PITTSBURGH - The following are the highlights and lowlights from the Steelers' 35-7 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Heinz Field:
Play of the game: After Cincinnati had a touchdown taken back due to a penalty early in the first quarter, the Steelers' Cameron Heyward blocked a 33-yard field-goal attempt by Mike Nugent when the game was scoreless.
Offensive player of the game: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 15-of-23 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions. He registered a QB rating of 117.3.
Article Photos
Mirror photo by J.D. Cavrich
James Harrison sacks Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton Sunday.
Defensive player of the game: Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison piled up three sacks for the second time in a game this season.
Most telling statistic: The Steelers were 4-for-4 in red zone efficiency.
Deceiving statistic: The Steelers were just 2-of-10 on third down.
Best pass: Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket and fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on the right side of the end zone in the second quarter.
Worst pass: Bengals backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw into double coverage in the fourth quarter and was intercepted by Ike Taylor.
Best run: Pittsburgh's Isaac Redman was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, pirouetted and rambled 27 yards in the third quarter.
Best catch: Steelers receiver Antonio Brown snagged a high pass over the deep middle for 22 yards with Kelly Jennings draped over him in the third quarter.
Dropped pass: The game didn't start well for Brown, who missed a third-and-10 pass on the Steelers' first possession.
Best block: Pittsburgh left guard Doug Legursky pulled and took out Cincinnati linebacker Rey Maualuga on a 15-yard Rashard Mendenhall run to the Bengals' 5-yard line in the second quarter.
Missed block: Steelers left tackle Max Starks was beaten on an underneath move by defensive end Michael Johnson for a second-quarter sack.
Best tackle: Steelers defensive end Ziggy Hood caught Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton from behind on a 2-yard second-quarter scramble.
Best hit: The Bengals' Reggie Nelson drilled Brown on a fourth-quarter pass from Charlie Batch along the right sideline.
Missed tackle(s): Several Bengals defenders missed on both a 5-yard Mendenhall touchdown run in the second quarter and a 19-yard TD catch and run by Wallace in the third quarter.
Best coverage: Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu karate-chopped a pass away from Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham in the second quarter.
Worst coverage: Taylor was beaten several times by rookie A.J. Green, including a 43-yard pass early in the first quarter. In fairness, Taylor led the Steelers with three passes defensed.
Best kick: Pittsburgh's Jeremy Kapinos boomed a 59-yard punt in the first quarter.
Worst kick: The Steelers' Shaun Suisham wasn't close on a 50-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter. A penalty would have nullified it even if he had made the kick.
Best return: Brown took a punt, received a block - a questionable block in the back - from Curtis Brown and cut back to the right and blew past punter Kevin Huber for a 60-yard touchdown near the end of the first half.
Worst return: Cincinnati's Brandon Tate fumbled a kickoff in the second quarter after getting hit by the Steelers' Stevenson Sylvester. Emmanuel Sanders recovered for the Steelers.
Worst penalty: Green was called for a false start on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Gresham in the first quarter. The Bengals ended up with no points on the drive.
Best decision: On second-and-8 at the Cincinnati 21 in the second quarter, the Steelers ran a reverse to Brown for 9 yards. The call came as the Steelers were seizing momentum.
Worst decision: The Bengals benched rookie Dalton for Gradkowski too early in the fourth quarter. Dalton wasn't horrible, completing 11-of-24 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Best effort: The Steelers defense has given up just one touchdown in the last two games.
Unsung hero: Al Everest's special teams units delivered three big plays.
Replays: None.
