On a national stage and with the slimmest and unlikeliest of chances remaining to make the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) knocked off the AFC North division-leading Cincinnati Bengals (9-5) at Heinz Field. Before an announced crowd of just over 45,000, the smallest Steelers home crowd in the history of Heinz Field, the Steelers played brilliantly from the opening kickoff and looked perhaps better than they have all season, winning 30-20.
Less than five minutes into the game, Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber dropped a punt standing inside his own 5-yard line and was ruled down at the 1, where the Steelers took over. Le’Veon Bell scored and gave the Steelers a quick 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Antonio Brown continued his outstanding 2013 campaign with a 12-yard TD, and then returned a Bengals punt on the ensuing drive 67 yards for a 21-0 Pittsburgh advantage.
Shaun Suisham added three field goals throughout the rest of the game and, despite some signs of offensive life later on for the Bengals, they were never able to pull within one score. When QB Andy Dalton completed a fourth quarter TD to Marvin Jones with 5:51 remaining, a failed two-point conversion attempt left the Bengals within ten points.
Ben Roethlisberger was solid once again, completing 20 of 25 passes for 191 yards, the touchdown to Brown, and one interception. That interception was his first in over 200 attempts. Bell ran for 57 yards on 24 carries, once again unable to top 100 in a single game on the season. However, Bell also added 50 yards on five receptions, totaling 107 yards of overall offense. Brown and WR Emmanuel Sanders also had five receptions, and TE Heath Miller had four.
Cincinnati’s A.J. Green had a game-high nine receptions for 93 yards, but was kept out of the end zone. Dalton’s two touchdowns went to Jones and rookie TE Tyler Eifert. He finished 25-44 for 230 yards and no interceptions. The only Bengals turnover came on a fumble by TE Jermaine Gresham, but the miscue on the dropped punt by Huber, who was injured later on the game, set the tone for the Bengals on this night.
Pittsburgh must win out at Green Bay and home to Cleveland in the final two weeks, plus benefit from two more losses by Baltimore and Miami, as well as other help in order to make the playoffs. They play at Lambeau Field at 4:25 next week in what may be the return of Packers star QB Aaron Rodgers. A Baltimore Ravens win on Monday night at Detroit would eliminate Pittsburgh from the playoffs.
