Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 1, 2015 ) Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 10

The Cincinnati Bengals can capture the AFC North title at the expense of one of their most bitter rivals on Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati, which rallied for a 16-10 victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 1, is attempting to complete its first season sweep of the series since 2009.

While a division title is quite a feather in their cap, the Bengals hold the tiebreaker over both New England and Denver as the teams jockey for position for home-field advantage. "We know what we're playing for. There's a lot riding on these last four weeks," said Andy Dalton, who has thrown for five touchdowns as Cincinnati recorded back-to-back victories following a two-game skid. Ben Roethlisberger tossed a season-high three interceptions in the first meeting with the Bengals, but has righted the ship by throwing 10 touchdown passes as the Steelers have won three of their last four. The Ohio native tossed four scoring strikes last week as Pittsburgh breezed to a convincing 45-10 rout of Indianapolis.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -3. O/U: 49.5

ABOUT THE STEELERS (7-5): Antonio Brown has caused a stir with both his play and his celebrations, with 41 catches for 592 yards and four touchdowns in the last four weeks underscoring his worth on the field. Brown also added a punt return for a touchdown last week, with a costly video game-style celebration that earned him a reported fine of $11,576. Fellow wideout Markus Wheaton has grown more comfortable in the offense, amassing 251 yards receiving and two touchdowns in the last two weeks.

ABOUT THE BENGALS (10-2): A.J. Green rolled up 128 yards receiving and a touchdown in Cincinnati's lopsided 37-3 victory over Buckeye State-rival Cleveland last week. Green was limited to just five catches in that contest, but had a season-high 11 for 118 yards and a score in last month's visit to Pittsburgh. Tight end Tyler Eifert spent a portion of Tuesday sitting on Santa Claus' lap and asking for a Super Bowl title for the Bengals, but found himself in a more familiar place on Thursday, returning to practice after being bothered by a pinched nerve in his neck.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Pittsburgh veteran DeAngelo Williams has stepped in admirably following the season-ending injury to fellow RB Le'Veon Bell, rushing for 387 yards and adding 189 more in receiving in the last four weeks.

2. Cincinnati S Reggie Nelson has an NFL-leading seven interceptions.

3. Bengals RB Jeremy Hill has recorded three touchdowns in his last three games.

PREDICTION: Steelers 24, Bengals 21