The Pittsburgh Steelers jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a one-yard pass to Heath Miller, but the Cincinnati Bengals quickly came back with a touchdown drive of their own. They finished off their next drive on a 20-yard quarterback keeper to go up 14-7, but the Steelers closed the half with a field goal.
The Bengals deferred in the first half, so they start the third quarter with the ball. The Steelers kept the return short of the 20-yard line. Andy Dalton was sacked after he looked to tuck it and run. A.J. Green converted for the Bengals on third and five.
After another first down, Lawrence Timmons met Giovani Bernard in the hole for only two yards. Mohammed Sanu ran for only a yard on second down. The Bengals false started after a timeout. Green could not hang on to a Dalton pass behind him.
Bell leapt over defenders for nine yards on a reception, but was stopped on the ground on second and one. On third and two, Ben Roethlisberger found Martavis Bryant for the first down.
Mike Adams was called for holding on first down on Carlos Dunlap. Bell was not turned around for a screen pass. On second and 20, Antonio Brown picked up 12 yards to make it third and eight. Roethlisberger went to Brown again for another 12 yards and a first down.
Brown was hit again for 32 yards down the field, gaining 100 yards on the day. Bell went up the middle for three on first down. He was stopped after just one yards on second down On third and six, Roethlisberger shook off the linebacker and took it in on a pass for a 10-yard touchdown as the Steelers took a 17-14 lead.
Bernard picked up five yards on first down for the Bengals after the score. On third down, Timmons broke up a pass to force a punt.
Bell found space for a first down to the 45. He was stopped for a four-yard loss on the following play. Bell picked up six yards through the air to set up third and eight. Bryant came up well short of the first down. The Steelers proceeded to embarrass themselves by allowing Green behind the defense over Taylor, with Mike Mitchell taking an awful angle, putting the Bengals up 21-17 on an 81-yard touchdown.
On first down, Bell broke off a 53-yard run off the left side to give the offense a jolt to get back into the game. After a one-yard gain and a low incomplete pass, Roethlisberger rushed a throw high to Brown and incomplete. Shaun Suisham, however, made it 21-20 with plenty of time left.
The Steelers got a huge break after Dalton fumbled attempting to keep the ball after a fake handoff, recovered by Arthur Moats at the 24. Bell picked up three yards on first down. Leon Hall defended a pass away from Brown to set up third and seven. Brown converted on the following play into the red zone.
Bell took it in from distance for his third rushing touchdown in three games. The Steelers went for two, finding Miller as he stumbled, putting Pittsburgh up 28-21, capitalizing on the turnover.
Green picked up 21 yards on first down with Antwon Blake in off coverage, as the corner nearly jarred the ball loose. Dalton scrambled for three on the following play. The Bengals were flagged for holding on second down. On second and 17, Bernard was able to get back to the original line of scrimmage. Now third and long, Blake broke up the deep pass to Green as Mitchell miss a possible interception.
On the first play of the drive, pinned down at the four, Roethlisberger launched a bomb off play action to Bryant, connecting on the 94-yard touchdown, putting the quarterback over 4000 yards on the season and giving the rookie his seventh touchdown. The Steelers took a 35-21 lead on the play.
Dalton took a shot in the ribs, but missed only one play, which resulted in a hold. On third and 20, the Bengals only picked up seven yards with under eight minutes to play.
The punt traveled less than 30 yards out of bounds, as it landed in Bengals territory. From the 50, Bell picked up five yards. With an eight-yard gain on the following play, Bell went over 200 total yards for the third straight game, tying a record held by Walter Payton.
After an incompletion on first down, Bell picked up six on the ground. On third and four, Brown converted again for nine yards. Bell put the game away with a 22-yard touchdown run as the Steelers went up 42-21 with five minutes to play. It was Bell’s first three-touchdown game in his career.
On third and eight, Stephon Tuitt tripped up Jason Campbell as he scrambled, forcing the Bengals to punt.
Josh Harris was given mop up duty up three scores, gaining two yards and then four to set up third and four. Harris was stopped after just a yard, bringing the game to the two-minute warning as the Steelers set to punt.
In mop up time, Arthur Moats got to Campbell and knocked the ball out, recovered by Jason Worild to end the game.
