Sep 18, 2016 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – The Steelers and Bengals didn’t exactly hold hands and declare their undying love for each other.

They weren’t sitting in a circle singing Kumbaya.

But they actually played a football game Sunday at Heinz Field without anyone attempting to rip another player’s head off.

There were no postsnap fisticuffs. No postwhistle pushing and shoving.

It was refreshing to see.

And, oh, by the way, they played a hard, physical football game.

We won’t call it a perfect display of NFL play. If someone who had never before seen a football game watched the Steelers’ 24-16 win over the Bengals, then you’d have a hard time convincing that person that these are two of the best teams in the league.

But that wasn’t the point.

After what happened between these two teams last season, when more than $200,000 in fines were handed out and Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the first four games of this season in the aftermath of their three meetings, there was some question as to whether the teams could get together for a pleasant game of Yatzee, let alone a football game.

Turns out, they can.

“We didn’t meet on the South Side and have a peace treaty. It’s a mutual respect. We understand that they’re competitors. We respect their game, and at the same time, it’s the same for them, they respect us,” said Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats. “We both know for either team to be successful, you have to keep your emotions in check. We were both able to do that. The two times it happened last year, they were outliers. Most of the time, we’re composed, for the most part.”

Of course, it’s easier to have that opinion when your team came out on the winning side, the 15th time in the past 20 meetings the Steelers have beaten the Bengals.

And while the score wasn’t indicative of how much the Steelers dominated the game, the tale of the tape in the trenches certainly was.

Physically, the Steelers dominated the Bengals, rushing for 124 yards on 36 carries. By comparison, Cincinnati had 46 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

That’s controlling the line of scrimmage.

And that’s a pretty sure way to find wins in the NFL.

For their part, the Bengals somewhat grudgingly acknowledged the Steelers got the better of them from that standpoint.

“When we see them again, we will see,” said Cincinnati cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. “I tip my hat to Ben (Roethlisberger) and Pittsburgh today. They played a little better.”

And, more importantly for both sides, much cleaner than what happened between the two teams last season.

NFL director of officiating Dean Blandino admitted last week that the league would be keeping a close eye for any extracurricular activities that might come out of this game.

After all, not only was there plenty said and done on the field during those games last season, but the teams continued to snipe at each other on social media throughout the offseason.

There was, however, none of that in the buildup to this game.

As crazy as it seems, both teams just played football.

“That was what it is,” said Steelers safety Mike Mitchell. “I tried to set a tone early in the game with some hits. Their guys were trying to hit our guys. I was proud of both teams how we kept it between the white (lines) and in between the whistles. It was old-school AFC North football.”

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Maybe it was because Burfict wasn’t around for this game. We’ll find out for sure when these teams meet again Dec. 18 in Cincinnati.

“He’s a changed man,” Moats said of the Bengals’ bad boy linebacker. “I feel like this offseason, we just had a come to God moment. We’re all happy people now.”

He quickly added with a sly grin, “They’re invited to our house anytime.”

Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.