A few months ago, if you had asked any sports pro/analyst/fan who would duke it out for the #1 spot in the AFC North, 98% of you would’ve said Steelers vs. Ravens. Errr…nope! It’s the Steelers and the Bengals, the same Bengals who went 4-11-1 last season, the same Bengals who the Steelers have dominated for the past decade. Both teams suddenly find themselves at 6-2, and this is a must-win for the Steelers to ensure that they have a game to play past January 3.

The Bengals, unfortunately for Steelers fans, are in a great spot. They’ve beaten the Ravens twice, a team that the Steelers have yet to play, and I’m sure the Ravens would love to knock the Steelers out of playoff contention if they can. The Bengals’ next three games are against the Raiders, Browns, and Lions…pretty much a W, W, and W. It all depends on how they fare against the Vikings, Chargers, and Jets, which will make for an interesting second half of the season. Minus the Ravens, the Steelers also enjoy a (relatively) easy stretch against Kansas City, Oakland, Green Bay, and Miami. But first thing’s first: The Steelers have to win tomorrow.

The Bengals are 3-0 on the road. The Steelers are 4-0 at home. Their last loss against the Bengals on September 27 was the result of a complete fourth-quarter meltdown by the Steelers, where they gave up 20 points and a lot of pride. It was the first professional game Ben Roethlisberger lost in his home state of Ohio. After that embarrassment, the Steelers haven’t lost a game since. I have a feeling that they won’t let that happen again.

Chad Ochocinco’s fans sent some mustard to the Steelers’ secondary on his behalf. The Bengals are riding high, thinking they’re next to invincible. However, the Steelers have a tendency to step up when it counts (think: Vikings, Broncos, and, oh yeah, the Super Bowl last season). Big Ben and Rashard Mendenhall are red-hot. The o-line finally seems to have come together and are making opportunities for Ben and Rashard. Rookie receiver Ryan Wallace had 4 receptions for 69 yards and a TD against the Broncos last week. He’s got 2 Super Bowl MVPs to learn from and certainly doesn’t look like a rookie to me!

On the other side of the ball, the defense has been making huge plays when it’s counted. Troy Polamalu, who’s a game-changer and inspiration to the defense, is back. They’re hoping to add to those 9 turrnovers from the past 3 games. The Steel Curtain has been able to hold opposing running backs to less than 100 yards for the past 30 games. By taking away the running game, they’ll force Carson Palmer to throw the ball and hopefully pressure him enough so he makes a couple of mistakes. It’s been a lot of fun watching Steelers defensemen running an intercepted ball back into the endzone these past few games…let’s try to keep it up, shall we?

Put it simply: The Steelers are a better team than they were in September. If they can contain Cedric Benson and limit the turnovers, they’ll win. They’ve had one day less to prepare for this game, but hopefully that makes the urgency that much more palpable. Then again…who knows what will happen! These AFC North games are always completely unpredictable and fun to watch. Let’s just hope that the Steelers keep up their winning streak and give these Bengals a harsh reality check.