Steelers rally for win over Bengals
Boswell’s field goal caps wild comeback. Shazier is hospitalized with back injury.
CINCINNATI — No matter how high the stakes, how big the deficit or how late in the game, Ben Roethlisberger and his tough-tocatch playmakers always find a way to leave the Cincinnati Bengals wondering what just happened.
Chris Boswell kicked a field goal on the final play shortly after Antonio Brown caught a six-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 of frightening injuries. Brown's touchdown tied the score at 20-20 with 3:51 to play — safety George Iloka was penalized for hitting him in the head after the catch. Boswell won it with a 38-yard field goal, his second consecutive winner in the closing seconds after he beat the Green Bay Packers with a 53-yard field goal Nov. 26.
“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 victory 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 in a row and nine of 10 against the Steelers.
“Very disappointing,” Bengals receiver A.J. Green said. “We had it.”
The hard-hitting game was full of personal fouls, penalties and injuries that could have a long-term effect on the Steelers.
Their leading tackler, linebacker Ryan Shazier, suffered a back injury in the first quarter and was taken off the field on a cart en route to a hospital for evaluation. Coach Mike Tomlin had no details about his injury or his prognosis after the game.
Burfict was carted off in the fourth quarter after JuJu Smith-Schuster leveled him with a high hit, then taunted the linebacker by walking over him. There were 11 personal fouls in another acrimonious rematch in their hard-edged series. The Bengals self-destructed with 13 penalties for a team-record 173 yards.