(Getty)
Final Score
Steelers: 0-6-9-3: 18
Bengals: 0-0-0-16: 16
Vontaze Burfict Illegal Hit Sets up Steelers Game-Winning FG
It couldn’t have been a more wild ending. Vontaze Burfict intercepted Landry Jones with under two minutes to go, apparently sealing the win for the Bengals. But Jeremy Hill fumbled it right back on the next play.
Roethlisberger then made his dramatic return, and despite not being able to take many deep shots, he slowly moved the ball down field. With Pittsburgh on the brink of field-goal position, Burfict’s dirty hit on Brown, coupled with an unsportsmanlike penalty on Adam Jones, put the Steelers in position for the game-winning field goal.
McCarron Finds Green to Give Bengals Lead Late
A.J. Green touchdown catch.
Well, well, well. With the season on the line, McCarron led the Bengals 45 yards on seven plays in a minute and 38 seconds, capping the march with a 25-yard touchdown touchdown throw to A.J. Green.
However, the Bengals failed to convert the two-point conversion that would have put them ahead by a field goal, and that would ultimately prove costly.
Ben Roethlisberger Taken Off on Cart, Jeremy Hill Puts Bengals on the Scoreboard
Leading 15-0 late in the third, the Steelers’ outlook quickly turned south. First, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked by Vontaze Burfict, injuring his shoulder in the process. He had to be carted off the field, and the team soon provided this update:
#7 QB Ben Roethlisberger has a right shoulder injury & has been taken to the locker room to be evaluated. His return is questionable.
On the ensuing drive, the Bengals got down to the four-yard line thanks to a pass interference call, and Jeremy Hill did the rest, bulldozing his way into the end zone to make it 15-7. A field goal on their next possession brought Cincinnati to within five with just over five minutes remaining.
Martavis Bryant Makes Amazing TD Grab in Corner of End Zone
Not a bad TD catch by Martavis Bryant t.co/hWuJjJ5tD6
The first touchdown of the game came in style. Bryant, in order to finish the process of the catch, had to pin the ball against his hamstring and do a somersault as he he was falling out of bounds. And, somehow, he did exactly that, giving the Steelers a commanding 15-0 lead late in the third quarter.
Not many players in this league are capable of making that play. Just another example of the second-year wide receiver’s limitless talent.
Steelers Get On Board First…Finally
After nearly 30 minutes of scoreless football in the pouring-down rain in Cincinnati, the Steelers were able to get on the scoreboard with a 39-yard field goal by Chris Boswell late in the second quarter.
The score was set up by an interception and 35-yard return by Antwon Blake. A.J. McCarron, who didn’t turn the ball over in any of his first three starts, attempted to throw a deep ball but couldn’t get anything on it, allowing Blake to make the easy pick.
Just before halftime, Pittsburgh would add another field goal after Vincent Rey dropped an easy would-be interception inside the 10-yard line.
Game Preview
It’s the newest chapter of one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL.
Per OddsShark.com, the Bengals opened as a one-point favorite but have since moved to three-point underdogs. That’s partly because Pittsburgh has owned Cincinnati on the road (the Steelers have won 11 of 14 at Paul Brown Stadium since it opened), and partly because Andy Dalton won’t be playing, leaving the inexperienced A.J. McCarron to start under center.
Still, McCarron has played under control since taking over Dalton, he has lots of weapons around him, the Steelers will be without DeAngelo Williams at RB and Ben Roethlisberger has struggled on the road this year. It’s probably a little premature to be writing off the Bengals in this one.
If the Bengals are able to win what figures to be another classic physical matchup in this head-to-head series, they’re headed to New England for a date with the Patriots. If the Steelers come out victorious, they’re on their way to Denver.
Comments
Steelers vs. Bengals: Live Score Updates & Touchdown Highlights