CINCINNATI (AP) — No matter how high the stakes
Tedy Bruschi Jerseys Stitched , how big the deficit or how late in the game, Ben Roethlisberger and his tough-to-catch playmakers always find a way to leave the Bengals wondering what just happened.Chris Boswell kicked a field goal on the final play shortly after Antonio Brown caught a 6-yard touchdown pass — taking a hit to the head while landing in the end zone — and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another improbable comeback against the stunned Bengals, rallying for a 23-20 victory Monday night.Down 17-0 early, the Steelers (10-2) extended their best start since 2004 in a physical game with a couple frightening injuries. Brown’s touchdown tied it at 20 with 3:51 to go — safety George Iloka was penalized for hitting him in the head after the catch. Boswell won it with 38-yard field goal, his second straight winner in the closing seconds.Both teams know the script.“It sort of reminded me of the playoff game — what was it, two years ago?” Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “It’s sort of the best reality TV show out there — better than the Kardashians.”Two years ago, the Steelers came to Paul Brown Stadium and pulled out an improbable 18-16 playoff win set up by Cincinnati’s fumble and personal fouls on Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones. Boswell won that one with a 35-yard kick with 14 seconds left.Desperate for a win to salvage their playoff hopes, the Bengals (5-7) still couldn’t find a way to beat their Ohio River rival, not even after getting off to the big early lead. They’ve dropped six straight and nine of 10 against Pittsburgh.“Very disappointing,” said Bengals receiver A.J. Green, who had two touchdown catches in the first half. “We had it.”Nope. They never do, not against the Steelers.“We’ve got a no-blink group,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’ve been in this situation before, and in this stadium before.”The hard-hitting game was full of personal fouls
Youth Steve Grogan Jerseys , penalties and injuries that could have a long-term effect, especially for the AFC North leaders.Pittsburgh lost leading tackler Ryan Shazier to a back injury in the first quarter. The linebacker was taken off the field on a cart and taken to a hospital for evaluation. Tomlin had no details about his injury or his prognosis after the game. ESPN reported that Tomlin went to the hospital after the game to check on Shazier.“Ryan is one of the biggest players on this defense,” linebacker Vince Williams said. “When we need a big play, he’s one of the guys we look to. It’s going to be tough.”Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was carted off in the fourth quarter after JuJu Smith-Schuster leveled him with a high hit, then taunted him by walking over him.There were four penalties for unnecessary roughness, one for unsportsmanlike conduct, one for roughing the passer and another for taunting. The Bengals self-destructed with 13 penalties for a team-record 173 yards.The Steelers remain tied with New England for best record in the conference. They host the Patriots on Dec. 17.Bottled up by Cincinnati’s aggressive defense in the first half, Pittsburgh’s playmakers made the difference down the stretch, just as they have all season. They rallied to beat the Packers 31-28 last Sunday on Boswell’s 53-yard field goal on the final play, which was set up by Brown’s incredible sideline catch.After missing practice last week with an injured toe, Brown ran gingerly in pregame warmups and had another big game, finishing with 101 yards in eight catches.Le’Veon Bell ran for 76 yards and had another 106 yards on five catches, including a 35-yard touchdown play in which he remarkably kept his balance along the sideline — cornerback William Jackson pulled up, thinking there was no way he could stay inbound.It’s the first time that Bell and Brown each had 100 yards receiving in the same game. Ben Roethlisberger was 24 of 40 for 290 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.PRIME-TIME OPPOSITESThe Steelers have won 11 straight prime-time games
Steve Grogan Jerseys Stitched , including four already this season against the Lions (Sunday night), the Titans (Thursday night) and the Packers (last Sunday night). It’s been a horrific time slot for the Bengals, who are 11-24 on Monday night, dropping their past four.PRIME-TIME PLAYERSRoethlisberger has won his last seven prime-time starts, throwing 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. In those games, Brown has 58 catches for 883 yards with 15 touchdowns.IN YOUR FACEBell and Burfict have a long-running feud on Twitter, and it got in-your-face right away. After Jones picked off a pass to end the Steelers’ opening possession, Bell shoved Burfict’s facemask and drove him to the ground, drawing a personal foul.BIG NUMBERRoethlisberger became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 yards passing, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tom Brady
Youth John Hannah Jerseys , Dan Marino, John Elway and Eli Manning.OTHER INJURIESSteelers: Brown missed practice last week with a toe injury. He moved slowly during pregame warmups but started and finished with eight catches for 101 yards.Bengals: Jones injured his groin on his first-quarter interception and didn’t return. Running back Joe Mixon suffered a concussion late in the first half.UP NEXTSteelers host second-place Baltimore (7-5) next Sunday night in their fourth prime-time game of the season. They won at Baltimore 26-9 on Oct. 1.Bengals host the Bears (3-9), completing a stretch of three straight home games. Cincinnati is 3-2 at Paul Brown Stadium this season. Derek Carr avoided a sack, stepped up in the pocket and found Brandon LaFell for a go-ahead 6-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter for the Oakland Raiders.He then let out a scream in his most boisterous celebration of the season, letting out the pent up frustration from one of the more trying weeks of his career.It proved to be short-lived relief as the Raiders collapsed again in the fourth quarter and lost for the sixth time in seven games this season, falling 42-28 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.Carr's no-good, very bad week that started with a trade of his No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper, featured reports questioning his toughness and his teammates' belief in him as well as his long-term future with the Raiders ended with another loss."I had to answer some funny questions, but you know I know that you guys have to do your jobs," Carr said. "It's nothing personal, I know that. It was different. If I'm being honest as a human, it was hard. A lot of the stuff that was going around, I was like, 'Man
John Hannah Jerseys Stitched , that's just not true and that hurts.' Especially just as a man, not even a football player. My goodness, enough is enough. Just to be able to go out here and play football again."Carr played well, throwing three touchdown passes and running it in for a fourth score. He completed 17 straight passes at one point and played turnover-free for just the second time this season.But it wasn't enough to get the Raiders (1-6) out of their rut thanks to an even better performance from Andrew Luck and the Colts (3-5), who broke the game open with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter."I think he's the strength of this team and I'm excited about him," coach Jon Gruden said.Here are some other takeaways from the game:MOST POINTS IN NFL HISTORYVinatieri set the record as the NFL's top all-time scorer in the first half. He kicked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter to tie Morten Andersen with 2,544 points and then added a 25-yarder late in the second to set the record. Vinatieri scored three more points, giving him 2,550 for his career."I never thought I'd play that long," said the 45-year-old Vinatieri, who is in his 23rd NFL season. "I never thought I'd be standing here talking to you guys about all-time records. But I love my teammates 鈥?all of them 鈥?for the last 20-something years, unselfishly going out there and helping me do my job. A lot of great memories along the way. I think that's the best part about this day 鈥?less the record and more that we got the record in a win."TIGHT END TRIOLuck threw TD passes to tight ends Mo Alie-Cox, Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle, making the Colts the first team since the 1970 merger to get TD catches from three tight ends in the same game. Doyle's 10-yarder put the Colts up for good but the most impressive was the first
Infant Joejuan Williams Jersey , a 26-yarder with one hand by Alie-Cox."I don't get too emotional on the sideline, but I got pretty jacked up after that catch," coach Frank Reich said. "That was unreal. That catch will rival anything that we'll see. Big time."MIGHTY MACKColts running back Marlon Mack followed up last week's career-best, 126-yard performance against Buffalo with an even better one. He ran for 132 yards and two TDs. This is just the sixth time the Colts have had a 100-yard rusher during Luck's seven NFL seasons and the first time since Joseph Addai did it in 2007 that a back topped the century mark in consecutive games."Definitely as a running back, more carries you feel like you get more comfortable in the game," Mack said. "That really, truly helps you out. Even if you do get less, you have to make what (they give you) work."MARTIN'S GAFFEThe game turned in the fourth quarter when Doug Martin fumbled on the first play from scrimmage after Luck's TD pass to Doyle had given the Colts the lead. That set up Mack's second TD run and spoiled what had been a promising day for Martin in his first start in place of the injured Marshawn Lynch. Martin had 13 carries for 72 yards and caught two passes for 17."To fumble like that at the end, it sucks but a lot of guys went out there and played their hearts out," Martin said. "They put it all out there on the field."