Second Take: Five Thoughts on Bengals/Steelers

1. This was a sad performance by the Bengals. Sad. Way sad. Pittsburgh was missing its top two running backs, its best defensive player, and its best offensive linemen. And yet, the Steelers dominated Cincinnati in the second half of a home game. Perhaps you could understand losing a game on a late field goal, but this was nothing of the sort. It was a butt whuppin. And sadly, Bengals fans have seen this before. 2. Rey Maualuga appeared to struggle mightily, often getting engulfed by Steelers blockers. As I  discussed with a friend, Vontaze Burfict seems to be a better fit at middle backer if he can handle its responsibilities. He’s around the football much more frequently and plays with more fire than Rey. 3. Marvin Lewis’ second challenge was a risky move, but an understandable one. His first one, however, was all too typical of his coaching tenure. The challenge on a two-yard gain (Lewis likely was hoping for a fumble) cost Cincinnati a timeout that could have been used later in ...