The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten really good at making people who count them out look really bad in recent seasons.
If Sunday night is any indication, they're getting ready to do it again.
Behind a smothering defense and revitalized running game, the Steelers overpowered the Cincinnati Bengals in a 24-17 win at Paul Brown Stadium.
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The Steelers (3-3) entered Week 7 ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing, but they gashed the Bengals for 167 yards on the ground. They managed that despite missing both Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, not to mention Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey.
Jonathan Dwyer -- third on the depth chart at running back -- led the way with 122 yards on just 17 carries. The Steelers dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.
When the Bengals got their chance on offense, they struggled to decipher Dick LeBeau's scheme. Andy Dalton was ineffective, barely eclipsing 100 yards passing. A.J. Green was covered well by Ike Taylor, who also got help over the top to neutralize one of the game's best receivers. The Bengals were outgained 431-185 in total yardage.
After a fast start, the Bengals went right back to looking like the little brother in the AFC North. The Steelers, meanwhile, looked like a team reacquainting themselves with an identity that's served them well in the past.Don't discount how hard it is to beat Jeff Fisher's Rams in St. Louis, even if Aaron Rodgers made it look easy.
The Rams were 3-0 at home against solid competition: Washington, Seattle, and Arizona. St. Louis is a team that battles to the end every week with a strong pass rush and a physical secondary. They were a top-five scoring defense heading into Sunday for a reason.
That's what makes Rodgers' 30-for-37, 342-yard, three-score effort on Sunday just as impressive as his six-touchdown explosion in Houston in Week 6. Despite no Greg Jennings or running game, Rodgers hit the Rams with an array of quick passes and vertical strikes. It's like the first five weeks of the season never happened.
With Jacksonville and Arizona coming to Lambeau the next two weeks, Green Bay is ready to put together a run.
Trouble in victory
1. Sunday's escape against the Jets was another strange moment in an increasingly strange Patriots season. Tom Brady and the boys finally earned some coffee, but only after they coughed up a 10-point fourth quarter lead. Again.
The Patriots have been somewhat unlucky to be 3-3 before Sunday, but they got the breaks in this one. It was their first "clutch" win -- a necessary one -- yet it felt like New England's worst performance of the season. The secondary can't make plays on the ball and is starting to look like it looked a year ago. The Jets offense was more explosive.
It was a win, but in many ways the most troubling game of their season.
2. The Cowboys squeaked out a win against a lackluster opponent and were lucky to escape with a victory. They aren't an inconsistent team. They consistently look like an 8-8 squad. And they have a chance to prove me wrong next week against the Giants.
3. You can look at Minnesota's offense on Sunday a few ways. Adrian Peterson gets better every week and put the team on his back. Or you could notice that the Vikings somehow won despite getting 43 yards passing. Christian Ponder had seven yards in the second half.
Familiar and depressing
Carolina's Cam Newton wore a crazy sweater, and unburdened his soul after the game. He's right: The team's offense needs to make changes.
One of those changes could be giving running back DeAngelo Williams more carries. He had two on Sunday, and then retweeted a bunch of messages from his fans complaining about Williams' lack of use.
Newton's rough press conference. Williams' Twitter adventures. Another backbreaking fourth quarter for the Panthers. It's all so familiar.
Carolina is a great example of the league's parity. They have lost four games at the very end. "The past couple of games have been the same script, by the same director," Newton said. "It's kind of getting boring."
So you're saying there's a chance?
1. Is the Saints season still over? The offense is humming once again. They could get within one game of .500 with a win in Denver next week. That might be the most intriguing game between a 2-4 team and a 3-3 team in NFL history.
2. Almost no team is dead in a lousy AFC. That includes the Titans, who are 3-4 despite getting outscored by 89 points this year. Eighty-nine! Buffalo lost to Tennessee and has been outscored by 56 points. These are your AFC contenders!
3. The Colts are also hanging around at 3-3 despite being outscored by 41 points. RG3 will deservedly get the headlines, but Andrew Luck is propping up a bad team with a lot of holes. We give them a lot of credit for being a tough out at home.
Mixed emotions
It had to be a strange day to be a Redskins fan. They lost their leading receiver (tight end Fred Davis) for the season, but fan favorite Chris Cooley is supposed to return. They lost a heartbreaking finish to the Giants, but Robert Griffin III still added to his growing legend.
Sure, Griffin turned the ball over twice. But he was nearly flawless before that and put together a touchdown drive for the ages to put the Redskins ahead with under 90 seconds left. RG3 eluded Jason Pierre-Paul in the open field to convert on fourth-and-10. He used his legs to set up a gorgeous 30-yard touchdown toss to Santana Moss.
Eli topped Griffin in the end, but Griffin is going to be a pain for the Giants to handle for a long time.
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