Ward: be ready for it Hines!

Pittsburgh will know they have to play, concentrate on their football and Mike Tomlin will have been telling them that all week.

Kevin Cadle
Quotes of the week

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Live on Sky Sports
1am, Fri, Sky Sports 2 & HD2

You don't tend to get many mis-matches in the NFL but this looks like one of them!

But Pittsburgh know they can't afford to approach this like that, that they can't afford to sleep, not in a divisional game.

Sometimes when sides play these games they do certain things, come up with a level of performance they have just not shown elsewhere.

And don't forget that there is a bit of aggravation there because the first time these two teams played Hines Ward broke Keith Rivers' jawbone, so Cincinnati won't be too pleased about that - and Pittsburgh, I'm sure, will be ready for any grudges still hanging around.

They will know they have to play, concentrate on their football and Mike Tomlin will have been telling them that all week.

What happened against San Diego last week will also have told them that.

You can call a one-point win lucky, but you can also say Pittsburgh did just what they had to do. They played the final quarter the way they had to, they ran the clock down and came up with the win.

Collective

I was impressed by their composure then, and in the whole game - on offense and defense. That was a game you thought they would get 20-25 points in but it wasn't one of those games.

But their defense held it together and stayed true to what they can do. That man Hines Ward had a decent game receiving, Willie Parker picked up some yards rushing and Ben Roethlisberger did a good job with the football, so it was really a collective effort that got Pittsburgh through.

All they got to do now is get that offensive line working and they're almost there!

But - and I don't normally say this - they will have to be aware of Cincinnati. They tied with Philadelphia last week and although in true 'Bungles' manner, they blew a chance to win it, this is a football team that is trying desperately to accumulate wins.

That tie will have been noted at Heinz Field. Another Cincinnati defeat and it might have been oh well, we'll have no problem here, but that result will come as a nice little reminder they are up against a team that ain't gotta damn thing to lose!

All Cincinnati can do is upset somebody else's chances - and who better than someone in your own division? A man with nothing to lose becomes a dangerous person.

CADLE'S CALL: Even though Cincinnati will have that wounded tiger mentality, Pittsburgh are at home and they've got a good thing going throughout that football team. They win this all day long.