“It just hasn’t been our year,” wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said. “Games that we’ve been close in are games that we pulled out last year. That’s the difference between this and last year. We’ve lost games that we found a way to win last year.”

On the flip side, that’s the opposite of what’s happened to the Steelers.

Last year, the Steelers missed the playoffs because of a five-game losing streak that included single-digit losses to Kansas City (4-12), Oakland (5-11) and Cleveland (5-11). But this year, the Steelers have yet to lose to a team with a losing record.

And they don’t plan to change that trend in the home stretch starting Sunday against the Bengals.

“If we would lose to the Bengals, that would wipe out everything we did in Baltimore,” linebacker James Harrison of a 13-10 slugfest victory Sunday  against the Ravens.

“We definitely have to focus on this game because the last game took a lot out of everybody,” said linebacker James Farrior. “It was a very emotional game. Guys were really riding high going into that game. So we have to hone in and refocus and get ready for the next one.

“We expect the Bengals to come in and give us everything they’ve got. They have a lot of talent, and they have nothing to lose. So we know they’ll come out guns blazing.”

There’s a remote chance the Steelers can clinch a playoff berth Sunday. There are several scenarios in which they’ll secure at least a wild-card spot providing they win and other teams lose.

For the Steelers, it’s important that they play well early. They want to jump in front early and hope the Bengals resort to their mistake-filled ways.

“They’ve got a good record, we’ve got a bad record,” Palmer said. “So we’re going to go in there and try to spoil what they’ve got going on right now.”