Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats On Sep 18, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Sep 18, 2016

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger threw for three touchdowns and the Pittsburgh defense kept Cincinnati out of the end zone until the closing minutes Sunday in a 24-16 Steelers win over the Bengals at Heinz Field.

On what might have been a game-saving play, James Harrison forced a fumble by Cincinnati receiver Tyler Boyd, and Robert Golden returned it for Pittsburgh on the first play after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.

The game was devoid of the type of flare-ups between the AFC North rivals that last season led to fines and a suspension that kept linebacker Vontaze Burfict out of this this meeting.

The Steelers (2-0) have won 13 of their past 15 home openers. Cincinnati, which got three field goals by Mike Nugent, fell to 1-1.

A steady rain seemed to hamper both offenses early in the first quarter. As the weather cleared, the teams started to get untracked.

Xavier Grimble pulled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger, stumbling and diving over the goal line for a 7-0 Steelers lead with 3:42 left in the first. The key play on the 66-yard drive was Roethlisberger's 44-yard pass on third down to Sammie Coates.

Cincinnati came back on the next possession with Nugent's 25-yard field goal to make it 7-3 at 0:23 of the first.

Pittsburgh got a gift of Kevin Huber's shanked 32-yard punt in the second quarter, but despite starting at the Bengals 35, the Steelers had to settle for Chris Boswell's 49-yard field goal after failing to get a first down. That made it 10-3 at 4:10 of the second.

After Roethlisberger's second interception of the game, Cincinnati moved 53 yards in eight plays to set up a 33-yard field goal by Mike Nugent as the first half expired, pulling the Bengals to within 10-6.

On Pittsburgh's second possession of the third quarter, Roethlisberger again hooked up with Coates on a big play. This one was a 53-yard pass that set up Roethlisberger's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jesse James on the next play for a 17-6 lead at 6:16.

Two Steelers interference penalties put Cincinnati on the 1-yard line late in the third, but the Bengals still could not get into the end zone. After three plays netted minus-2 yards, Nugent's third field goal, from 21 yards, made it 17-9 at 2:10.

The rain returned in the fourth, but it didn't stop a methodical Pittsburgh 12-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Roethlisberger's 14-yard scamper to the Bengals 5 helped set up his 4-yard scoring pass to Williams, making it 24-9 at 6:48.

Cincinnati responded with its only touchdown drive, moving 75 yards in eight plays and culminating with Andy Dalton's 25-yard scoring pass to Giovani Bernard to pull the Bengals to within 24-16 with 3:23 left.

NOTES: Steelers starting WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) missed his second game in a row. ... Pittsburgh LB Ryan Shazier played after being questionable because of a right knee injury he got in Week 1. ... The Steelers' other inactives were QB Zach Mettenberger, CB Senquez Golson, FB Roosevelt Nix, LB Steven Johnson, C/G Cody Wallace and DE LT. Walton. ... Cincinnati DT Pat Sims, who got an injured ankle in Week 1, played. ... Bengals CB Darqueze Dennard, who missed the season opener because of an ankle injury, played. ... Bengals starting TE Tyler Eifert (ankle) was out. TE C.J. Uzomah started in Eifert's place. ... Cincinnati's other inactives were QB Jeff Driskel, WR Cody Core, CB Chykie Brown, CB KeiVarea Russell, G Christian Westerman and DT DeShawn Williams. ... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's first-quarter TD pass was the 276th of his career, moving him ahead of Vinny Testaverde and alone into 12th place all-time in the NFL.