Steelers-Bengals: 3 Keys to Victory

Photo creds to www.espn.com

Hello, all. The NFL's hottest rivalry in 2015 will be in action at Heinz Field tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, the Pittsburgh Steelers can defeat the hated Bungles for the 3rd straight time. Accomplishing that is easier said than done, and here are three things the Steelers need to do to make that happen. Without further ado, here is Joe Smeltzer's first 2016 edition of ''3 Keys to Victory''.

Key #1: Pressure Andy Dalton

Photo creds to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

It doesn't take an expert analysis to point out that for a team to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, trying to shut down their offense might not be the most likely option. In short, if you want to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, you have to score some points. The Cincinnati Bengals are capable of doing this, and the Steelers pass rush will need to make life hell for Cincy's QB, Andy Dalton. The Bengals offense consists of a lot of ''vertical'' plays, which, in short, are several receivers going down the field at once. While this strategy can be deadly when it works, one thing that Keith Butler can look to exploit is that  these plays require Dalton to hold onto the ball for a little bit. The longer it takes Dalton to release the ball, the longer the Steelers have to put pressure on him. If the Steelers can get to Dalton, there chances of victory increase dramatically.
Odds of excution: Fair

Key #2: AB: Burn whoever 

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Fans of football are in for a treat, as two of the best receivers in the world will be present in the Steel City in Cincy's AJ Green and, of course, Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown. AB's performance will be critical in any Steelers game, but especially one of this magnitude. In big games like this, you must have your big guns firing. Whoever is covering AB, whether it be Dre Kirkpatrick or Adam ''Packman'' Jones, better be in for a long day. If they are, I'm feeling pretty good about the Steelers chances.

Odds of Excution: Solid

Key #3: Be the bigger men

In case you've been living under a rock, the Steelers-Bengals rivalry has developed into a pretty ugly affair, with cheap-shots and overall dumb football aplenty. If the Bengals resort to playing this ugly style, the Steelers must not let it get their heads. They must play smart football, and not worry about being tough guys. I know that they have thicker skin than Cincinnati does in this regard, so I am confident that the Steelers can be the smarter team.

Odds of Excution: Fantastic 

Final Prediction

This is a ballgame that could go either way, but if I had to bet, I'd say the Steelers take this one. The Steelers looked two impressive in Week 1 for me to believe that they will lose in Week 2, and the home-field advantage will also be a factor. It will be close, but the Steelers are a better team than the Bengals, and they will prove to be slightly better on Sunday. The Steelers of the recent past have had early season struggles, and 2016 will be a little different.

Steelers 28, Bengals 23