Especially when it comes to the wild card round of the NFL playoffs, games take on a higher level of intrigue when they feature two division rivals squaring off for a third time that season.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers - a team that, we'll remind you, would not be in the playoff field had the Buffalo Bills not won this past Sunday - split their season series with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ironically, the road team won both games: Cincinnati escaped Heinz Field with a 16-10 win in Week 8, and Pittsburgh emerged from Paul Brown Stadium with a 33-20 victory in Week 14.
Today, the Steelers are the road team, thanks to their claiming the No. 6 and final seed in the AFC playoff picture with a 10-6 record. Their 28-12 win in Week 17 over Cleveland, coupled with the Bills' win over New York, propelled them into the postseason. That's just as well for fans of entertaining postseason football, as the Steelers boast one of the NFL's most dynamic offensive attacks.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, won the AFC North with a 12-4 record, and only just missed out on capturing a first-round bye thanks to losing out on tiebreakers with Denver and New England, who both also finished 12-4. The Bengals are trying to win their first playoff game since the 1990 season; they're currently on a seven-game playoff losing streak, including an 0-6 mark under current head coach Marvin Lewis. They have lost in the wild card round in each of the last four seasons heading into today's game.
This is an open thread for you, Buffalo Bills fan, to discuss tonight's playoff matchup between the Bengals and the Steelers. Who are you pulling for, and why? Enjoy the game!