The following are the highlights and lowlights from the Steelers' 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati:
Play of the game: With 2 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the game and the Bengals at the Steelers' 25-yard line, Pittsburgh cornerback William Gay stepped in front of an Andy Dalton pass to Jerome Simpson and intercepted it. The Steelers then ran out the clock.
Offensive player of the game: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 21-of-33 passes for 245 yards and one touchdown. His one interception was not his fault.
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The Associated Press
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu takes down the Bengals’ Andrew Hawkins.
Defensive player of the game: Gay broke up four passes, including the interception, and had three tackles.
Most telling statistic: The Steelers had 24 first downs to Cincinnati's 14.
Hidden statistic: Steelers receiver Hines Ward has just seven receptions for 78 yards in the team's last five games.
Best pass: Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown in stride for a 21-yard gain on first-and-20 from the Cincinnati 34 in the second quarter.
Worst pass: Roethlisberger was nearly intercepted by Reggie Nelson or Leon Hall in the second quarter when he underthrew Brown.
Best run: Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall broke away from Domata Peko, kept his balance and scored the decisive touchdown from 9 yards out in the third quarter.
Best catch: Steelers tight end Heath Miller hung on to the ball despite being covered by Kelly Jennings and getting popped by Nelson on an 18-yard catch at the Cincinnati 2-yard line in the first quarter.
Dropped pass(es): Miller bobbled a Roethlisberger throw just enough for Hall to intercept it in the second quarter. Mike Wallace missed a third-and-4 pass in the fourth quarter that could have come back to haunt the Steelers.
Best block: Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu kept Pat Sims occupied long enough for Mendenhall to plow in for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Missed block: Kemoeatu was beaten on an inside move by Geno Atkins for a second-quarter sack of Roethlisberger.
Best tackle: Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu flipped Bengals running back Cedric Benson for a 1-yard loss in the first quarter.
Best hit: Polamalu sent receiver Andrew Hawkins, a Johnstown native, spinning on a second-quarter 2-yard pass reception.
Missed tackle: Cincinnati middle linebacker Rey Maualuga allowed rookie tight end Weslye Saunders to escape for an 11-yard gain on second-and-8 when the Steelers were running out the clock in the fourth quarter.
Best coverage: Gay knocked away passes to Andre Caldwell and Jermaine Gresham early in the game.
Worst coverage: Polamalu didn't go after the ball on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to A.J. Green in the first quarter.
Best kick: The Steelers' Jeremy Kapinos booted a 53-yard punt that was downed by Ryan Mundy at the Cincinnati 8 in the fourth quarter.
Worst kick: None worth noting.
Best decision(s): Two end-arounds to Wallace early in the game netted 15 and 16 yards. The short, safe passes late in the game helped the Steelers kill the clock.
Worst decision: The Gay interception of rookie Dalton came after the Bengals had moved the ball 24 yards on three straight running plays by Benson.
Best effort: Brown caught four passes for 74 yards on one drive in the second quarter that resulted in a Steelers field goal.
Unsung hero: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had the team motivated after last week's disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Worst penalties: Miller was called for interfering with Cincinnati's Gibril Wilson, wiping out a 24-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Jerricho Cotchery in the second quarter. The Steelers' Lawrence Timmons was called for a late hit in the third quarter that gave the Bengals a first-and-goal at the 1 instead of third-and-goal at the 2.
Replays: No challenges.
