Palmer, Bengals awaiting Steelers
Pittsburgh is the only AFC North team the quarterback hasn't beaten.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Carson Palmer has beaten Baltimore three times in his short career as a starter. He's beaten Cleveland twice in three tries.
The only AFC North team that has him stumped is right down the road and next on the schedule.
The Bengals (8-3) protected their share of first place by beating the Ravens 42-29 Sunday with an offense that's finding its stride. Next up is a game in Pittsburgh that shapes up as a showdown for the division title.
And Palmer knows what will decide the Bengals' biggest game in 15 years.
Him.
"I put a lot of it on myself," Palmer said Monday, referring to his 0-3 mark against the Steelers. "I don't think I've played well enough to beat them."
Steelers have his number
The second-year starter isn't exaggerating. So far this season, the Steelers are the only team that's had his number -- one that's under three digits.
Palmer has posted a passer rating over 100 against 10 of the 11 teams he has faced this season. The only break in the streak is Pittsburgh.
The Steelers' blitzing defense sacked him twice -- as much as he's been sacked in any game -- and intercepted him twice in a 27-13 victory at Paul Brown Stadium on Oct. 23. His passer rating for that game was a well-below-average 53.8, and it wasn't a fluke.
In three career games against the Steelers, Palmer is 54-of-98 for 556 yards with three touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 60.6. Little wonder that the Steelers have won all three.
"In order to beat that defense, the whole offense has to play well, including the quarterback," Palmer said. "The last couple of times we've played them, the offense played well but I didn't. A lot of it falls on me and puts a lot more pressure on me."
Put pressure on defense
This time, the Bengals are hoping to put the pressure on a defense that looks like the Steel Curtain when it plays Palmer. They've never had a better chance to crack it.
The victory over the Ravens left Palmer & amp; Co. on a two-game roll. Against two of the NFL's toughest defenses -- Indianapolis and Baltimore -- the Bengals scored 79 points, piled up 929 yards, threw for 637 and ran for 299.
The Bengals got up on the Ravens 34-0 before relaxing late in the third quarter. Palmer threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns without a sack. Rudi Johnson ran for 114 yards, averaging 4.2 per carry as the offensive line opened holes and provided plenty of time to throw.
"Our job is to make those guys successful," right tackle Willie Anderson said. "We know no glory is going to come to us. But if we can get our quarterback throwing for 300 yards and after the game he's not limping and his jersey's not dirty, and Rudi's jersey is dirty and he's running, that's a good game for us."
No-huddle offense
One change has gotten the offense in high gear the last two weeks. The Bengals have used a no-huddle offense from time to time throughout the season, but went with it more often during the home games against Indianapolis and Baltimore.
The Colts and Ravens were sometimes confused and often had trouble keeping up with the fast pace.
The Bengals worked on the no-huddle after last season, Palmer's first as a starter. They're confident enough now to use it against the league's best.
"It's one of those things you can't go into full-bore," Palmer said. "You need to see what you're comfortable with and test it and move on from there step by step. It can be a disaster if you don't do it right. If you try to do too much, guys are confused. We've taken it really slow and tried to improve on it."