CINCINNATI -- The numbers the Cincinnati Bengals are most concerned with this week are "2" and "3."
Two represents the goal they currently are playing for -- the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed, which comes with a bye in the first round of the playoffs. If the New England Patriots lose to the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday afternoon, the Bengals only need to win later that night when they visit Pittsburgh to claim the AFC's No. 2 seed entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
The "3" represents the number of consecutive times the Bengals would like to beat the Steelers. Right now, they are sitting on two in a row. That includes the first meeting this season way back in Week 2, and last year's late-season win at Pittsburgh that clinched a postseason berth. If they win a third straight series meeting, it will mark the first time since the late 1980s that the Bengals have taken that many consecutively from Pittsburgh.
Here are a few more numbers to watch this weekend:
3: Consecutive postseason trips in reach for the Bengals at Heinz Field. With a win and a Dolphins loss or tie, Cincinnati could clinch its third straight playoff berth.
5: Number of winning seasons (including this one) the Bengals have had under head coach Marvin Lewis, who arrived in 2002.
0: Number of winning seasons the Bengals had between 1992-2002, when David Shula, Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau coached the team.
4: Playoff appearances for the Bengals under Lewis. They are close to making it five.
0: Playoff appearances for the Bengals under the other three coaches between 1992-2002.
9: Losses by the Bengals in their past 11 divisional road games. They haven't won one this season, losing on the road to Cleveland and Baltimore. One of the two wins they do have in the past 11 was last year's Week 16 win at Pittsburgh to clinch a playoff spot.
1989: The last year, before this one, the Bengals were favored to win in Pittsburgh, according to Gold Sheet. Cincinnati entered the week a 3-point favorite Sunday night.
2: Touchdown passes separating Cincinnati's Andy Dalton from Jeff Garcia for the third-most passing scores through three seasons in NFL history.
72: Passing touchdowns by Dalton, who is in his third year. Garcia had 74 between 1999-2001. Dan Marino had the most, with 98 (1983-85).
33.2: Bengals' points per game at home this season.
19.3: Bengals' points per game on the road this season.
17.2: Opponents' points per game at Paul Brown Stadium this season.
20.1: Points per game for opponents when the Bengals are on the road this season.
+5: Bengals' turnover margin at home this season.
-6: Bengals' turnover margin on the road this season.
11: Seasons it has been since Pittsburgh had a losing record. With one more loss, the Steelers would have their first losing mark since 2003, when they went 6-10. Their streak of nine straight non-losing seasons (2004-12) is the second-longest active streak behind the Patriots' 13-season streak that was extended this season.
189: Passes since Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown an interception. That is a career-long, and the longest active streak in the NFL.
13: Interceptions by the Bengals this season.
13: Number of wins Roethlisberger has against the Bengals. That is tied for the most by any starting quarterback against the Bengals. Roethlisberger is 13-6 all-time against Cincinnati, and Warren Moon was 13-7. Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw was 12-9 against the Bengals.
159: Yards separating Steelers receiver Antonio Brown from Yancey Thigpen's franchise record for receiving yards in a season. Brown has 1,240 yards with three games to go.
18: Sacks the Steelers have since Week 9. That ranks as fourth in the league in that span. Through the first eight weeks, they had 10 sacks, which was tied for second fewest in the league.
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