The Steelers/Bengals match-ups in recent history have been notorious for aggression and frequency of penalties. Skirmishes break out between players on the field regularly, whenever these teams play each other.

Sometime players on the bench and even coaches get involved!

Looking forward to the game this week, one can reasonably expect to see a lot of yellow flags thrown in the air for both teams. The Bengals have the reputation for cheap hits and a dirty play, most Steelers fans would expect that the Bengals are one of the most penalized teams in the NFL… except… it’s actually the opposite.

According to an NFL penalty tracker, the Cincinnati Bengals are the least penalized team in the NFL.

Yes, you read that right: least penalized.

The Bengals are tied with the Houston Texans for the least penalties accepted against them with  72.

Along with that, the Bengals have the least amount of total flags thrown against them with 84, leading the Texans by 4.

Also impressive, the Bengals only have 560 penalty yards against them; the least in the NFL (beating the San Diego Chargers by 34 yards).

The Steelers are on the other end of the spectrum.

The Steelers have 92 flags accepted against them, ranking 18th in the league.

The Steelers have 113 total flags thrown against them, ranking 23rd in the league, and 876 penalty yards against them, ranking 24th in the league.

Here are the numbers side-by-side:

	Penalties Accepted	Total flags thrown	Penalty yards
Steelers	92 (18th)	113(23rd)	876(24th)
Bengals	72(t-1st)	84(1st)	560(1st)

My point here isn’t to call the Steelers a dirty or undisciplined team.

My point also isn’t to defend the Bengals.

This data simply sheds light on how each team is faring with penalties, as well as emphasizing a key for the Steelers from this point on: discipline and smart play.

Touchdowns and big plays have been negated by penalties this season. Last week versus the Buffalo Bills, William Gay had a pick-six negated because of a defensive holding call.

Penalties can be killers for drives, momentum, and game plans.

The Steelers have come a long way this season and have been able to improve and fix their flaws. The next flaw on the list that needs addressed is penalties.

Whether this is a matter of coaching discipline or players needing to play smarter, it’s an essential aspect that if fixed will immensely help this team in their playoff run.