***MNF IN THE SWAMP - PIT @ CIN***

***PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ CINCINNATI BENGALS***

Due to being fairly busy, I unwillingly took a little hiatus from the picks and write-ups in the Swamp this past weekend. I'm hoping that it was a good thing given that we know the ball just hasn't been bouncing my way as of late. Here's to hoping things turn around and we finish this season strong, starting with tonight's pick!

We got a juicy one on tap tonight ladies and gents! The mighty Pittsburgh Steelers ride their six game winning streak and AFC North Division leading 9-2 record into The Jungle, to take on their bitter rival; the 5-6 Cincinnati Bengals. These two teams met the first time around this season back in week seven, where the Steelers prevailed in PItt, winning the game 29-14. It was a close battle throughout the first half until the Bengals offense shutdown and the Cats were dealt a slow death by FGs as Pittsburgh Kicker Chris Boswell nailed five consecutive three-pointers. With the way things have since gone for both teams, obviously if the Bengals hope to keep their pipe dreams of a possible post-season birth alive, they have little to no room for error the rest of the way. It can't be understated just how HUGE this game is for them tonight hosting their AFC North big brother on MNF. Pitt has beaten Cincy five times straight, and won eight of the last nine meetings overall. While I'm not and have never been a big supporter of Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis and the Jungle Cats in general, I do believe it is indeed time to get this particular monkey off their backs at the least this season. In other words, do I think the Bengals have a legitimate chance at making the postseason? No, probably not. Do I think Marv Lewis will survive the offseason if that is indeed the case? No, probably not. However, I do believe that this can and will be the sole highlight of their season if they can upset big bad Pittsburgh tonight at home on MNF for the fans. With that being said, I expect an all out effort from Cincy here and I love the spot for them to do so and at the least bit, keep things tight enough to cover the number.

It's been a rough year for the Bengals. More of the same up and down, inconsistent play and confusion that they're used to. They have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and every season just can't seem to put it all together despite coming close a few times. With those decent seasons now in hindsight, this season in particular has been more of a down year for them and the team as a whole has seemed to of regressed. In my opinion, they need to change some key pieces in the offseason in order to finally move forward but that is a conversation for another time. If the Bengals do one thing well, they generally play the Steelers pretty tough despite not winning. Steelers standout WR Antonio Brown rarely has over a 100 yard game against them and he will be hobbled tonight with an injury if playing at all. Not that it matters as the Steelers have more ways to kill you than most with other WRs like Martavis Bryant and the Rookie Juju Smith-Schuster who can be just as dangerous and not to mention a Pro Bowl RB in Le'Veon Bell. Needless to say, if Brown isn't 100%, even just serving as a decoy on the field to help open up other guys would suffice. However I like this Bengals secondary and believe they will once again make things difficult for QB Ben Rothlisberger on the road tonight. Big Ben has struggled at times when away from home and tonight I like the Bengals pass rush to play inspired ball and cause a key turnover or two. The bad blood between Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict and the Steelers is no secret either, and while the man is a menace on the field that can hurt you at times with his dummy mistakes, he is a damn good LB and I like him to help slow down Bell in the running game.

On the other side of things, Bengals QB Andy Dalton has played better as of late. So far in his career the guy has shown that he is a real catch 22 at the position. There are times where he looks like he can guide his team to the promised land behind his torch hair. Then just when you think he's at that level, he crushes your soul in true ginger fashion with horrible play, leaving you wondering if he is the answer or if Cincy needs to move on. BUT, lately he has looked locked in, having some damn good games and coming off of back to back wins. The Steelers in my opinion have played some pretty poor QBs during their win streak and really, all season long. When up against an opposing QB with the ability to sling it like Lions Matt Stafford, their secondary was exposed. Don't get me wrong, I do love how this PItt Defensive unit is coming together these past few years up front. The Steel Curtain is almost back, and it showed how they were able to hold the Lions out of the Endzone numerous times after Stafford got them close through the air. I just think that their secondary is still not up to par just yet, and as their achilles heal, can be beaten by a good passing game. With WR AJ Green freshly motivated this season after youngster CB Jalen Ramsey informed him that his time at the top was almost up, I like Inspector Gadget to have himself a game on the National Stage tonight against the weaker Pitt DBs. My X-Factor is Bengals Rookie RB Joe Mixon. Despite the bad character issues that took place off the field before being drafted, this kid is a freak of nature and just waiting to break out in a big way. Last week up against the winless Browns, he finally had that big game as he rushed for over 100 yards with a TD. For whatever reason, whether it was the shuffling of Offensive Coordinators, or just making the bad apple earn his keep first, it took the Bengals all season to finally starting feeding this beast. I believe last week served as the necessary stepping stone for Mixon to re-introduce himself to the world tonight with a big game and remind them what he is capable of. This kid can also catch the rock out of the backfield which serves as a nice security blanket for Dalton and along with fellow RB Gio Bernard's ability to do the same, they can be a deadly combo. Frankly, the spot doesn't get much more perfect than this for the Bengals to finally beat Pitt as they need this game way more. The stars are aligning to snap the five game win streak tonight and Pittsburgh already mentioned how they are looking ahead to their showdown with the Super Bowl Champs in two weeks. Don't think that the Bengals and Ravens didn't take that a little personal being the two teams they face beforehand. We're in for a good one tonight my friends. BENGALS+4.5