Starting quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Fitzpatrick will pitch on just three days of rest when the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals play at Heinz Field tonight.

Roethlisberger, though, does not have to face the kind of hitters the Bengals' Fitzpatrick will see.

The Steelers are tied for the NFL lead with 36 quarterback sacks, seven of those courtesy of Fitzpatrick when the Steelers pummeled the Bengals in Cincinnati, 38-10, Oct. 19.

Outside linebackers James Harrison, named AFC defensive player of the week yesterday, and LaMarr Woodley had two apiece against the Bengals a month ago and would like to fatten their enormous totals tonight. Harrison has 12 sacks, Woodley 9 1/2, and they are in position to accomplish something done just once in NFL history.

The only time teammates each had 15 sacks in the same season occurred in 1989, when Minnesota Vikings Chris Doleman, who played at Pitt, had 21 and Keith Millard 18.

Doing that "would mean a lot," Woodley said.

"If we continue to put pressure on the quarterback and get sacks, we'll help this team win."

The pair already is on a pace never seen in Pittsburgh, where Mike Merriweather set the record with 15 in 1987. The team record for a duo is 24, first set in 1994 by Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene. Harrison's dozen sacks already rank in a tie for seventh-most in Steelers history, and he has six games to go.

"It's fun to be part of anything that's going well," Harrison said. "Everybody's doing their job and, when everybody does their job, everybody eats."

Feeding time starts at 8:15 tonight, although Harrison warned that Fitzpatrick is a better quarterback who is more comfortable in his job than when the Steelers last played him and he was starting only his third game for injured Carson Palmer. In the first game against the Steelers, Fitzpatrick weathered the rush to complete 21 of 35 passes with no interceptions and one touchdown. He also ran four times for 15 yards and is the third-leading rusher among quarterbacks in the NFL with 182 yards on 29 runs.

"I think the quarterback has been real comfortable with the offense and getting comfortable with his receivers," Harrison said, "and I think they're just playing all around better. Right now he's taking his reads and, if he doesn't see what he likes, he's getting out of there. You have to stay in your rush lanes, you have to contain. He can make plays with his legs."

One problem the 32nd-ranked Bengals offense has this season that was not so much the case with Palmer is they can't complete any deep passes. Their longest pass completion is 36 yards and their woeful average of 8.5 yards per reception isn't dramatically more than the quarterback's average of 6.3 yards per rush.

It could be a lonely night deep in the secondary for Steelers free safety Ryan Clark.

"You look at their personnel, Chad Johnson and Chris Henry are very good deep-ball guys," Clark said. "They just haven't really been connecting with their quarterback.

"It's not for lack of trying. They definitely try to complete deep balls.

"They're going to try, especially being in the position they're in, kind of playing the roil of spoiler. What do they have to lose? They're going to throw some balls up and try to get pass interference and some big catches."

Sounds more like mission impossible, going deep against the best pass-rushing team in the NFL and one that ranks No. 1 across the board. The Steelers have allowed just one pass completion longer than 35 yards all season.

One more wrinkle: Rookie Anthony Collins likely will make his first start for injured Levi Jones at left tackle, across from Harrison.

Woodley analyzed the situation -- Steelers pass rush vs. Fitzpatrick -- for all of two seconds before concluding that, "I believe we can put pressure on him.

"The difference between this time and last time is he's definitely gotten more comfortable with his receivers and more comfortable in the pocket.

"But I believe we can get back there to him."