It’s a tough “dey” to be a Bengals fan. For months Youth Drew Sample Jersey , this team sold the idea that, despite a coaching overhaul, this was a squad prepared to make an immediate playoff run in 2019. There were questions, but talent at the skill positions and a fresh approach from these coaches were supposed to reinvigorate everyone. Here we are a month and a half without a regular-season win and long-term questions abound. “Who Dey?!” and “New Dey” have turned to blase and “Groundhog Day”. Every fear that blossomed about the team’s 2019 viability has come to fruition at the kickoff of the Zac Taylor era. The offensive line and linebacker groups have been the team’s predictable Achilles Heel, while the amount and severity of injuries to important players have been downright laughable. As if Taylor and his staff didn’t have enough of a hill to climb with those factors, inexperience has reared its ugly head. Taylor, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan had only previously topped out as interim coordinatorsin the NFL, but they’ve been learning on the fly through the first five weeks. Taylor’s greenness was glaringly obvious last week, as he placed the team in precarious positions with his decisions. A questionable fourth-down attempt and play-call in Week 5 aside, Cincinnati’s red zone incompetency is reaching Scott Mitchell-esque levels. Even through the injuries and coaching gaffes, Cincinnati is nine points away from being 3-2. As it so happens, that is the record of the AFC North-leading Ravens, who host these Bengals on Sunday. Cincinnati is looking up to the other three teams from the cellar, but this division still appears to be wide open. Though the Bengals were stomped by Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago, the Steelers are missing a number of offensive mainstays this year and it shows in the form of their 1-4 record.Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns were crowned Super Bowl champs before a preseason snap was even taken and are teetering on the brink of implosion. If Taylor’s inexperience has been noted, then Freddie Kitchens has been the captain of that ship. And now, Cincinnati can be within two games of the division lead with 12 games remaining at 1-5. They seem to have A.J. Green returning soon, along with others, which could result in a late-season momentum swing. After all, Marvin Lewis had the Bengals knocking at door of a playoff berth in his inaugural season after starting 1-4, so... Yeah.That can’t be how Cincinnati approaches this week White Drew Sample Jersey , though. It’s about what’s right in front of them and finding something to build upon for the rest of 2019 and into next season. Last year after Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback, Baltimore employed an offense that resembled what could be seen on Friday nights at the local prep academy. Even so, they gouged the Bengals’ defense in Week 11 to the tune of 267 rushing yards. In 2019, the Ravens have upped their offensive game plan and confidence in Jackson, which has led to their top-dog position in the North. Jackson has developed as a passer, tossing 11 touchdowns against five interceptions. Mark Ingram has been a solid offseason acquisition, as he’s averaged 5.0 yards per carry and six touchdowns on the ground to supplement the multi-dimensional talents of Jackson. Earl Thomas has also been a nice addition, as the team is 1-1 against their division rivals thus far. Interestingly enough, the Ravens’ trademark defense hasn’t been the dominant unit in which the league has become accustomed. Baltimore is a pedestrian No. 21 overall in defense, including a No. 28 ranking against the pass and 10th against the run. On the other side of the fence, most of the Bengals’ star players who have killed the Ravens over the years are out this week. Cordy Glenn, A.J. Green and Carlos Dunlap are all out this week, contributing to the continuous woes on both sides of the ball in 2019. Because of these absences and others, Andy Dalton has had an up-and-down year. In true Dalton-ian fashion, we’ve seen No. 14 reach a career-high in single game passing yards (418 in Week 1 versus the Seahawks), as well as a career-low in first half passing yards against the Cardinals last Sunday (22). Some are calling for Ryan Finley to get looks, as the season seems to be lost, but this is a year where the Bengals are evaluating Dalton’s long-term viability in Taylor’s system. A strong performance against the Ravens, including a win, could go a long way in silencing the critics. Even so, Cincinnati will need to find offensive balance. The Bengals have the 31st-ranked rushing attack this year, which is a bit surprising Drew Sample Jersey Mens , given Joe Mixon being the AFC leader in rushing yards last year. But, the Bengals found creases last week, as Mixon had his most rushing yards (93) since Week 17 of last year. He’ll need to have some semblance of success this Sunday, if Cincinnati is to have a snowball’s chance in you-know-where. There really isn’t one facet that points to the Bengals this week, hence their being 12-point underdogs. It’s so grim in Cincinnati that they’re down to their fourth and fifth options at left tackle (Alex Redmond and John Jerry—both guards throughout their respective NFL careers) and even the kicking game disparity shows a massive talent chasm between the two teams this year. Coming into this week, Cincinnati is 2-14 over their last 16 contests. So, unfortunately, there appear to be two groups of unhappy folks this week: those who associate with the Bengals and those who put money on the Ravens to cover the spread. Bengals 20, Ravens 31AC — Getting worse before getting better. PITTSBURGH (AP)JuJu Smith-Schuster hid his eyes, counted to 10 and went looking for Le’Veon Bell. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver found his team’s star running back crouching behind the goalpost, then proceeded to chase Bell all the way to the sideline as part of a hastily planned touchdown celebration. ”That was just us being dramatic,” Bell said with a smile.Article continues below ... In a good way for once. Smith-Schuster never did catch Bell, by the way . Now he knows how the rest of the AFC North feels about the surging Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards and two scores, Bell added 192 total yards and Pittsburgh’s defense dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of a 29-14 victory on Sunday. A bit of a hot mess after getting upset at home by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Steelers (5-2) have figured things out quickly. They shut down Kansas City on the road last Sunday and followed it up by suffocating Cincinnati in the second half to move into a tie for the AFC’s best record as their once-again promising season nears the midway point. Pittsburgh held the Bengals (2-4) to 19 yards over the final two quarters, intercepting Andy Dalton twice and sacking him four times. ”The sky’s the limit,” Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree said. ”Not even the sky’s the limit. We’re not going to put a ceiling on our head. We’re going to keep going up.” Cincinnati came in looking to add some street cred to their resurgence after their 0-3 start, but instead spent the second half reverting to the kind of ineffective offense that got Ken Zampese fired two weeks into the season. Dalton finished 17 of 30 for 140 yards and the two picks while playing on a twisted ankle. Dalton’s final pass symbolized a frustrating afternoon. Facing fourth down and trailing by two scores with 5 minutes left, Dalton scrambled to his left and then simply threw the ball away to seal Cincinnati’s eighth loss in its last night meetings with Pittsburgh. ”Any time you lose a division game, especially to the Steelers, the way they’re playing, every game counts Billy Price Jersey ,” said Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green after being held to three receptions for 41 yards. ”It’s tough. It sets us behind even more.” Chris Boswell added a Heinz Field-record five field goals for Pittsburgh, which posted its highest points total and appears to be rounding into form as Halloween nears. Two weeks after openly questioning whether he still ”had it,” Roethlisberger put together easily his best half of the season. He hit Antonio Brown for a 7-yard touchdown to cap Pittsburgh’s first drive, found a wide-open Smith-Schuster for a 31-yard score in the second quarter and threw a perfectly placed 23-yard deep out to Brown late in the second quarter to spark a drive that ended with a 24-yard Chris Boswell field goal that put the Steelers up 20-14 at the half. Dalton and Cincinnati appeared ready to keep pace early. He connected with Brandon LaFell and Tyler Kroft with first-half touchdowns, but when the Steelers turned the pressure up, the Bengals crumbled. Cincinnati managed just one first down in the second half, much of which Dalton spent on the run or throwing into trouble. Joe Haden collected his first interception with Pittsburgh when he made a juggling grab that set up a field goal by Boswell. William Gay added one later in the third quarter on an ugly overthrow by Dalton. GOOD TIMES Smith-Schuster’s joyous game of hide-and-seek turned out to be Bell’s brainchild. He approached Smith-Schuster – who at 20 is the NFL’s youngest player – about 10 minutes before kickoff with the idea. Smith-Schuster, who earlier this season paid tribute to the cartoon ”Dragon Ball Z” after scoring in Baltimore, jumped at the chance. ”We didn’t practice it or nothing,” Bell said. ”It just kind of happened.” HEISMAN’D Bell’s day included 35 carries for 134 yards and three receptions for 58 yards, including a 42-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter that featured Bell stiff-arming Cincinnati’s Dre Kirkpatrick to the ground. ”I’ve been doing a lot of boxing, so that helped me today,” Bell said after the Steelers improved to 12-0 when he has at least 25 carries. TRICKERATION The Steelers put it out of reach late thanks in part to a 44-yard fake punt pass from Robert Golden to Darrius Heyward-Bey. The team has practiced it weekly for years and Golden found a streaking Heyward-Bey to set up Boswell’s final field goal. ”Horrible form,” Roethlisberger said. ”I told him it looked like he was casting deep sea fishing. But hey, might have been the best pass of the night.” EXTRACURRICULARS Oft-suspended Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict let his disdain for the Steelers known early. Burfict declined to shake hands when he came out to midfield during the coin toss. Burfict, who was suspended for the first five games of last season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Brown during a playoff loss to the Steelers in January, 2016, then appeared to kick Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix on the second snap of the game as the two were emerging from a pile. Nix declined to get into specifics about Burfict’s behavior, saying simply ”that’s football.” INJURIES Steelers tight end Vance McDonald left with a knee injury and did not return. Cincinnati linebacker Kevin Minter exited with a knee injury in the first half and did not return. UP NEXT Bengals: Host struggling Indianapolis next Sunday. Steelers: Visit Detroit next Sunday night. Pittsburgh has won last four meetings with the Lions. —