Though the Pittsburgh Steelers’ predominant rival is the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals even have a rivalry that has burned sizzling through the years. The truth is, from 2014-2017 the Steelers-Bengals rivalry was probably the most violent for the reason that participant security initiative started in 2010. Outdoors linebacker Bud Dupree was a member of the Steelers from 2015-2020 and skilled the height of the rivalry which he described as distinct from the rest.
“The Bengals and Steelers was like a gladiator faculty,” mentioned Dupree on The Digital Social Period Podcast. “We performed them, they’d [Vontaze] Burfict, they’d [Adam] Pacman Jones…Each recreation we performed them boys for a two 12 months stretch, it was two individuals going to sleep every recreation.”
Dupree recalled standout moments of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry, mentioning Ryan Shazier’s career-ending damage, Antonio Brown’s concussion within the 2015 AFC Wild Card Sport, Giovanni Bernard’s concussion in that very same recreation, and a pregame incident between Burfict and Steelers linebacker Vince Williams.
Whereas Dupree’s reminiscence blurred among the occasions, grouping them collectively in a single single recreation, his level remained clear: the Steelers and Bengals rivalry was bitter and the physicality was brutal. Notable hits from 2015 alone embrace FS Mike Mitchell towards WR Marvin Jones within the first assembly, a Mitchell hit towards Bengals TE Tyler Eifert within the second assembly (which resulted in an enormous positive), and the aforementioned Brown and Bernard hits within the Wild Card recreation.
Whereas there have been loads of memorable moments from the rivalry between 2014 and 2017, 2015 was when the powder keg exploded and the hits have been the toughest. Whether or not it was Twitter threats or dancing on logos after knock-out blows, the 2015 Steelers-Bengals rivalry had all of it. It’s no shock Dupree referenced that rivalry whereas reflecting on how a lot the NFL modified . In 2015 the Steelers and Bengals hated one another, and it went additional than only a common soccer rivalry.
“That Bengals and Steelers historical past was like a distinct sort of rivalry,” mentioned Dupree. “That felt like [a] highschool rivalry. Like if you hate your subsequent door neighbor. Day-after-day I see them I simply gotta get ’em.”
In recent times the rivalry has cooled off a bit, however there may be nonetheless a powerful dislike there, although the hatred these days gained’t spill over into violence like again in 2015. Even in 2015, the Steelers-Bengals match-ups felt like a bygone period. If these hits occurred immediately gamers can be suspended or kicked out of the league.
