With backs against the wall on the road at division-leading Cincinnati (8-4-1), the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5) defeated the Bengals by a final score of 42-21 at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.
A dominant fourth quarter, highlighted by a 94-yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant helped the road team come away victorious, creating an even tighter race in the AFC North division. The last four scoring drives of the game belonged to Pittsburgh, which scored 25 unanswered points after trailing 21-17 through three quarters.
Pittsburgh was off to an early lead four minutes into the second quarter when Heath Miller caught a one-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger, giving the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Andy Dalton and the Bengals answered quickly though, scoring on a five-play, 80-yard drive ending in a Jermaine Gresham touchdown two minutes later. Cincinnati took a 14-7 lead later in the half when Dalton sold a play action perfectly and ran untouched up the middle for a 20-yard score. Shaun Suisham would kick a field goal with seconds remaining before halftime to cut the lead to 14-10, Bengals.
In the third quarter, the teams swapped touchdowns, starting with a Roethlisberger pass to Le’Veon Bell for ten yards and a brief 17-14 lead. Cincinnati again responded quickly with an 81-yard heave to A.J. Green by Dalton, ending the third quarter and giving Cincinnati a 21-17 advantage heading into the final 15 minutes. Pittsburgh would go 54 yards in less than two minutes to set up a Suisham field goal that cut into the Bengals lead.
The turning point in the game would come on the next drive, when Dalton attempted another play action handoff to running back Jeremy Hill, but the ball deflected off Hill’s hip and fell to the ground, recovered by Arthur Moats for the game’s first turnover. Starting at the Cincinnati 24-yard line, Bell finished off a short drive for a touchdown and a 28-21 lead after a two-point conversion pass to Heath Miller put Pittsburgh ahead for good. Another Cincinnati punt set up the Steelers at their own six, when Roethlisberger hit Bryant in stride down the right sideline, beating cornerback Leon Hall for a 94-yard dagger and a 35-21 lead.
Bell would add a 22-yard TD run to cap off a 185-yard rushing performance, finishing with 235 yards overall (50 receiving). It was his third straight game of over 200 total yards of offense, the first time that feat has been accomplished since Walter Payton in his 1977 season with the Chicago Bears. Antonio Brown also broke a record on this day, catching at least five passes for 70 yards or more in 15 straight games, besting the previous mark set by Marvin Harrison of Indianapolis. Brown had nine grabs for 117 yards and Bryant added four for 109, much thanks to the huge highlight-reel scoring play.
Roethlisberger was an efficient 25-39 for 350 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Pittsburgh did not turn the ball over at all in the game. Cincinnati had two lost fumbles, including one late in the game by backup QB Jason Campbell, who relieved Andy Dalton after he left the game in the fourth quarter due to injury and the large Steelers lead. Dalton finished 21-29 for 302 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Green led all receivers with 11 catches for 224 yards. Cincinnati’s running game managed only 86 yards on 21 attempts, led by Hill’s 46 yards on eight carries.
With the victory, a Baltimore win at Miami and a Cleveland loss at home to Indianapolis, Pittsburgh is now tied with Baltimore at 8-5, a half game behind the Bengals and one ahead of the Browns. With Pittsburgh and Baltimore having split the season series, the tiebreaker between the two would come down to record within the division. Pittsburgh currently stands at 3-2 with a home game remaining vs. the Bengals, while Baltimore is at 2-3 with a home game remaining vs. Cleveland. Both of those games come in the last week of the season.
Pittsburgh now heads to Atlanta (5-7) before returning home for the final two weeks of the season against Kansas City and Cincinnati.
