Bengals relish underdog role vs. Steelers
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE/ PLAYOFF PREVIEWS

AP Photo CAN THEY STOP THE BUS? — Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis (36) tries to make his way through the Cincinnati defense, including Duane Clemons (92) and Brian Simmons (56). The Steelers face the Bengals today in Cincinnati, and even though the Bengals have the better record, the Steelers are favored. Members of the Bengals, including coach Marvin Lewis, say they like their underdog role.

CINCINNATI (AP) — They’re division champions, playing on their home field against the team they displaced atop the AFC North. And, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to lose. How can this be? Simple. It has a lot to do with their late-season slide, their playoff inexperience and their first-round opponent. Unlike the Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) know how to win games like the one they’ll play today at Paul Brown Stadium.

The game will be on CBS (Kilgore Cable channels 11, 12) at 3:30 p.m. today.

The explanation is logical, but hardly soothing. The Bengals have waited 15 years for a playoff game, and it’s a little grating that they aren’t even the top name on the marquee now that it’s here.

“You hear the naysayers, you hear the negativity,” quarterback Carson Palmer said. “You hear people talking about the line of the game.

“Whoever it was going to be, it was going to be a big game. But Pittsburgh with the rivalry and because they’re the favorite, it just adds a little bit to the fire.”

It’s not just the prognosticators and the oddsmakers. A lot of Bengals fans dread the thought of a third and decisive game against the Steelers, who came to down Oct. 23 and won 27-13.

The Bengals won the rematch in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4, a 38-31 victory that all but clinched the division title.

But it’s that earlier game that fans around these parts remember. They were openly pulling for the Bengals to have a first-round game against Jacksonville.

“A lot of it was our fans saying it,” offensive tackle Willie Anderson said. “My thing to our fans is: Don’t get scared now, because we need our fans.”

At the end of his radio show on Thursday night, receiver Chad Johnson — who has declined interviews all week — told fans he understands a lot of them are worried about playing Pittsburgh again. He assured them everything would be fine.

Anderson went a step further, suggesting it’s better for the Bengals if they’re not expected to win.

“I’m glad we’re not,” he said. “We shouldn’t be. Pittsburgh is an experienced team, coming off a 15-1 season (last year), they’ve been in playoffs year-in and year-out.

“We shouldn’t be favored. We should be in a position where we have to come out and fight our way and prove ourselves to everyone.”

Although they split their season series, the teams are on vastly different planes when it comes to the playoffs. Forty of the Steelers have been to the playoffs with Pittsburgh, while only 13 of the Bengals have been in the postseason with other teams.

And, the Steelers have experience at the position where it most matters. Ben Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to the AFC title game as a rookie last season. Palmer is making his first appearance in a game that will start to define his career.

“All you hear is Tom Brady is 9-0 as a postseason quarterback, and you hear about (Dan) Marino and that Peyton (Manning) hasn’t gotten to the big one. That’s part of your legacy,” Palmer said. “When people talk about quarterbacks of the past, they talk about what happened in the playoffs. Did they get to the Super Bowl? Did they win the Super Bowl?

“That’s part of your legacy, and my legacy starts this weekend. I understand how big of a game this is.”

Roethlisberger learned last year how the pressure mounts once the playoffs begin. He forced throws and had three passes intercepted during a 41-27 loss to New England in the conference title game.

Experience in these games seems to matter.

“I think it matters for me,” Roethlisberger said. “I think I’ll be better this year than I was last year. I’d like to hope.”

Momentum usually matters, too, and the Steelers have much more of it. Following that loss to the Bengals, they won their last four games to secure the final AFC wild card berth. The Bengals lost their last two games — to Buffalo and Kansas City — after clinching the division title.

“No question, there’s something for momentum week to week,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “Not many teams have gone to the Super Bowl without that.”

At the moment, his team doesn’t have it. He’s trying to get it back by reminding them of where they stand.

“We’re underdogs,” Lewis said. “We’re underdogs every time we step on the field, so let’s go. They said it in the paper. I read it.

“I’m always an underdog. That’s why I’m here.”