Steelers sink Bengals on last-second field goal
(The Sports Xchange) - Chris Boswell's 38-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, capping an injury- and penalty-ridden Monday night matchup at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers lost linebacker and leading tackler Ryan Shazier to a back injury in the first quarter. He was taken to a local hospital, reportedly with no feeling below his waist. Antonio Brown had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, and Ben Roethlisberger passed for 290 yards and two TDs in helping Pittsburgh (10-2) rally from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit for its seventh straight victory. Cincinnati (5-7) had a franchise-record 173 penalty yards, including an offside penalty that gave Boswell 5 extra yards on his game-winner. Andy Dalton passed for 234 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals (5-7), who also sustained several key injuries. Cincinnati lost cornerback Adam Jones to a groin injury and running back Joe Mixon to a concussion in the first half. Late in the fourth quarter, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict sustained a head injury on a block by receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting on the play. The Steelers captured some momentum with a field goal just before halftime. Then on their first possession of the third quarter, Le'Veon Bell caught a short pass and tiptoed the sideline past Bengals corner William Jackson III for a 35-yard touchdown to make the score 17-10. Bell rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries. Dalton had a 61-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green negated by a holding penalty, and Martavis Bryant had a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown called back, also due to a hold. Cincinnati led 20-13 with eight minutes left, but Roethlisberger's 6-yard TD pass to Brown tied the score with 3:51 remaining. The Bengals dominated the first quarter with 112 total yards on 16 plays. Brown, who was questionable coming into Monday's game, caught a 20-yard pass on his first target. However, Jones made a diving interception of a Roethlisberger pass three plays later, helping set up a 35-yard field goal by Randy Bullock to put Cincinnati ahead 3-0. Jones injured his groin on the play and did not return. The Bengals then drove 85 yards on 12 plays on their next possession, and a 9-yard TD pass from Dalton to Green increased their lead to 10-0. Coty Sensabaugh, who was starting at left cornerback in place of Joe Haden, was beaten on the play. Green again beat Sensabaugh for a 15-yard TD pass to Green with 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Cincinnati led 17-3 at the end of an injury-riddled first half. Dalton was 16 of 23 for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Both of his scoring passes came on third down. A pass interference call on Darqueze Dennard gave the Steelers a first down at the 12-yard line with five seconds left in the half. Boswell hit a 30-yard field goal for Pittsburgh's first points.
