December of 2005 seems like an eternity ago. The Cincinnati Bengals were 8-3 at the time and traveled to Heinz Field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 of that season.
The Bengals triumphed over the Steelers 38-31 in that game, but what most people remember is one particular moment. After one of T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s two touchdown receptions, the former Bengals receiver wiped his cleats with a Terrible Towel, the famous symbol of the Steelers’ fanbase and organization.
That was the second game between the two teams that season, but they would meet for a third time in the playoffs. Everyone knows how that ended.
In an interview with Cincinnati.com’s Lindsay Patterson, Houshmandzadeh said he doesn’t regret that touchdown celebration and believes that the Bengals would’ve beaten the Steelers in the playoffs if quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t get hurt on purpose.
TJ Houshmandzadeh talks about why he’s a Joe Burrow believer, why Burrow will bring playoff wins/championships to Cincinnati. Bengals-Steelers rivalry and why he doesn’t regret using a terrible towel as a clear cleaner. https://t.co/onhJwUiRju pic.twitter.com/HIlOUkkuTi
— Lindsay Patterson (@LndsPatterson) November 14, 2020
Houshmandzadeh is certainly not alone in believing that, but it’s interesting hearing his perspective on that moment and that time when the Bengals-Steelers rivalry was injected with newfound life.
On Twitter, the Bengals used the clip of Houshmandzadeh cleaning his cleats to promote Sunday’s game against the Steelers and got a reaction out of former Steelers OL Ramon Foster.
This never ends well....proud of you though lil bro. Dad(Steelers) said he home before the street lights turn on https://t.co/H2fUkKWXAK
— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) November 10, 2020
The Bengals have beaten the Steelers just six times since that 2005 game, and four of those wins happened at Pittsburgh. Joe Burrow and the current Bengals hope to make it a fifth road victory Sunday afternoon at 4:25 pm EST.