Steelers primed for rematch with Jaguars

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have near the playoff experience as the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jacksonville, though, has winning experience at Heinz Field.

The champions of the AFC South (Jaguars) and AFC North (Steelers) will meet Sunday in the divisional round with the winner advancing to the AFC Championship Game against Tennessee or New England on Jan. 21.

Jacksonville trounced Pittsburgh 30-9 on Oct. 8 at Heinz Field, forcing Steelers two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into a career-worst five interceptions.

The Steelers (13-3) went on to win 10 of their last 11 games to secure the AFC's second seed and first-round bye.

"We've evolved since then," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "They have evolved a lot since then. (The first game) is a good physical reference in terms of the matchups. ... I am sure that they are as different as we are since the last time we've seen them."

The Jaguars are hoping that the evolution has been minimal, especially the passing game. Roethlisberger said last week he was hoping the Steelers would get to play the Jaguars.

Jacksonville All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey helped grant his wish with his interception in the final seconds to seal Jacksonville's 10-3 victory over Buffalo in the wild-card round Sunday at EverBank Field. The win was Jacksonville's first in the playoffs since the 2007 season, its last appearance.

The Jaguars (11-6) returned two Roethlisberger interceptions for touchdowns in the first meeting.

The 35-year-old Roethlisberger wondered "if he still has it" after the loss when meeting with reporters.

Ramsey said with the Bills game behind them, Big Ben's comments about wanting a rematch have their attention.

"I'm sure it will be brought up a couple times this week," Ramsey said. "I would want to play us again too. He threw five picks and was contemplating retirement saying whether he had it or not after playing us. They had a good season after our game. But, sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for. We'll see Big Ben and the Steelers on Sunday. We'll see what happens then."

Ramsey intercepted a pass in the Pittsburgh win and deflected four passes. One breakup resulted in strong safety Barry Church intercepting a pass and returning it 51 yards for a touchdown.

Roethlisberger was quick to praise the Jaguars' defense this week.

"This is one of the best defenses I've ever played against," Roethlisberger said.

The Steelers finished the season ranked third in the NFL in passing yardage, with the Jaguars first in pass defense.

"They play to our strengths," Ramsey said. "They think that passing is their strength. Defending the pass is our strength. Any team that tries to pass the ball on us 40 times hasn't had success on us and I don't think will have success on us. We have to grind this week though. They're a good team coming off the bye. We're going to have to have a great game plan and execute."

Ramsey will be in the headlining matchup Sunday as he goes up against Steelers All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown, who caught 10 passes for 157 yards on 19 targets in the first meeting.

Brown injured his calf on Dec. 17, but is expected to play Sunday. The eighth-year veteran led the NFL in receiving yards this season with 1,533 (89 more than No. 2 Julio Jones), despite missing the final two games of the season.

Pittsburgh will also try to lean more on All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell, who was held to 93 total yards in the first meeting.

"He's not one-dimensional," Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. "It's not like this guy is going to take the ball and run downhill and run you over every single time he takes it. He can do that. He can also get the ball outside. He has excellent patience. He has a really good understanding of the blocking scheme. He's a natural catcher."

The big question is how much will Pittsburgh really need to score? Jacksonville's offense has been sluggish lately, scoring 20 total points in its last two outings combined.

Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles wasn't effective in the first meeting. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 95 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a 48.2 passer rating.

The Jaguars' top-ranked run offense had one of its best days of the season, generating 231 yards. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette carried 28 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-clinching 90-yard score.

"Hopefully, we can throw less," Bortles said. "That would be awesome. Leonard goes off again and those guys up front play as well as they did last time, we can run the ball up there and not have to throw at all. It was something that happened last time, but you never know."

Steelers clinch first-round bye with 34-6 win over Texans

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger told his teammates they didn't need to make up for Antonio Brown's absence. He just wanted everyone to do what they could to help out, figuring that would be enough.

It certainly was.

"I know everyone was thinking about A.B. not being out there and trying to fill those shoes, but you can't fill those shoes," Roethlisberger said. "I just tried to tell them: `Don't try to fill them, just try to be the best you can be.'"

Roethlisberger threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns in the first game since Brown injured his calf, and the Steelers clinched a first-round playoff bye with a 34-6 win over the Texans. Roethlisberger threw passes to six players as Pittsburgh (12-3) romped over the lowly Texans (4-11) despite missing the NFL's leading receiver.

"It just kind of shows how many weapons we actually have in our offense ... everybody played well," Le'Veon Bell said. "Ben made the plays when he needed to. I made some plays on third down when I needed to. It was literally a total team effort."

The Steelers led 20-0 at halftime after taking advantage of two turnovers by the Texans. Bell added a 10-yard TD run late in the third quarter and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster made it 34-6 with an 18-yard touchdown grab in the fourth.

Bell finished with 14 carries for 69 yards and Smith-Schuster had six receptions for 75 yards.

"Significant day for us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "Our last regular-season road game, finishing 7-1, getting our 12th win, securing a ticket to the second round. All very positive things, but it's kind of the culmination of being singularly focused on the next opportunity."

T.J. Yates was 7 of 16 for 83 yards and a touchdown for the Texans, who lost their fifth straight game and for the eighth time in nine games.

"It's brutal," coach Bill O'Brien said of Houston's skid. "It's been a tough year."

Yates made his second straight start since Tom Savage sustained a concussion. Yates left the game briefly on Monday to be evaluated for a concussion, and his replacement, Taylor Heinicke, sustained a concussion on his only full possession.

Roethlisberger was replaced by backup Landry Jones with about six minutes remaining and the game well in hand.

The Steelers hurried and harassed Yates all day with Mike Hilton leading the way with three sacks and three quarterback hits, Cameron Heyward adding two and forcing a fumble. Hilton became the first cornerback with three sacks in a game since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

The Texans couldn't do much right on a day their home stadium was overtaken by vocal Steelers fans waving their Terrible Towels. One of the few highlights came on an acrobatic 3-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins in the fourth quarter. Hopkins deflected the ball with his right hand, reeled it in with his left and got both feet down before falling out of bounds for his NFL-best and franchise-record 13th touchdown reception.

Hopkins may have been the only one who wasn't impressed with the grab.

"I'm mad I didn't catch it the first time," he said. "Like me, who I am, I was supposed to catch that one the first time with my right hand."

The Steelers took a 10-0 lead when Roethlisberger connected with Justin Hunter on a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Alfred Blue had a 48-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to get the Texans to the Pittsburgh 18-yard line. The Texans got to the 1 on second down later in that drive, but couldn't do anything on the next two plays before Yates was intercepted in the end zone.

Pittsburgh added a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Roosevelt Nix on the ensuing possession. Heyward sacked Yates three plays later and caused a fumble recovered by Bud Dupree to give the Steelers the ball right back.

Pittsburgh added a 36-yard field goal on the next drive to push the lead to 20-0.

Yates was sacked again on Houston's next possession and injured on the play. He left the game to be evaluated for a concussion, forcing the Texans to play Heinicke.

Heinicke finished that possession and remained in the game for the first drive of the third quarter while Yates was being evaluated. But Heinicke took a hard hit on a sack on the last play of that drive and had to be evaluated for a concussion, too.

FAMILY TIME

J.J. Watt didn't get to play on Monday as he recovers from a broken leg, but spent some time pregame with his brother, Pittsburgh rookie linebacker T.J. Watt. Houston's defensive end threw the ball around with T.J. and the brothers also posed for some pictures with their parents before the game.

T.J. was disappointed that his brother didn't get to play on Monday, but is looking forward to seeing him return next season.

"I wish he was out there just to be a dominant force for them," T.J. said. "But I know he'll come back bigger, faster and stronger."

INJURY UPDATE

Houston cornerback Kevin Johnson injured his knee in the third quarter and didn't return. ... Texans safety Corey Moore also injured his knee in the second half and didn't return.

UP NEXT

Steelers: Host the Browns on Sunday.

Texans: Visit Indianapolis on Sunday.

Patriots outlast Steelers on late TD reversal

PITTSBURGH -- Tom Brady broke the Pittsburgh Steelers' hearts again, and he got help from Duron Harmon.

Brady led New England to a touchdown with 56 seconds left that gave the Patriots a 27-24 win over the Steelers on Sunday, ruining Pittsburgh's chance to clinch a first-round playoff bye and potentially home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The game was marred by a left calf injury sustained in the first half by Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who was taken to a hospital for further examination and treatment. Multiple media outlets reported that Brown will miss the rest of the regular season but might be able to return for the postseason.

An 8-yard run by Dion Lewis capped New England's go-ahead, 77-yard drive in 1:10 to complete a rally from a 24-16 deficit.

The Steelers came right back on a 69-yard catch-and-run by rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster. The play moved the ball to the New England 10-yard line with 34 seconds left.

Tight end Jesse James appeared to have scored the go-ahead touchdown, but his 10-yard reception was reviewed and James was ruled to have not completed the catch. The ball came loose when he impacted the ground.

"I thought that he crossed the plane before the ball hit the ground," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "But the rule is you must possess it all the way through."

Referee Tony Corrente, speaking to a pool reporter, said, "To have a completed pass, a receiver must survive going to the ground. In this case, he had control of the football, but he was going to the ground. As he hit the ground, the ball began to roll and rotate, and the ball hit the ground, and that's the end of it at that point."

After the play was overturned, the Steelers faced second down with 28 seconds left. Roethlisberger threw a 3-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was tackled inbounds.

The Steelers, without any timeouts, lined up quickly. Roethlisberger faked a spike -- after communicating with slot receiver Eli Rogers -- and threw to Rogers on a slant in the end zone. However, cornerback Eric Rowe deflected the ball, and it was intercepted by Harmon with five seconds left.

"The fake spike is something we see all the time," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "I think all great quarterbacks do that. If they can catch you sleeping and get an easy play, they're going to try to do it.

"You could see us yelling and screaming the coverage, trying to line guys up and get set because we knew there was a chance. If they spike it, they spike it."

Steelers guard David DeCastro said, "It's tough, man. It's hard to put in words. It was a heck of an emotional swing.

"I don't know if I've ever been a part of something like that, that big, back and forth like that. We'll see how we respond, if it makes us hungrier or not. There's still more football to play, thankfully."

Vince Williams made the Steelers' defensive play of the game to help turn a one-point lead into an eight-point advantage late in the third quarter. The linebacker's interception of Brady's third-and-2 pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski gave the Steelers the ball at the New England 22.

Le'Veon Bell gave the Steelers a 24-16 lead with a 3-yard touchdown run behind a pulling DeCastro with 1:33 left in the third.

New England's Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 46-yard field goal with 3:56 remaining to cut into the deficit, and fate did the rest.

"We have a lot of football ahead of us," Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. "We can be dejected, but I like where we are at."

The Steelers hoped this was the game they could hurdle the Patriots, but New England extinguished Pittsburgh's hope for a quick start by scoring the game's first touchdown.

Two play-action fakes by Brady in the backfield allowed Brandin Cooks to get open for a 43-yard completion on the Patriots' first possession. Two plays later, Rex Burkhead ran through right guard for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Steelers answered with a touchdown, thanks to third-down catch-and-runs by Brown and Smith-Schuster. The catches set up Roethlisberger's 18-yard touchdown pass to Rogers to tie the score at 7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

The Steelers jumped to a 10-7 lead on a 51-yard Chris Boswell field goal early in the second quarter, but at a high cost. Brown injured his left calf in the end zone two plays before the field goal and was helped off the field.

Gostkowski tied the score at 10 with a 32-yard field goal with 9:04 left in the second quarter. The kick was set up by a 31-yard Brady pass to Gronkowski while the Steelers had only 10 men on the field.

The Steelers put together a long 8:39 drive to finish the half with a 17-10 lead. Roethlisberger ended it with a 4-yard pass to Martavis Bryant, who ran under the spot pass and made a one-handed catch in the end zone.

Brady took the Patriots in for a touchdown to open the second half. His third-down pass to Cooks delivered a 4-yard touchdown, but Gostkowski missed the extra point attempt and the Steelers clung to a 17-16 lead with 8:50 left in the third quarter.

The wild fourth quarter followed to put the Patriots in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

NOTES: Pittsburgh LB Ryan Shazier was at the game in a luxury suite. ... Steelers rookie CB Cameron Sutton started for the first time in his career as Joe Haden was deactivated. ... Cameron Heyward's first-quarter sack was his 10th of the season, the first Steelers defensive lineman since Keith Willis in (12 in 1986) with double-digit sacks in a season. ... With his first catch, WR Antonio Brown became the first player in NFL history with five consecutive 100-reception seasons. ... WR Kenny Britt made his first catch with the Patriots in the second quarter, a 7-yarder. New England recently signed Britt after he was released by the Cleveland Browns. ... Patriots RB Rex Burkhead was helped from the field after a knee injury on a carry near the goal line early in the third quarter. ... Steelers rookie RB James Conner was helped off the field with 9:41 left due to a sprained knee.

Record performance by Roethlisberger rallies Steelers by Ravens

PITTSBURGH -- Call them the Cardiac Kids.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won another game on a Chris Boswell field goal in the final minute to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 39-38 on Sunday night in a wild game at Heinz Field.

The Steelers (11-2) won their eighth straight game and clinched the AFC North Division title. The Ravens fell to 7-6.

It was the fourth time in the last five games that a late Boswell field goal gave Pittsburgh a win. Unlike the other three, the Steelers left time on the clock, but a T.J. Watt sack of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco ended the game and wrapped up the division title.

"Gotta love Boz," said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "I hate that we put it on his shoulders, but there's nobody I'd rather have doing it than him."

The Steelers rallied from a 39-28 deficit with 2:31 left on a record performance by Roethlisberger. He completed a career-high 44 passes on a career-high 66 attempts for 506 yards. Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards.

Roethlisberger became the first quarterback with three career 500-yard games. Drew Brees of New Orleans is the only other quarterback with two 500-yard games, a total that has been reached only 21 times in league history.

Guard Ramon Foster called it, "a sneaky 500."

"Nobody knew. We were just rolling," said Foster. "Everybody's locked in. Nobody's worried about anything and that's what we found in each other. Nobody's pointing fingers. Nobody's mad. We had some issues, but everybody kept it tight and that's how you get a sneaky 500, when nobody cares who gets the praise."

"I had no idea," said Roethlisberger. "Needed every one, though, didn't we?"

They needed every one of their 545 yards of offense because the defense, playing without hospitalzied linebacker Ryan Shazier, allowed 413, with most of the damage coming in the third quarter.

Trailing 20-14 at halftime, the Ravens scored 17 unanswered points to open the second half. A 40-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Mike Wallace set up a 47-yard Justin Tucker field goal that cut the deficit to 20-17 with 10:06 left in the third quarter.

Baltimore finally took the lead with 5:20 left in that quarter on an easy seven-play, 60-yard drive through the toothless Steelers defense in 3:06. Alex Collins ripped off a 17-yard run past linebacker Arthur Moats to the Pittsburgh 1, from where Buck Allen, lined up as a fullback, bulled his way into the end zone for a touchdown and a 24-20 lead.

The assault continued with another Ravens touchdown in three plays. Fullback Patrick Ricard caught a 6-yard pass from Flacco for a score to complete an embarrassing defensive showing with 46 yards on two penalties and a 21-yard run by Collins. It put the Ravens ahead 31-20 with 2:43 left in the third quarter.

Boswell kicked his third field goal, a 24-yarder, to cut the lead to 31-23 with 12:16 left in the game.

Roethlisberger tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Roosevelt Nix with 9:15 left to play to put the Steelers into position to tie the game. But, after a pass interference penalty moved the conversion attempt to the 1, running back Le'Veon Bell was stopped running wide and the Ravens held on to their two-point lead.

Baltimore answered with a 9-yard touchdown run by Allen, but the Steelers stormed back with an 11-yard touchdown run by Bell to cut the lead to 38-36 with 3:15 remaining.

Pittsburgh then took the 39-38 lead with a 46-yard Boswell field goal that proved to be the game-winner.

"Obviously, we've got some things that we need to work on," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "But we'll work on those things in our AFC North hats and t-shirts. For that, we are thankful."

"You can never take the gas pedal off when you're playing this team," said Ravens safety Eric Weddle. "We played outstanding in the third quarter. Going into the fourth, we made three or four stops in a row. Then they just get on these runs that we can't dig ourselves out of. You can't do that against any team, let alone one of the best quarterbacks ever to do it."

An interception kick-started the Steelers' opening touchdown drive. The Ravens took the opening kickoff and drove to the Pittsburgh 30, but on third-and-4, Flacco was intercepted by safety Sean Davis at the 6.

Davis returned it to the Pittsburgh 41 and Roethlisberger went to work. His eight-play drive was capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bell, who beat safety Tony Jefferson in coverage and ran through linebacker C.J. Mosley and Weddle at the goal line to score.

The Steelers increased their lead to 14-0 on their second possession. A 28-yard Roethlisberger pass to Brown put the ball at the Baltimore 6, and a pass interference penalty on cornerback Maurice Canady moved the ball to the Baltimore 1. Bell scored his second touchdown by running over Jefferson.

Chris Moore put the Ravens on the board by hauling in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Flacco with 9:07 left in the half. It was Moore's second career touchdown catch and it cut the Steelers' lead to 14-7.

A 43-yard Roethlisberger pass to Brown set up a 52-yard field goal by Boswell that gave the Steelers a 17-7 lead with 4:14 left in the half.

The Ravens came right back behind Collins, who ripped through some shoddy Steelers tackling for a 37-yarder down the sideline before running 18 yards for a touchdown that cut the lead to 17-14 with 1:53 remaining.

A 43-yard field goal by Boswell with one second left in the half gave the Steelers a 20-14 lead at the break.

NOTES: Sean Spence, picked up Wednesday by the Steelers to replace the injured Ryan Shazier and Tyler Matakevich, started next to Vince Williams at inside linebacker. ... Ravens first-round draft pick Marlon Humphrey made his second career start, as a replacement for injured and suspended cornerback Jimmy Smith. ... Boswell's 52-yard field goal in the second quarter was one yard short of a Heinz Field record Boswell had matched in the Steelers' previous home game.

Steelers' Ryan Shazier hospitalized with spinal contusion

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was hospitalized after suffering a spinal contustion during the first quarter of Monday's 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, multiple team sources told NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala.

In a statement released by the team, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Shazier underwent a CT scan and an MRI at the hospital and that he will not need surgery at this time. He said Shazier will remain in the hospital overnight for further evaluation with "hopes of returning to Pittsburgh on Tuesday."

Doctors will know more about Shazier's injury once some of the injury's swelling recedes, Kinkhabwala reported.

Shazier rammed his helmet into receiver Josh Malone's thigh. He immediately reached for his back and wiggled both arms into the air. His legs did not appear to move after the hit. Shazier was strapped to a backboard and carted off the field.

"This is a tough game, a tough business," coach Mike Tomlin said. "5-0 is our brother. Our thoughts and prayers out to him. ... We care about that man, we care about all the men. But that's just a tough element of our game, one that we all understand."

Tyler Matakevich, a 2016 seventh-round draft pick, entered the game in Shazier's place next to Vince Williams at linebacker.

Information from Chris Wesseling's article on NFL.com was used in this report.

Brown, Boswell lead Steelers to 23-20 win over Bengals

By JOE KAY
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — No matter how high the stakes, 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, 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 OPPOSITES

The Steelers have won 11 straight prime-time games, 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 PLAYERS

Roethlisberger 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 FACE

Bell 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 NUMBER

Roethlisberger became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 yards passing, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Dan Marino, John Elway and Eli Manning.

OTHER INJURIES

Steelers: 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 NEXT

Steelers 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.

Brown, Boswell lead Steelers to 23-20 win over Bengals

By JOE KAY
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — No matter how high the stakes, 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, 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 OPPOSITES

The Steelers have won 11 straight prime-time games, 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 PLAYERS

Roethlisberger 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 FACE

Bell 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 NUMBER

Roethlisberger became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 yards passing, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Dan Marino, John Elway and Eli Manning.

OTHER INJURIES

Steelers: 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 NEXT

Steelers 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.

Steelers, Brown hold off Packers 31-28

By WILL GRAVES
Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers had the ball, 17 seconds and about 30 yards to go to avoid overtime against relentlessly resilient Green Bay.

Oh, and the Steelers had Antonio Brown. The Packers did not. And 17 seconds, 30ish yards provided entirely by Pittsburgh's do-everything wide receiver and one 53-yard field goal from Chris Boswell later, the Steelers were dancing on the logo at midfield following a 31-28 escape on Sunday night.

Pittsburgh (9-2) won its sixth straight behind Brown, who finished with 10 receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Yet the biggest grab was a 23-yard toe-tap along the sideline on the first snap of his team's last-gasp drive that put the Steelers near the fringe of Boswell's range.

At first, it looked as if Brown was out of bounds. Two officials conferred for more than 15 seconds before ruling Brown somehow managed to get both feet down. The call stood on replay.

A more conventional 14-yard reception on the next snap pushed the Steelers closer. Boswell's career-long blast slipped inside the left upright to keep Pittsburgh tied with New England atop the AFC and keep Brown's teammates searching for superlatives.

"It's one thing to do it in practice on a Thursday," guard David Decastro said. "To do it in that situation to get into field goal range? I just, I guess how can you not be surprised?"

Brown wasn't.

"I knew right away I had it," Brown said. "I got my hand on the ball. I knew it was a catch."

One the Steelers needed to avoid perhaps another mystifying loss. Even though the Packers were missing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, running back Ty Montgomery and linebacker Clay Matthews, they pushed Pittsburgh to the limit.

Brett Hundley completed 17 of 26 for 245 yards and three touchdowns for the Packers (5-6) in his best start since taking over when Rodgers went on injured reserve with a broken collarbone last month. Jamaal William ran for 66 yards, including a 4-yard leap into the end zone with 2:02 that tied it at 28.

"I just want to give this team an opportunity to win," Hundley said. "And I feel like we were really close."

Hundley actually had a chance to pull off a Rodgers-like winning drive. But Green Bay went three-and-out after getting the ball with 1:20 to go. The Packers punted it back to Pittsburgh with 17 seconds left. Just enough time, it turns out, for Brown to do his thing and for Boswell to do his.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and special teams coordinator Danny Smith didn't approach Boswell before Boswell headed onto the field to kick into the tricky closed end of Heinz Field. That's not what they do.

"I don't tell them numbers, they don't ask me numbers," Boswell said. "If we need it, we need it and I kick it. That's about it."

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 351 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Le'Veon Bell ran for 95 yards and added another 88 yards receiving but also had a fumble that stalled a drive early in the fourth quarter. The Steelers outgained Green Bay 462-307 and had the ball for nearly 34 minutes.

Yet the Packers counterpunched repeatedly behind Hundley, who threw touchdown passes of 39, 54 and 55 yards then later guided Green Bay on a 12-play, 77-yard drive that was nearly enough to send the game to overtime.

Nearly.

"It was a close game and it came down to the wire and it hurts when you don't finish it off," Green Bay wide receiver Davante Adams said. "I think this team can rally together and finish strong."

"THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM"

The usually taciturn (at least when cameras are rolling) Tomlin raised eyebrows during a pregame interview in which he stressed he believes his team can win the Super Bowl and allowed there's a part of him thinking about New England's visit to Heinz Field on Dec. 17.

"We've got a good football team," Tomlin said. "I've got a great deal of confidence in them. Everybody in America knows it's a big game. We couldn't deny it if we wanted to."

ODD CHOICE

The Packers were up 21-14 and had the ball in Pittsburgh territory in the third quarter when head coach Mike McCarthy sent Mason Crosby out to attempt a 57-yard field goal, a risky move at best let alone in perhaps the hardest stadium in the league to kick.

Crosby's low knuckler was never close and the Steelers took advantage of the short field to even the score at 21 on the first of Brown's two touchdown grabs.

"We needed points," McCarthy said. "You look at the flow of the game ... that's the right decision."

FILLING IN

With Steelers rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster out with a hamstring problem, Martavis Bryant and had his most productive game since returning from a year-long drug suspension that cost him the entire 2016 season. Bryant finished with 99 total yards and his first touchdown since Week 2.

UP NEXT:

Packers: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday. Green Bay is 0-3 at home since Rogers was injured.

Steelers: At Cincinnati on Monday, Dec. 4. Pittsburgh beat the Bengals 29-14 on Oct. 22.

Brown, Judon, Gostkowski named AFC Players of Week 11

​Wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Matthew Judon of the Baltimore Ravens and kicker Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 11 (November 16, November 19-20).

Brown had 10 receptions for 144 yards, and three touchdowns, joining John Stallworth as the only two players in Steelers’ history to score three receiving touchdowns in two separate games. Brown got the Steelers on the board early when he scored on a 41-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger on the team’s opening drive. He added a five-yard reception in the third quarter to give the Steelers a 23-14 lead, one where they would start to pull away from the Titans.

Judon registered two sacks and could have been credited with a third Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. His two sacks for losses of 12 and 13 yards came on the same drive.Judon also forced a fumble for one of the Ravens' five turnovers. He had seven tackles overall, which was the second-most on the team.

Gostkowski was 4-for-4 on field goals in the win over the Raiders, including a franchise record 62-yard kick with time winding down in the first half. He also connected on tries of 51, 40 and 29 yards. It marked the third time in his career that he has kicked two field goals of at least 50 yards in the same game. He had a 51-yarder and a 53-yarder vs. Arizona (9/16/12) and had two 53-yarders at Houston (9/22/16). It is also the 14th time in his career he has made four or more kicks in a single game.

Steelers have issues in the secondary

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 7-2 Sunday by beating the Indianapolis Colts, and they hardly have a chance to catch their breath before facing another AFC South foe. The Tennessee Titans visit Heinz Field Thursday night in another important conference game.

The Steelers and Patriots are tied atop the AFC with seven weeks remaining in the regular season, but the Titans are close behind at 6-3.

The biggest issue this week as the Steelers prepare for the Titans is their secondary. They'll likely be without two starters after cornerback Joe Haden and safety Mike Mitchell were injured against the Colts.

Haden is out indefinitely with a fractured fibula and Mitchell has an ankle injury that did not allow him to return after exiting Sunday's game early in the third quarter.

Veteran Coty Sensabaugh took over for Haden and played the final three quarters at Haden's outside corner position. Robert Golden filled in for Mitchell at safety.

"It definitely hurts when you lose Joe and Mike," linebacker Ryan Shazier said. "Those two guys are great making plays for us. We believe in Coty and Rob when they come in the game."

The Steelers had the second-ranked pass defense in the NFL entering the Colts game. And despite giving up two big passing plays of 60 and 61 yards for touchdowns, the Colts still only managed 222 yards passing. That's about 40 yards over the Steelers' average, but it's still a respectable number given they had to play about half the game without two starters.

Defensive end and team captain Cameron Heyward said the front seven might have more responsibility with Haden and possibly Mitchell out of the lineup.

"We might have to pick it up in the front seven a little bit," he said. "The first half was not indicative of how we want to play. If there are injuries, guys have to step up, not only in the back end but front end, too. We have to get more pressure. We have to get ourselves in better situations where we can light our hair on fire and get to the quarterback."

The winner of the Steelers-Titans game will be in great position to challenge the Patriots for the top seed in the AFC, while the loser will have an uphill climb to get the top spot.

"At the end of the day, I don't think anyone likes short weeks," Shazier said. "Everyone loves prime time, you know, you like to be the only ones on TV, but it kind of stinks sometimes playing two games in (five days). Other sports have to it also. It's part of the game. We're going to go out there, practice, get the game plan and we just need to be more focused this week than we ever have."

--It's looking more and more like the Steelers' defense is going to have to carry the team into the postseason. The offense continues to struggle scoring while the defense continues to limit opponents' scoring.

After giving up 17 points in the first 32 minutes of the game Sunday, the defense pitched a shutout over the final 28 minutes to help the Steelers secure the win. It was the seventh time in the first nine games the Steelers have given up 18 points or fewer.

"I feel like when the defense is on, when we want to play, man, we're on," second-year safety Sean Davis said. "We didn't give up any points in the second half. We can do that all four quarters. We're our own worst enemy. That's how I feel about this defense. I don't feel like anyone can touch us. When we're on, we're on."

--The troubles on offense are plain to see, and frustrations are beginning to boil over. CBS cameras caught offensive coordinator Todd Haley telling quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to shut up, plus a few other words.

The confusion on the Steelers' 2-point conversion typifies what's going on with that unit. The Steelers were forced to call a timeout after a Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Vance McDonald because they could not get aligned correctly. After the timeout, Roethlisberger had to take a delay of game penalty when Martavis Bryant lined up wrong.

In the end, it didn't cost the Steelers because Roethlisberger completed a 7-yard pass to Bryant for the conversion on a different play call. But the miscues are representative of the problems the unit faces.

The Steelers are averaging 20.8 points per game. Their stated goal before the season was to average 30 points per game.

"We have to be better on offense," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "We have to be better winning some third-down situations. We'll get back in the lab and go to work."

NOTES: CB Joe Haden has a fractured fibula in his left leg and has been ruled out for the Thursday night game against the Titans. Head coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers will not immediately place on Haden on injured reserve because they want to give him an opportunity to play again during the regular season if he is able. Estimates for Haden's return are 4-6 weeks, but Tomlin reiterated Monday that it could be a shorter period or a longer period. They just have to wait to see how the bone heals. ... S Mike Mitchell left the Colts game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin did not rule Mitchell out for the Titans game. He said there is a chance, albeit a small one, that he can play. ... TE Vance McDonald injured an ankle in Sunday's game and is in the same boat as Mike Mitchell. The team will wait to see how he progresses during the short week.

REPORT CARD VS. COLTS

--PASSING OFFENSE: B -- Ben Roethlisberger was 12 of 16 in the second half, including 4 of 4 on the Steelers' final drive that ended with a game-winning field goal as time expired. It was Roethlisberger's 40th fourth-quarter comeback as the Steelers erased a 17-9 deficit with 11 points over the final 1:52. But the Steelers needed a late comeback because the offense was so inconsistent in the first half. Roethlisberger threw an interception and had a 33.2 passer rating at halftime, when the Steelers trailed 10-3. The Colts doubled Antonio Brown for most of the game, which freed up rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster to catch five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Vance McDonald scored his first touchdown with the Steelers. He was acquired in a trade shortly before the regular season began.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C-minus -- The Steelers averaged just 2.9 yards per carry against a defense that entered the game 26th in the NFL in rush defense. Le'Veon Bell had 80 yards, but he needed 26 carries to do it. His longest run of the day was 15 yards. The inability to run led to the Steelers having to rely on the pass to win. It worked against the Colts, but the Steelers are going to need a stronger running game to get past better teams.

--PASS DEFENSE: C -- The Steelers gave up touchdown passes of 60 and 61 yards as their second-ranked pass defense showed some cracks for a second consecutive game. Jacoby Brissett finished the game 14 of 24 for 222 yards so the Steelers didn't give up much other than the big plays. It didn't help matters that starting corner Joe Haden left the game in the first quarter with a fractured fibula, or when starting safety Mike Mitchell left the game in the second half with an ankle injury. But the reserves played well in the second half. Coty Sensabaugh filled in for Haden and Robert Golden for Mitchell. Brissett completed just five passes in the second half. The Steelers tightened up when they had to, but giving up big plays is not a recipe for success for a team that's struggled to score.

--RUSH DEFENSE: B -- The Steelers held the Colts to just 2.4 yards per carry thanks to a stifling second-half performance in which the Colts managed just 21 yards on the ground. Frank Gore had some success in the first half, which helped the Colts' offense move the ball and score 10 points. But once the Steelers shut him down in the second half, the game turned in their favor. The Steelers would do well to become a more consistent team when it comes to stuffing the run, but they made the necessary adjustments against the Colts and got a victory on the road.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-minus -- The field-goal unit could use some extra practice this week. Chris Boswell had an extra point blocked and missed a 37-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter when the game was tied. Both miscues might have cost the Steelers the game. The Steelers were able to tie the score and make up the points by converting a 2-point conversion try in the fourth quarter, and Boswell redeemed himself by booting the game-winning 33-yarder as time expired. Consecutive holding penalties on punts forced two re-kicks and cost the Steelers 22 yards in field position in the first quarter. Perhaps the best play by the special teams came from punter Jordan Berry and tight end Jesse James. They hustled after the extra-point block and thwarted a Colts 2-point try when they tackled Matthias Farley 3 yards short of the end zone.

--COACHING: B-minus -- The Steelers almost lost another game against a big underdog, a bugaboo over the years for head coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers were 10-point favorites and sleepwalked their way through the first half before scoring 17 points in the second half to get the road victory. Give defensive coordinator Keith Butler credit for bringing more pressure in the second half and making Jacoby Brissett uncomfortable. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley continues to struggle with his play-calling, but he also made the necessary adjustments after halftime to get the victory. All in all, it was a win, but the feeling persists that poor game-planning and execution will doom this team against a worthy opponent.

Steelers pleased bye is here

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 as they streak into their off week, and they are feeling good about their chances to earn the top seed in the AFC.

After beating the Detroit Lions 20-15 on Sunday, the Steelers are tied atop the AFC with the Patriots and were a half-game ahead of the Chiefs prior to Kansas City's Monday night game against Denver. The Steelers would own the tiebreaker over the Chiefs because of their head-to-head victory in Kansas City earlier this month. The Steelers play host to the Patriots at Heinz Field in December.

That's not all there is to like about the second-half schedule. Other than the Patriots, the only teams with winning records are the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, and they're just 4-3.

The other six opponents are .500 or worse, including the 2-6 Colts, whom the Steelers visit for their next game Nov. 12.

The Steelers have won three consecutive games, but count head coach Mike Tomlin among those who believe the off week is coming at an ideal time for the Steelers. They played without right tackle Marcus Gilbert for a third consecutive game due to a hamstring injury and had to play without starting defensive end Stephon Tuitt for a second game in a row because of a back injury.

Others went down during the game. Chris Hubbard, the replacement for Gilbert, sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter, so third-string tackle Matt Feiler had to finish the game. Safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis also left the game in the second half. Mitchell did not return.

"We're going to need this bye week to get right in several ways," Tomlin said. "Obviously, we need to continue to work to get better and analyze what we do, but just from a health standpoint, I think it's an appropriate time."

One thing the coaches will be examining during the off week is the offense that has struggled to score points on a consistent basis. The Steelers are 20th in the NFL in scoring, averaging just a shade under 21 points per game.

The Lions game was an example of how the Steelers have played on offense through eight games. They had almost 400 total yards, but could only manage 20 points. For the season, they rank 11th in the league in total offense.

"That's been the story of our season so far," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "Going to the bye at 6-2 feels really good. It can be frustrating at times offensively because we're not executing the way we want to, but we're finding ways to win football games. Being able to hold onto the ball at the end of the game, converting that third down, taking a knee ... That's the greatest play in football, when you can take a knee to seal it. When we can find ways to win football games, our defense is stepping up huge. We need them to keep playing like that because the offense is going to come around."

--Tomlin challenged his defense early last week. While the Steelers were No. 1 in the league in pass defense and second in total defense, he confronted his defenders in front of the entire team when he noted how poorly rated that unit was in the red zone.

The Steelers entered the Lions game 26th in the league in red-zone defense. Opposing teams had converted 62.5 percent of their trips inside the Steelers' 20-yard line into touchdowns.

But against the Colts, the Steelers rose up and pitched a shutout. The Lions had five possessions inside the red zone, including three inside the 10-yard line, and the Steelers did not allow the Lions to score a touchdown.

"He called us out in front of the whole team," linebacker Vince Williams said. "He was like y'all red-zone defense sucks," Williams said. "The only thing that's saving y'all is people aren't getting down there much. If you let people down there you have to stop them."

The Lions had almost 500 yards of total offense, including 423 passing yards from Matthew Stafford. Giving up that many yards usually isn't a recipe for success, but the Steelers came through with some big stops when they needed them.

"We gave up a lot of yards, but we definitely didn't break," linebacker Ryan Shazier said. "And then I feel like it really helped us grow a bit. We played a great quarterback, man. He's the highest paid in the league for a reason. He has the arm to throw the ball wherever he wants and it was just great to be able to stop him in the red zone and make them kick field goals."

--Tomlin didn't want to speak after the game about his decision to bench wide receiver Martavis Bryant. Bryant was inactive because Tomlin punished him for requesting a trade through his Instagram account. When pressed on whether he is confident Bryant will help his team over the final eight games of the season, Tomlin gave the following answer: "I'm not. We'll see."

Bryant has been upset over the playing time rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has received. Smith-Schuster proved Sunday night why the Steelers like him so much. He caught seven passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown catch was a 97-yarder and tied for the longest play from scrimmage in franchise history.

Plenty of people on the outside wondered how the Steelers' offense would perform without Bryant. But it doesn't sound like any of his teammates are surprised by what Smith-Schuster, who at 20 is the youngest player in the NFL, did against the Lions.

"Big-time player, great performance," fellow receiver Antonio Brown said. "The man stepped up big. He made a huge play down the middle, 97 yards. One of the biggest plays in (Steelers) history. First game starting, I'm really happy for him. Hard-working kid, he comes to work every day and watches everything I do and it's great to see him have a big game today."

"The best player under 21 ever and I mean that," running back Le'Veon Bell said.

The Steelers have plenty of time during their off week to figure out the best way to proceed with their receiver rotation, but Smith-Schuster showed he's capable of playing a lot and producing with more snaps.

Of course, Bell won't be able to say what he did much longer. Smith-Schuster turns 21 on Nov. 22.

NOTES: QB Ben Roethlisberger has thrown touchdown passes of 94, 95 and 97 yards. The 97-yarder was completed to JuJu Smith-Schuster Sunday night in Detroit. The 94-yarder was to Martavis Bryant in 2014 and the 95-yarder was to Mike Wallace in 2010. ... WR JuJu Smith-Schuster's 193 receiving yards were the second-most by a rookie in team history. Jimmy Orr had 205 receiving yards in 1958. ... DE Cameron Heyward recorded his 30th career sack, which is tied for third-most in team history by a defensive lineman.

REPORT CARD VS. LIONS

--PASSING OFFENSE: B -- Ben Roethlisberger threw for 317 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but he and the Steelers left about another 100 yards on the field in missed opportunities. On the Steelers' first drive of the game, receiver Eli Rogers dropped a touchdown pass. In the second half, Roethlisberger overthrew a wide-open Darrius Heyward-Bey on a deep ball in the end zone. He also missed a wide-open Jesse James over the middle for a big gain when he was wide open. But Roethlisberger did throw a perfect pass to Smith-Schuster for the biggest play of the game and 16 other passes, including two others for 40 yards or more.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C -- The Lions were intent on keeping Le'Veon Bell in check, and they were largely successful. Bell, who had 125 rushing yards or more in the previous two games, was held to 76 yards on 25 carries. He did score on a 5-yard run early in the game that gave the Steelers an early edge. But overall, it was just an average game for Bell. His longest run was for 8 yards. As a team, the Steelers averaged just 2.6 yards per carry.

--PASS DEFENSE: C -- The Steelers allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 423 yards. They allowed seven completions of 20 yards or more, including three of 40 yards or more. It was by far the most passing yards the Steelers allowed this season. They entered the game with the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL. But give the Steelers' secondary credit for stepping up when needed. The Lions did not score a touchdown because the defensive backs made plays in the red zone, including three goal-line stands in the second half. It was far from a perfect performance, but the pass defense came up with big plays when needed.

--RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus -- The Lions' leading rusher was Ameer Abdullah with 27 yards on 11 carries. The Lions had just 71 yards rushing for the game with the longest rush being 11 yards. The Steelers have shored up their rush defense after a couple of shoddy performances against the Bears and Jaguars. In their three consecutive victories, opponents have not been able to threaten the Steelers with their running game.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: B -- Punter Jordan Berry had one of the best games of his career. He averaged 47 yards on four punts and pinned the Lions inside their 20 on two of those. Lions punt returner Jamar Agnew, one of the best punt returners in the league in the first half of the season, was a non-factor. Kicker Chris Boswell continued his strong season with two more field goals.

--COACHING: B -- The Steelers won another game on the road, their fourth win away from home in the first eight games. The ability to stack wins on the road is one of the reasons the Steelers are in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler has to worry about his pass defense again after Matthew Stafford threw for 423 yards, but the red-zone defense was the reason the Steelers won. Todd Haley's offense continues to struggle scoring, but one good sign from Sunday was Ben Roethlisberger hitting on some deep balls. He completed three passes of 40 yards or more after struggling to make big plays in the first seven weeks of the season.

Steelers shut down Bengals to pull away for 29-14 win

By WILL GRAVES
Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — JuJu Smith-Schuster hid his eyes, counted to 10 and went looking for Le'Veon Bell.

The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver found his team's star running back crouching behind the goalpost, then proceeded to chase Bell all the way to the sideline as part of a hastily planned touchdown celebration.

"That was just us being dramatic," Bell said with a smile.

In a good way for once.

Smith-Schuster never did catch Bell, by the way . Now he knows how the rest of the AFC North feels about the surging Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards and two scores, Bell added 192 total yards and Pittsburgh's defense dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of a 29-14 victory on Sunday.

A bit of a hot mess after getting upset at home by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Steelers (5-2) have figured things out quickly. They shut down Kansas City on the road last Sunday and followed it up by suffocating Cincinnati in the second half to move into a tie for the AFC's best record as their once-again promising season nears the midway point.

Pittsburgh held the Bengals (2-4) to 19 yards over the final two quarters, intercepting Andy Dalton twice and sacking him four times.

"The sky's the limit," Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree said. "Not even the sky's the limit. We're not going to put a ceiling on our head. We're going to keep going up."

Cincinnati came in looking to add some street cred to their resurgence after their 0-3 start, but instead spent the second half reverting to the kind of ineffective offense that got Ken Zampese fired two weeks into the season. Dalton finished 17 of 30 for 140 yards and the two picks while playing on a twisted ankle.

Dalton's final pass symbolized a frustrating afternoon. Facing fourth down and trailing by two scores with 5 minutes left, Dalton scrambled to his left and then simply threw the ball away to seal Cincinnati's eighth loss in its last night meetings with Pittsburgh.

"Any time you lose a division game, especially to the Steelers, the way they're playing, every game counts," said Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green after being held to three receptions for 41 yards. "It's tough. It sets us behind even more."

Chris Boswell added a Heinz Field-record five field goals for Pittsburgh, which posted its highest points total and appears to be rounding into form as Halloween nears.

Two weeks after openly questioning whether he still "had it," Roethlisberger put together easily his best half of the season. He hit Antonio Brown for a 7-yard touchdown to cap Pittsburgh's first drive, found a wide-open Smith-Schuster for a 31-yard score in the second quarter and threw a perfectly placed 23-yard deep out to Brown late in the second quarter to spark a drive that ended with a 24-yard Chris Boswell field goal that put the Steelers up 20-14 at the half.

Dalton and Cincinnati appeared ready to keep pace early. He connected with Brandon LaFell and Tyler Kroft with first-half touchdowns, but when the Steelers turned the pressure up, the Bengals crumbled.

Cincinnati managed just one first down in the second half, much of which Dalton spent on the run or throwing into trouble. Joe Haden collected his first interceptionwith Pittsburgh when he made a juggling grab that set up a field goal by Boswell. William Gay added one later in the third quarter on an ugly overthrow by Dalton.

GOOD TIMES

Smith-Schuster's joyous game of hide-and-seek turned out to be Bell's brainchild. He approached Smith-Schuster — who at 20 is the NFL's youngest player — about 10 minutes before kickoff with the idea. Smith-Schuster, who earlier this season paid tribute to the cartoon "Dragon Ball Z" after scoring in Baltimore, jumped at the chance.

"We didn't practice it or nothing," Bell said. "It just kind of happened."

HEISMAN'D

Bell's day included 35 carries for 134 yards and three receptions for 58 yards, including a 42-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter that featured Bell stiff-arming Cincinnati's Dre Kirkpatrick to the ground.

"I've been doing a lot of boxing, so that helped me today," Bell said after the Steelers improved to 12-0 when he has at least 25 carries.

TRICKERATION

The Steelers put it out of reach late thanks in part to a 44-yard fake punt pass from Robert Golden to Darrius Heyward-Bey. The team has practiced it weekly for years and Golden found a streaking Heyward-Bey to set up Boswell's final field goal.

"Horrible form," Roethlisberger said. "I told him it looked like he was casting deep sea fishing. But hey, might have been the best pass of the night."

EXTRACURRICULARS

Oft-suspended Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict let his disdain for the Steelers known early. Burfict declined to shake hands when he came out to midfield during the coin toss. Burfict, who was suspended for the first five games of last season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Brown during a playoff loss to the Steelers in January, 2016, then appeared to kick Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix on the second snap of the game as the two were emerging from a pile.

Nix declined to get into specifics about Burfict's behavior, saying simply "that's football."

INJURIES

Steelers tight end Vance McDonald left with a knee injury and did not return. Cincinnati linebacker Kevin Minter exited with a knee injury in the first half and did not return.

UP NEXT

Bengals: Host struggling Indianapolis next Sunday.

Steelers: Visit Detroit next Sunday night. Pittsburgh has won last four meetings with the Lions.

Steelers outlast Chiefs 19-13 to defeat NFL's last unbeaten

By DAVE SKRETTA
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Le'Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers spent Sunday beating up on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Beating up the goal-post padding, too.

The Steelers' star running back churned out 179 yards and a touchdown in a performance reminiscent of January's playoff victory over Kansas City. And Antonio Brown made an acrobatic touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to help Pittsburgh hand the Chiefs a 19-13 loss — their first of the season.

"The biggest thing for us is getting wins," said Bell, who drew a flag for celebrating his score by throwing haymakers at the goal-post stanchion. "As a team, we find ways to get wins."

The Chiefs (5-1) still had a chance after Brown's 51-yard reception made it 19-10, moving quickly downfield and getting a 33-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.

Their defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Tyreek Hill's 32-yard punt return gave them the ball with 1:48 to go.

But after the Steelers (4-2) gave up a first down, James Harrison sacked Alex Smith on third-and-10, and the quarterback's incomplete pass on fourth down left the NFL with no unbeaten teams.

"We straightened a few things out the second half. That's how we got back in the game," said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who will no doubt be questioned for going for it on fourth-and-2 at the Steelers 4 early in the fourth quarter, rather than kicking a field goal to get within 12-6.

Smith's throw to the end zone fell incomplete and the Steelers took possession.

"My gut tells me what to do. I thought that was the right thing there," Reid said. "I'm preaching to the team to stay aggressive without being stupid, staying aggressive with it. We had a good play in our pocket that we felt good about. It didn't work out."

Very little worked out for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Ben Roethlisberger was 17 of 25 for 252 yards with a touchdown and a pick for Pittsburgh, bouncing back from his abysmal five-interception performance against Jacksonville last week.

His favorite target was Brown, who a few weeks ago was flipping over water coolers but spent Sunday slinging high-fives. He had eight catches for 155 yards, often beating star cornerback Marcus Peters.

"The last little touchdown or whatever, should've been an interception," Peters said. "It comes with the game of football. Can't do (anything) about it. ... We took an 'L,' back to the drawing board."

The game in many ways resembled January's playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium, when Bell churned for 170 yards rushing and the Steelers' defense shut down the Chiefs in an 18-16 victory.

Their defensive dominance was even more impressive considering the circumstances: The Steelers allowed more than 200 yards rushing twice in the past three weeks, while Kansas City was averaging 32.8 points and 414.2 yards — and had just piled up 450 in a shootout victory over Houston.

But the Steelers held Kareem Hunt, the league's leading rusher, to 21 yards on nine carries. They also spent the afternoon with their paws on Smith, holding the NFL's top-rated passer to 246 yards and a TD.

"We've played a lot of games against each other. These guys have gotten the last three," Smith said. "They're all hard-fought. They've been physical, intense."

Smith nearly rallied the Chiefs down the stretch this time, finding De'Anthony Thomas for a 57-yard touchdown that got Kansas City within 12-10 with 6:13 left in the game.

But the Steelers answered with Bell, whose hard running got them near midfield. And when they faced third-and-2, former Chiefs coach and Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley dialed up a pass down the sideline to Brown, who caught the tipped ball and ran it 51 yards for the score.

It was Brown's 52nd touchdown catch, passing Lynn Swann for third-most in franchise history.

"Ben made a great throw and those guys couldn't catch it," he said. "He always puts the ball in perfect position and, in that case, he held the ball until the last minute and made a play. I tracked it the whole time. He put a lot of wing on it and I was able to get the bounce."

STATS AND STREAKS

Roethlisberger improved to 7-1 against Kansas City. He's won six straight when coming off a game in which he's thrown at least three picks. ... Pittsburgh has beaten a team 5-0 or better seven times in the Super Bowl era. ... Smith has not thrown an interception in 202 attempts. ... Hunt had five catches for 89 yards. ... Chiefs TE Travis Kelce caught a pass in his 54th straight game.

OOPS MOMENTS

The Chiefs' first turnover since their first offensive play of the season came in the first half, when backup center Zach Fulton snapped the ball over Smith's head for a safety. But the Steelers gave the ball right back when they inexplicably decided not to field the ensuing free kick.

INJURIES

Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert, who had missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, left in the first half after aggravating it. LB Vince Williams left in the second half with a hip injury after picking up a pair of sacks. ... Chiefs RB Charcandrick West was evaluated for a concussion.

UP NEXT

Steelers: Return home to face Cincinnati on Sunday.

Chiefs: Visit the Raiders on Thursday night.

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Texans QB Deshaun Watson, Steelers DE Cameron Heyward and Bills K Stephen Hauschka named AFC Players of Week 4

Quarterback Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans, defensive end Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kicker Stephen Hauschka of the Buffalo Bills are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 4 (September 28, October 1-2).

Watson’s five total touchdowns tied for the second-most touchdowns scored by a rookie in NFL history behind Gale Sayers’ six touchdowns in 1965 and tied for the most touchdowns in a game by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He became the third rookie quarterback in NFL history with four-or-more touchdown passes and one-or-more rushing touchdowns and first since Fran Tarkenton in 1961. Watson and Tarkenton are the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, four touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown in a single game.

Heyward sacked Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco twice, and stuffed running back Alex Collins for a one-yard loss, forcing a fumble, and came up with the recovery. The turnover eventually led to a Steelers touchdown, and a 13-0 lead in the second quarter. He added four tackles, including three solo stops, and was a key factor in holding the Ravens to only 82 yards rushing and 235 yards in the air. For the season Heyward has three sacks, improving his career total to 28 sacks.

After 14 total points and a pair of 50-plus yard field goals in the win over Denver earned Hauschka AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 3, Hauschka put up 11 points including 55 and 56-yard field goals to account for the last six points in Buffalo’s upset win over Atlanta. That earned him Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week.

Bell, Steelers run over Ravens 26-9 in first-place duel

By DAVID GINSBURG
Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got their offense running. The wait continues for the Baltimore Ravens.

Le'Veon Bell rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and the Steelers beat the Ravens 26-9 on Sunday in a duel for first place in the AFC North.

Though held to a touchdown over the final 30 minutes, Pittsburgh (3-1) mounted enough of an attack before halftime to earn its first win in Baltimore since 2012.

"Not a perfect game, but a great team effort by us," coach Mike Tomlin said. "We're moving in the right directions in a lot of areas: run game development, taking care of the football."

Coming into the game, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was asked to identify the problem with a Pittsburgh offense that had produced only six touchdowns in 12 quarters.

"The quarterback needs to play better," he said.

Roethlisberger went 18 for 30 for 216 yards and a touchdown. He threw one interception, but it was on a deflection that required a replay reversal.

"I still feel I personally didn't make all the plays," Roethlisberger said. "My goal this week was to take what they give us, don't turn the ball over, and punting isn't a bad thing. And I thought we did a pretty good job of that."

Bell carried 35 times to help the Steelers amass 381 yards in offense.

After being held to 61 yards in an overtime loss to Chicago last week, Bell ripped through the Ravens for huge chunks of yardage.

"He's the best and his numbers weren't showing it," Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey said. "There's been a lot of pressure on him to go out there and produce at a high level, and we're real happy he did it."

The Ravens (2-2), meanwhile, looked every bit like the 32nd-ranked offense in the NFL. Baltimore trailed 19-0 at halftime, generated only 154 yards through three quarters and stumbled through a second straight game with only one touchdown.

Joe Flacco completed 31 of 49 passes for 235 yards, was sacked four times and intercepted twice.

"It starts with me," Flacco said. "I wasn't good enough to get us back in the game."

Baltimore closed to 19-3 in the third quarter after an interception by Ravens safety Eric Weddle. The turnover occurred only after a challenge by Baltimore coach John Harbaugh overturned the original ruling of a catch and a tackle.

After Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell missed a 44-yard field goal, Alex Collins promptly ran for 50 yards to set up a 16-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Mike Wallace. The Ravens went for 2, made it, then lost the points after a replay showed Terrance West's elbow hit the ground before the ball made it to the end zone.

In the fourth quarter, on a fourth-and-12 from the Pittsburgh 47, Flacco was picked off by Mike Hilton with 5 ½ minutes left, launching a rapid exit by many of the fans.

That led to Bell's second 1-yard touchdown run with 2:26 to go.

The Steelers' first drive of the game covered 84 yards, lasted nearly 10 ½ minutes and ended with a 30-yard field goal.

"That first drive where we went down and put points on the board, that was a good start for us," receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said.

It got a whole lot better for Pittsburgh.

Boswell made it 6-0 with a 49-yarder midway through the second quarter after Roethlisberger connected with Smith-Schuster for 19 yards on a third-down play.

A fumble by Collins set up a touchdown run by Bell, and Roethlisberger threw an 11-yard TD pass to Smith-Schuster for a 19-point cushion.

ANTHEM

All the Steelers stood on the sideline during the national anthem. So did the Ravens, but only after taking a knee in unison before the song began.

Last week, the Steelers remained off the field in Chicago during the anthem.

INJURIES

Ravens TE Benjamin Watson had to go through concussion protocol in the second quarter and returned in the third.

SUGGS' MASK

Ravens LB Terrell Suggs thrilled the crowd during the pregame introductions by coming out of the tunnel in the same mask worn by the villain Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises" movie.

Suggs came out with a gladiator mask before a 2014 game against Pittsburgh and was ultimately fined by the NFL.

UP NEXT

Steelers: After two straight road games, Pittsburgh hosts Jacksonville on Sunday. The Jaguars lead the series 12-11.

Ravens: Having already ventured to London for a game, the Ravens take a shorter journey next Sunday: to the West Coast for a matchup with the Oakland Raiders.

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Browns' Kizer gets first taste of NFL against Steelers

Stats, LLC

(TSX / STATS) -- The Cleveland Browns, always with an eye on the future, are hopeful the 2017 season opener will be a glimpse of the future when rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer throws his first pass against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Coach Hue Jackson chose Kizer as his starter because no one else in the competition -- Brock Osweiler, Cody Kessler or Kevin Hogan -- did anything to stake a claim to the job.

Kizer's task in the opener is a formidable one. Browns left guard Joel Bitonio is warning the rookie from Notre Dame to expect anything and everything from the Steelers' blitz.

"My first NFL start was against the Steelers in Pittsburgh," Bitonio said. "Pittsburgh is one of those teams you see and a lot of people talk about.

"He's played at Notre Dame. He's played in big games, but when he takes that first snap Sunday, it's going to be a wakeup call, but I think he's going to be ready for it. It's going to be a moment like, 'I'm in the NFL. I'm playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.' But all the work he's put in, all the prep he's done, I think he's ready for it."

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh's starting quarterback since the Steelers drafted him from Miami University in 2004, is 20-2 starting against the Browns. He is 10-1 in Cleveland.

"He is very good above the neck," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday on a conference call. "He knows what's required to be prepared. He aids the growth and development of those around him. He does all of the things that you would expect a guy at his position to do, and he does it very naturally and does it very well."

The defense carried the Browns to a 4-0 preseason record, but the test it faces Sunday will be much sterner than anything faced in August, and Cleveland might be without rookie defensive end Myles Garrett. The first pick in the 2017 draft sustained an ankle injury in practice Wednesday.

"I don't want to make medical decisions," Jackson said. "I'm not very good at them, so we'll see where we are as we move through the week."

Four quarters of Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell will be more challenging than anything the Browns faced in preseason.

There are other plot twists to the opener, too. Joe Haden, the Browns' first-round draft pick in 2010, is now playing cornerback for the Steelers after being cut by Cleveland last week. Wide receiver Sammie Coates is with the Browns after being acquired from the Steelers on Sept. 2 for a sixth-round draft pick.

Coates is one of three receivers added to the Browns' roster after the conclusion of the preseason. The others are waiver additions -- Kasen Williams from the Seattle Seahawks and Reggie Davis from the Atlanta Falcons.

Coates, a 2015 third-round draft choice by the Steelers, had an inconsistent two years in Pittsburgh. He played with two broken fingers last season and was stuck with a label of dropping catchable passes. He acknowledged that but wants to show the Steelers they made a mistake by giving up on him.

"It's just a good time to start over," Coates said. "You go somewhere new, you see new faces, so it's always an opportunity and you have to take advantage of it.

"If somebody trades you, you want to showcase your talent against them, show them what they're missing. If we win, (Tomlin) is going to walk off the field. He's not going to want to see me."

It isn't all bitterness for Coates, though, who shrugged off going from a Super Bowl contender to a team that finished 1-15 a year ago. Coates said he is grateful to the Steelers for giving him the opportunity to play in the NFL.

The Browns head into the opener in good health, excluding the unknown status of Garrett. Bitonio and defensive tackle Danny Shelton missed the final three preseason games with knee injuries, but both are expected to start against the Steelers.

The Steelers listed backup tackle Jerald Hawkins (knee, limited) as the only player on their Wednesday injury report.

Steelers activate WR Coates from PUP list

The Pittsburgh Steelers activated wide receiver Sammie Coates from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday following minor knee surgery.

Coates, 24, had his knee scoped two weeks before the start of training camp and the Steelers placed him on the PUP list. He is expected to practice with the team Wednesday.

Coates, the Steelers' 2015 third-round pick, said he injured the knee while training this summer. It was his second offseason knee surgery, and he also had surgery to repair a sports hernia after the season.

The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Coates is coming off a 2016 season that opened with an opportunity to make a mark thanks to Martavis Bryant's suspension. A finger injury slowed Coates, who saw action in 14 games but was limited to 21 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns. But he caught an NFL-best six passes of 40 yards or longer, including a 72-yard touchdown against the New York Jets.

"You always got to prove yourself, I don't care how good a season you had or how bad a season you had," Coates told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You always got to prove to them and show them you're capable of doing the same things you did before. You always want to show them you worked on this or I got better at that. There's always something to prove, no matter who you are.

"It's just a fact -- I missed a lot, with injuries, with the offense. That catches up with people. You don't get them reps, you can't get them back. You missed them. You fall behind all through the season."

Steelers take advantage of New York miscues for 20-12 win

By TOM CANAVAN
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Watching T.J. Watt and Josh Dobbs in their first NFL game, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin got what he expected from the draft picks.

They had their ups and downs, and they showed they belonged in the league, as did eighth-year linebacker Arthur Moats.

Dobbs threw a 28-yard touchdown pass, Moats set up Chris Boswell's go-ahead 37-yard field goal in the third quarter with an interception and Watt —the younger brother of Houston's J.J. Watt — lived up to his first-round billing with sacks on his first two series in a 20-12 preseason win over the New York Giants on Friday night.

With the Steelers short-handed, Dobbs, Watt and Moats were on the field most of the game.

"I think just getting out there in general, having a play on (special) teams and then having the sack as I did, it calmed the nerves a little bit," said Watt, who had five tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits.

"At the same time I felt like I belong here. I came into this game with a certain amount of confidence because of the work I put in."

A fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, Dobbs didn't get off to a quick start. His two early interceptions led to two New York Giants field goals, but he turned his game around with a 44-yard pass to Cobi Hamilton to set up Bosworth's first field goal and he added a 28-yard scoring strike to Hamilton for a 10-9 lead after Donte Deayon fumbled a punt in the final minute of the first half and Mike Hilton recovered at the Giants 28.

"Of course there were some throws you want back and some plays that were good," Dobbs said. "I was able to respond from a little adversity at the beginning of the game, but this is a good start and I'll be able to build off this."

Terrell Watson added a 15-yard touchdown run in a game that had little offense with Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers and Eli Manning of the Giants being given the night off.

Moats was a force on defense for the Steelers. He had six tackles, three sacks, three quarterback hits and a pass defended in addition to his interception. He laughed when asked when was the last time he had a game like that.

"Playing Madden," he said.

"Any time you are keeping score you want to win," Moats said. "Even though it's the preseason and some teams may not take it as serious, any time we are out there and representing the Steelers organization we want to put our best foot forward and we did that tonight."

Pittsburgh also was without injured backup quarterback Landry Jones, but that didn't matter because the Giants didn't get much from either Josh Johnson or Geno Smith, and New York was generous with the football.

A 45-yard field goal by Mike Nugent on the opening series of the second half put New York ahead 12-10, but Moats' interception and Boswell's field goal put the Steelers ahead 13-12.

Watson capped a nine-play, 53-yard drive that Bart Houston guided in his first series after taking over for Dobbs, who was 8 of 15 for 100 yards and two interceptions.

Blake's interception and 11-yard return to the Steelers 39 set up a 27-yard field goal by rookie Aldrick Rosas, who added a 52-yarder late in the second quarter for a 9-3 lead.

An interception by lineman Devon Taylor led to a 30-yard field goal by Nugent and a 6-0 lead.

JOSH AND GENO

Johnson and Smith had their ups and downs in the battle for the No. 2 job behind Manning. Johnson was 5 of 10 for 31 yards. Smith was 10 of 16 for 114. Neither got much protection from their line and running game (23 carries for 73 yards) offered little help.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo said Johnson moved the team in and out of the huddle well, but Smith started off with a hot hand but his interception "was a blind throw."

INJURIES

Steelers second-round draft pick JuJu Smith-Schuster left the game with a concussion in the first quarter. Giants veteran S Duke Ihenacho pulled a hamstring in the second quarter and did not return.

MISSING STARS

Steelers WRs Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, who is coming off a one-year suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, did not play. Bryant will return to practice Sunday. Giants WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard did not play. Brandon Marshall played the first series. New York also rested DE Jason Pierre-Paul and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

"It's a great feeling, it's a long time coming," Bryant said of getting back to practice after the game. "I worked hard and I'm just happy the process is almost over."

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