Bengals Bites (12/2) - Steelers Week

Steelers open as 3.5 point underdogs against Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 - Behind the Steel Curtain
Last time the Steelers played in Cincinnati, it was a 20-10 dumpster fire. In 2012, a strong ground-and-pound performance resulted in an impressive 24-17 win in primetime. With such a contrasting recent history, it's a wonder which version of the schizophrenic Steelers will show up to Paul Brown Stadium, as Pittsburgh stares down the barrel of playoff elimination in Week 14. The Bengals have been installed as 3.5 point favorites at home against their AFC North rivals.

Week 13 Observations: Bengals could be lone AFC North team in playoffs - CBSSports.com
Week 13 looked most dubious for this power division, with all four teams coming damn close to losing and three of them accomplishing it in disparate ways. In a matter of minutes the entire division shifted, and after some quirky developments we are left with the Bengals entering the final month of the season clearly in the driver's seat. In fact, after the Bengals escaped the Bucs and the rest of the division faltered, all they have to do is split with the Steelers and beat the slumping Browns and the division is theirs.

Dolphins need to root against AFC North and AFC West teams - Sun Sentinel
Heading into Monday night's game against the Jets the Dolphins (6-5) are presently the 10th seed fighting for one of the AFC's six playoff spots. And it is more realistic that Miami gets a wild-card spot than wins the AFC East considering the Patriots are 9-2 heading into Sunday's road game against Green Bay.

Where the Steelers stand in playoff race
If the playoffs were to start today, the Steelers would find themselves on the outside looking in as the number nine seed in the AFC. But, there are still four weeks left in the season and anything can still happen, including the Steelers winning the AFC North if they win their remaining four games. The bottom line though, is the Steelers need to win, including two AFC North games against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals' division title hopes live thanks to 12-man penalty - ESPN
If the Cincinnati Bengals end up narrowly claiming their second straight AFC North title, they may have a little red flag and the hoarse voices of several assistant coaches to thank. That's because, for now, their division championship hopes live on thanks in large part to a 12-man penalty that came with 12 seconds remaining in Sunday afternoon's 14-13 road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If it hadn't been for a challenge flag -- one that NFL rules don't allow coaches to throw at that late stage of a game -- and the constant pleas of assistants to count the number of Buccaneers on the field, the division run would have taken a minor hit.

Steelers place Brett Keisel on injured reserve | ProFootballTalk

Initial reports on Sunday were that Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel suffered a torn triceps during the team's loss to the Saints and that the injury would bring his 2014 season to a close. The Steelers made that official on Monday when they placed Keisel on injured reserve.

So what’s Jim Harbaugh worth in trade? | ProFootballTalk

With the tea leaves pointing squarely toward the 49ers trading coach Jim Harbaugh with one year left on his contract, what can the 49ers get for him on the open market? Fans will be hoping for a Jon Gruden-style haul, especially if Harbaugh is traded to the team that traded Gruden to the Bucs nea...

Peter King Is A Goddamn Embarrassment

SI.com's Peter King, the most powerful NFL writer in the business, sees his job as flattering other powerful people so that they'll allow him to uncritically pass on whatever they'd like to have passed on. He's very good at it, as the incredible correction buried a couple of thousand words into his latest column shows.

J.J. Watt Blew Out The Titans, All On His Own

There was a lot going right for the Texans yesterday, as they beat the brass off the Titans 45-21. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for six touchdowns; DeAndre Hopkins caught nine balls on nine targets for 238 yards and two touchdowns; and in a week of blowouts, flatlined Tennessee's Win probability under 20 percent in the first quarter, and kept it there. But those are all secondary concerns, because to anyone watching closely, J.J. Watt was a one-man Star Destroyer.

Report: Deceased Ohio State Football Player's Brain Will Be Examined
According to the Franklin County (Ohio) coroner, a neuropathologist will examine the brain of deceased Ohio State football player Kosta Karageorge "for signs of traumatic brain injury," ESPN reports. Dr. Anahi Ortiz told ESPN that brain examinations aren't typically done in autopsies, but is in this case because of Karageorge's "reported history of concussions." Karageorge, whose body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound yesterday, disappeared on Wednesday after sending his mother a text message that read "I am sorry if I am an embarrassment but these concussions have my head all fucked up.''