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 49
Bengals 31Riverfront Stadium 1996 Bengals 20
Bengals 10Three Rivers Stadium Bengals 34
Steelers 24Riverfront Stadium 1997 Steelers 26
Bengals 10Riverfront Stadium Steelers 20
Bengals 3Three Rivers Stadium 1998 Bengals 25
Steelers 20Riverfront Stadium Bengals 25
Steelers 24Three Rivers Stadium 1999 Steelers 17
Bengals 3Riverfront Stadium Final meeting at Riverfront Stadium Bengals 27
Steelers 20Three Rivers Stadium 2000's (Steelers 13-4)
Year Result Location Notes 2000 Steelers 15
Bengals 0Three Rivers Stadium Final meeting in Three Rivers Stadium. Steelers 48
Bengals 28Paul Brown Stadium First meeting at Paul Brown Stadium 2001 Steelers 16
Bengals 7Heinz Field First-ever game and meeting at Heinz Field Bengals 26
Steelers 23 OTPaul Brown Stadium 2002 Steelers 34
Bengals 7Paul Brown Stadium Steelers 29
Bengals 21Heinz Field 2003 Steelers 17
Bengals 10Paul Brown Stadium Bengals 24
Steelers 20Heinz Field 2004 Steelers 28
Bengals 17Heinz Field Steelers 19
Bengals 14Paul Brown Stadium 2005 Steelers 27
Bengals 13Paul Brown Stadium Bengals 38
Steelers 31Heinz Field Steelers 31
Bengals 17Paul Brown Stadium First and (so far) only playoff meeting. Wild Card Playoff Game. Despite losing QB Carson Palmer on their second offensive play of the game, Cincinnati took an early 17-7 lead. However, Pittsburgh would rally to score 24 unanswered points for the win.2006 Bengals 28
Steelers 20Heinz Field Steelers 23
Bengals 17Paul Brown Stadium 2007 Steelers 24
Bengals 13Paul Brown Stadium Steelers 24
Bengals 10Heinz Field 2008 1p.m. EST Paul Brown Stadium Heinz Field
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
