The balance of power has been restored in the AFC North, much to the chagrin of the Cincinnati Bengals.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers pay a visit to Cincinnati on Monday night, they will be facing a Bengals squad desperate for a victory to remain in both the division and conference races.
The Bengals (2-5), who swept the Steelers a year ago en route to a perfect 6-0 mark in the AFC North, have stumbled to four consecutive losses, including last week's 22-14 home defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
That has put the Bengals in a must-win situation against the Steelers, a team they have not beaten three consecutive times since the 1989-90 season.
Pittsburgh (5-2), despite a 20-10 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints last weekend, is tied with the Baltimore Ravens atop the division.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, making his third start since returning from a league-mandated four-game suspension, struggled against an aggressive Saints defense and finished 17 of 28 for 195 yards and an interception.
A native of Ohio, Roethlisberger has enjoyed tremendous success playing in his home state. He is 6-1 lifetime at Cincinnati, with the lone defeat coming in last season's 23-20 defeat on Sept. 27. That ended a streak of eight consecutive Pittsburgh victories at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals rode their defense to the sweep of Pittsburgh last season, but the unit has struggled in 2010, allowing an average of 27 points during the four-game losing streak.
One reason is the inability to control the clock with its ground game. Running back Cedric Benson rushed for 1,251 yards and had seven 100-yard games in 2009, but he has gone over 100 yards just once this season and is averaging 3.8 yards per carry.
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer labored in the loss to Miami, finishing 17 of 38 for 156 yards with two TDs and an interception, and a repeat could be in the offing against Pittsburgh’s blitzing defense.
One of the few bright spots for Cincinnati has been the play of Terrell Owens. The flamboyant wideout, who was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, has 45 receptions on the season and has hauled in five touchdown catches in the last four games.
The Steelers also will be looking to get its ground game going. Rashard Mendenhall has six touchdowns on the season, but he has had trouble finding room to run, particularly in the last four games.
Mendenhall ran for 71 yards on 15 carries against the Saints, but 38 of those yards came on a touchdown gallop. Take away that scoring run and Mendenhall is averaging 2.9 yards a carry over his last four games.
Pittsburgh has been perfect on Monday Night Football under coach Mike Tomlin, winning its last five games.