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National Football League
Pittsburgh 30, Cincinnati 20
When: 8:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 15, 2013
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Temperature: 26°
Head Official: Ed Hochuli
Attendance: 45873

Steelers 30, Bengals 20:
Antonio Brown caught a touchdown pass and ran back a punt for a score as Pittsburgh prevented visiting Cincinnati from moving up in the AFC playoff picture.

Ben Roethlisberger was 20-of-25 for 191 yards and a score while Le’Veon Bell added a rushing touchdown for the Steelers (6-8), who halted a two-game slide. Brown finished with five catches for 66 yards while Bell added five receptions for 50 yards to keep alive Pittsburgh’s fledgling playoff hopes.

Andy Dalton completed 25-of-44 passes for 230 yards and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Bengals (9-5), who missed an opportunity to move into second place in the AFC. A.J. Green had nine catches for 93 yards.

The Steelers caught a break in the first quarter when Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber fumbled a snap and picked it up just shy of the goal line before being tackled in the end zone. The officials ruled that forward progress gave Pittsburgh the ball at the 1-yard line instead of a safety, leading to Bell’s touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Brown caught a 12-yard TD pass just under eight minutes later and returned a punt 67 yards for a score 1:04 after that to make it 21-0 before the end of the first quarter. It was 30-7 when the Bengals began to show some spark with a pair of TD passes from Dalton, but a two-point conversion attempt after the second score was batted down, leaving the deficit at 10 points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Huber took a big hit on Brown’s punt return before going to the locker room bleeding from the mouth and was ruled out with a fractured jaw. … The 21 points for the Steelers in the first quarter tied for the most allowed in Cincinnati franchise history and the most scored in the opening period in Pittsburgh franchise history. … Bengals LB - and former Steeler - James Harrison made his first appearance in Pittsburgh since joining Cincinnati in the offseason but left in the first half with a concussion.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Cincinnati   Pittsburgh
Giovani Bernard Player Le'Veon Bell
13 Attempts 24
33 Yards 57
2.5 Avg Yards 2.4
1 Touchdowns 1
7 Long 8
Receiving
Cincinnati   Pittsburgh
A.J. Green Player Antonio Brown
9 Receptions 5
93 Yards 66
10.3 Avg Yards 13.2
0 Touchdowns 1
19 Long 20
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Cincinnati 279 57 222 3 0 1 1.0 0
Pittsburgh 290 106 184 3 3 0 1.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game on the road against Green Bay. The Steelers have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .333 after a loss.
  • Cincinnati will play their next game at home against Minnesota. The Bengals have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .750 after a loss.