Two Goods and a Bad: Steelers Don't Need Practice to Beat Bengals

PITTSBURGH -- Have you ever played two truths and a lie? Well, this is pretty much like that, only it's referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

To summarize, it was too difficult to find one good, one bad and one ugly. So, we changed things up and went with two good and a bad.

The Steelers moved to 9-0 on the year with a 36-10 win over the Bengals. It wasn't always pretty, but it's hard to remember the bad when there's so much good.

A lot stood out, from an improvement in James Conner to Cam Sutton and Joe Haden handling the secondary, and Chris Boswell sinking field goals in the rain.

But we'll leave you with two goods and one bad.

Good - Ben Roethlisberger

Man, for a quarterback who didn't practice all week and played in what felt like 100 mph winds, Ben Roethlisberger put on a show.

The Steelers quarterback averaged 241 yards per game coming into Week 10. By halftime, he threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns. And he was just getting started.

Roethlisberger finished with 333 yards and four touchdowns on the day. He was benched with five minutes left in the fourth quarter after the team took a 36-10 lead.

"There was less anxiety with in terms of dealing with him in these circumstances maybe than some of the circumstances that he and I have been in in the past where his health was a factor in his availability," head coach Mike Tomlin said on Roethlisberger.

There were times when the ball wasn't very accurate. Times when Roethlisberger overthrew receivers, especially deep. And yes, it took a little bit to find his rhythm. But for the majority of the game, Big Ben played as well as he has all season.

"I attribute it to the guys around me," Roethlisberger said. "I attribute it to the offensive line. No sacks today. Gave me time to throw it against a lot of crazy looks and blitzes. I attribute it to the coaching staff for getting me ready, and all of us ready to play. And obviously, the skill guys. They made plays tonight."

Who needs practice? Maybe it's time Mike Tomlin starts letting Roethlisberger sharpen the tools in his shed by teaching pre-k Monday through Friday.

Good - Special Teams

The defense was phenomenal; don't get that wrong. If this was three goods and a bad, they'd be talked about, praised and highlighted. Especially their 13 stops on third down.

But we're talking about special teams. Danny Smith pulled his group together this week, told them to stop letting teams block field goals, and brought back Derek Watt. The rest was history.

For one, Jordan Berry is back and better than ever. The return of the Australian punter has been significant for the Steelers. He's averaged 46.3 yards per punt since coming back and placed the Bengals within their own 20-yard line four times.

Chris Boswell only added to the performance, sinking three field goals and three extra points in the rain.

Then, there was Ray-Ray McCloud, who continues to come closer and closer to taking a return to the house.

This week, he paused along the 50-yard line as he received a punt, made a defender miss, and exploded through the hole for 43 yards. And for a moment, everyone thought it was his first return touchdown as a Steeler.

The icing on the cake was the coverage team.

They started out the game with a forced fumble by Ola Adeniyi. Later, Justin Layne smoked Alex Erickson the second he fielded just his second punt of the afternoon.

An all around killer job by the special teams unit. This group has held strong all season and really showed their impact in Week 10.

Bad - Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins

One man's trash is another man's treasure, and the Bengals certainly found some treasure with Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins.

The rookie duo connected for seven receptions, 115 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and was a clear hot spot for Cincinnati.

Their chemistry on crossing routes was nearly unstoppable for the Steelers' secondary and almost led to a breakaway or two.

These two are going to be a threat to the AFC North for years to come. Add Tyler Boyd still having plenty of time left in this league, and Joe Mixon coming along well the last two years, and the Bengals have a real offense on their hands.

Something the Steelers don't want to hear, but hey, what's another Heisman trophy winning quarterback turning his team around for this defense to worry about.

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.