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DECEMBER 12, 2010
TIME: 1 p.m., Sunday
PLACE: Heinz Field (DD GrassMaster)
TV: Live on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 27 in Lexington, Ky., with CBS crew of Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analyst).
RADIO: Play-by-play man Brad Johansen and analyst Dave Lapham on "triple cast" on flagships 700-AM (WLW) 1530-AM (ESPN) and 102.7-FM WEBN on the 25-station Bengals radio network. It can also be heard on Sports USA Radio with Tom McCarthy play-by-play, Ross Tucker analyst and Tony Graziani on the sideline.
INJURIES CIN: Backup CBs Brandon Ghee (hamstring) and Rico Murray (ankle) to injured reserve. The secondary that looked healthy last week has had a setback. Starting LCB Johnathan Joseph (ankle) didn't practice until Friday this week and is questionable. TE Jermaine Gresham didn't practice all week when he went home following the death of his grandmother and is questionable. The Bengals had three new players on the injury report that were limited Thursday; nickel LE Carlos Dunlap (hip), starting SAM Rey Maualugua (shoulder), and starting C Kyle Cook (shoulder). Starting LG Nate Livings (knee) moved from out to limited and starting DT Pat Sims (knee) stayed limited. On Friday they all went full go except for Sims and all, including Sims, are probable.
PIT: As expected TE Heath Miller (concussion) and DE Aaron Smith (arm) are out. RT Flozell Adams (ankle) wasn't expected by some to play Sunday after missing Wednesday's practice, but he worked Thursday and Friday full go and is probable. Safety Troy Polamalu (ankle) missed another day Thursday, but went full go Friday and is probable. RB Isaac Redman (ankle) went full Thursday and Friday and is probable.
» Complete Injury Report
THE SERIES
Steelers lead, 49-31 regular season, 1-0 postseason; 26-14 at home; 5-4 at Heinz.
NOTEWORTHY
» The Steelers have the NFL's best home record since the 1970 merger at .720.
» The Bengals have won three of their last five games in Pittsburgh.
» Bengals QB Carson Palmer has a 3-2 record at Heinz.
» Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis's first win in his hometown as a head coach came in 2003 when quarterback Jon Kitna hit tight end Matt Schobel on an 18-yard TD pass with 13 seconds left.
» Current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's only win against the Steelers as head coach of the Bengals came when Kitna threw for 411 yards in an OT win at PBS.
» Since Mike Tomlin became the Steelers coach in 2007 the clubs have swept each other three times, with Pittsburgh getting the Bengals in '07 and '08 and the Bengals doing the deed in '09.
» Both coaches have worked at the other town's college. Lewis was a Pitt assistant in 1991 and Tomlin was a University of Cincinnati assistant in 1999 and 2000.
» Bengals tight ends coach Jon Hayes scored a TD against the Bengals for the Steelers in a 1994 game at Riverfont Stadium when his three-yard catch from Neil O'Donnell closed out the scoring in Pittsburgh's 38-15 win.
NFL RANKINGS CIN: 20th in scoring, 22nd in offense (26th rushing, 13th passing); 20th in defense (24th rushing, 15th passing), tied for 20th in turnover margin at minus-3.
PIT: Tied for 14th in scoring, 21st in offense (10th rushing, 18th passing), 5th in defense (first in rushing, 24th passing), third in turnover margin at plus-11.
COACHESCIN: Marvin Lewis 58-65-1 regular season, 0-2 postseason in his eighth season; 5-11 vs. Steelers.
PIT: Mike Tomlin 43-20 in his fourth season; 5-2 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
» 4-3 - Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis's record in his hometown as head coach of the Bengals
» 12-6 - Dick LeBeau's record vs. the Bengals as Steelers defensive coordinator in 1995-96 and 2004-10
» 21-13 - Bengals QB Carson Palmer's AFC North record
» 27-7 - Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's AFC North record
» 55- TDs Palmer has thrown vs. AFC North
» 48- TDs Roethlisberger has thrown vs. AFC North
» 31- INTs Palmer has thrown vs. AFC North
» 32- INTs Roethlisberger has thrown vs. AFC North
» 12- Consecutive games Bengals have allowed at least one run of at least 20 yards, tying NFL record
» 1 - Runs of 20 yards or more the Steelers have allowed this season
» 1 - Runs of 20 yards or more Bengals have vs. Steelers in 15 regular-season games under Lewis
» 46- Current stretch of games Steelers have allowed one 100-yard rusher
THE WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for game-time temperatures in the low 30s with rain changing to snow at around kickoff and winds of 10-15 miles per hour gusting up to as much as 25.
