by Chris Asbrock

The bye week is over and it is now Steelers week. The Bengals and Steelers collide in the first of two marquee matchups on the NFL schedule today. There are a few storylines as we head into this game with the returns of Ben Roethlisberger and Vontaze Burfict.

The Bengals remain one of the few undefeated teams in the NFL and yet aren’t getting the respect they deserve. Their 6-0 start has many fans in Cincinnati ecstatic and confident. Undefeated at this point in the season, for the first time since 1988, the Bengals are looking to go 7-0 for the first time in franchise history.

They head to Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field to take on a Steelers team that need a victory to keep pace with the Bengals. Let’s take a look at today’s matchup between the Steelers and Bengals.

Offense

The Bengals offense has been firing on all cylinders this season and have performed against some of the top defenses in the league. It’s the same story every week with Dalton, Green, Eifert and Gio leading the charge. They now face a new look Steelers defense with some familiar faces missing, especially Defensive Coordinator, Dick LeBeau. The Bengals are the third best total offense in the NFL with an average of 410.3 yards per game.

The Steelers came into the season with the expectation to have one of the best offenses in the league. That took a hit when Ben Roethlisberger went down with a knee injury, only to be replaced by Mike Vick and Landry Jones. While the Steelers were able to stay afloat without Big Ben, they will certainly welcome him back to lead this offense. At Ben’s disposal are the best running back in the league, Le’Veon Bell, and Bengal killer Antonio Brown. Bell comes into today with the fifth most rushing yards in the NFL (511) while Brown is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 671.

I give the Bengals the slight advantage in this category because Big Ben returns from a lengthy absence, while the Bengals have managed to stay relatively healthy. This has the potential to be a higher scoring game than some are accustomed too in this rivalry. If the Bengals can get pressure on Roethlisberger and hit him consistently, the Bengals will be in pretty good shape. 

Advantage: Bengals

Defense

Both defenses are towards the bottom of the NFL in total defense as the Bengals sit 21st while Steelers are 23rd. They are separated by less than six yards. They are almost even in terms of time each unit is on the field, with a difference of just over a minute. The Bengals defense has played extremely well this season due to Geno Atkins being back to his former self and the play of Adam Jones. The pressure the Bengals front four has been able to put on opposing quarterbacks has caused numerous problems for them. Couple that with Jones playing like one of the top corners in the league, the Bengals have been seeing wins. The Bengals defense has allowed opposing teams to convert on third down only 38% of the time, which will be key today. The Bengals front four will need to get pressure on Ben and keep him inside the pocket.

The Steelers defense is spearheaded by tackling machine Lawrence Timmons who has a combined 54 tackles so far on the season. The linebacking corps is young and talented with the likes of Bud Dupree, Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones. All three can be difference makers in this game. The Steelers will need to put the pressure on Andy Dalton and make him win the game. Dalton has risen up to the challenge so far this season but can he continue his hot play?

Advantage: Bengals

Special Teams

Should this game come down to crucial kick to win the game, who has the edge? Mike Nugent has been so-so this season, as he is only 7-9 on the season with a long of 47 yards. Nugent has also missed an extra point on the season. The Steelers have had some kicker issues this season as they have had some new faces kicking for them. They have settled on rookie Chris Boswell after they terminated the contract of veteran Josh Scobee. Boswell has been solid so far in his three games as he has made all seven of his field goals and all five extra points.

Punt returner Antonio Brown gives the Steelers the advantage in this category since he has torched the Bengals in the past. Bengals punter Kevin Huber will need to keep the ball away from Brown and work the sidelines. If Brown can get the ball in his hands, he will certainly be a thorn in the side of the Bengals special teams unit.

Advantage: Steelers

Coaching

Mike Tomlin is recognized as one of the better coaches in the league. With a career record of 91-53, Tomlin will always have his teams ready to play and you can certainly expect him to have his Steelers ready to go. Marvin Lewis is in his 12th year as head coach of the Bengals and with a career record of 106-96, Lewis has certainly seen his fair share of success and failure. He currently has this team on the winning path and will look to continue that today.

Advantage: Steelers

Prediction: Bengals 24-20

Other Predictions: 

Atlanta over Tampa Bay
San Diego over Baltimore
Minnesota over Chicago
Arizona over Cleveland
Houston over Tennessee
New Orleans over New York Giants
St. Louis over San Francisco
New York Jets over Oakland
Seattle over Dallas
Denver over Green Bay
Carolina over Indianapolis

Chris Asbrock is a staff writer and analyst for FTI Sports and can be followed on TwitterÂ