Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats On Dec 15, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 15, 2013

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.