Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats On Dec 28, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 28, 2014

Steelers 27, Bengals 17: Antonio Brown returned a punt for a touchdown and hauled in a decisive 63-yard scoring pass as host Pittsburgh won the AFC North title and clinched the No. 3 seed for the postseason.

Ben Roethlisberger, battling a stomach bug, threw for 317 yards with a pair of touchdowns and one interception as the Steelers (11-5) completed a sweep of Cincinnati (10-5-1) with their fourth straight win. Brown had seven catches for 128 yards but star running back Le'Veon Bell exited with a hyperextended knee in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh will host division rival Baltimore on Saturday while the Bengals drop to the No. 5 seed and will play at Indianapolis on Sunday.

Andy Dalton finished 27-of-38 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Cincinnati, which lost star wide receiver A.J. Green (eight catches, 82 yards) to a head injury on a costly fumble with just over 5 1/2 minutes to play. Rookie Jeremy Hill rushed for 100 yards and backfield mate Giovani Bernard had seven receptions for 56 yards and a score.

The Bengals chipped away at a 10-point halftime deficit, driving 89 yards in 15 plays before Dalton tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham to cut the deficit to 20-17 with 11:14 remaining. Dane Sanzenbacher came up with an interception on a fake punt attempt and Cincinnati was driving before Green was stripped at the Steelers' 30-yard line.

Three plays later, Roethlisberger found Brown - who finished with league-high totals of 129 receptions and 1,698 yards - on a scoring strike to put the game out of reach. Brown opened the scoring with a 71-yard punt return but Dalton answered with a 17-yard shovel pass to Bernard before Pittsburgh scored the final 13 points of the half, including a 21-yard TD pass to Martavis Bryant on a screen for a 20-10 halftime edge.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bell was hurt on a hard hit from Bengals S Reggie Nelson, leaving his status for next week in question, while Green was placed under the league's concussion protocol. ... Brown extended his NFL record with his 32nd consecutive game of at least five catches and 50 yards receiving. He also registered his third career punt return TD - all against Cincinnati. ... Hill surpassed 100 yards on the ground for the third straight game and fifth time this season. ... Steelers CB Brice McCain is the first Pittsburgh player with two interceptions in a game since Cortez Allen picked off a pair against the Bengals on Dec. 23, 2012.