When the Cincinnati Bengals come to town this weekend, their baggage will include a nine-game skid loaded with losses that could have been or should have been wins.

They are the antithesis of the Steelers.

While the Steelers (9-3) keep finding ways to win, the Bengals (2-10) keep finding ways to lose.

These are the “Bungals” once again.

“It’s not like we can’t play,” wide receiver Terrell Owens said. “It’s not like we’re not a good team. We’ve been in every ballgame we played. Again, it’s the penalties and the turnovers that have obviously killed us.”

It’s been a comedy of errors for the Bengals, who have gone from first to worst in the AFC North Division.

Take for example their 24-21 loss to Tampa Bay on Oct. 10.

Playing at home, the Bengals led 21-14 with 2:28 left to play. But quarterback Carson Palmer, who already threw a pick-six earlier in the game, served up two more interceptions in the game’s final minutes.

The first of those picks allowed the Buccaneers to tie the score with 1:26 left. The second, with just 14 seconds left, allowed the Bucs to kick a game-winning field goal with one tick left on the clock.

It’s been more of the same ever since, including last week’s meltdown after the Bengals led New Orleans 30-27 late in the fourth quarter. But again, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, the Bengals blew it.

With the Saints facing fourth-and-2 from the Bengals’ 7-yard line with 34 seconds left, coach Sean Payton called time-out. He told quarterback Drew Drees to call “No-Brainer Freeze.” The Saints would line up and hope to draw the Bengals offside.

Sure enough, it worked.

Defensive tackle Pat Sims jumped. So the Saints got a new set of downs, and Brees threw a 3-yard game-winning TD pass on the next play.