The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-10 on Monday Night Football at Paul Brown Stadium, evening their record at 1-1 while dropping their division foe to 0-2.
Steelers vs. Bengals 2013: Cincinnati won by ‘limiting’ Pittsburgh
In an important AFC North battle, the Bengals emerged victorious.
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Cincinnati was led by rookie running back Giovani Bernard who gained 38 yards on the ground and had a catch for 27 yards, totaling two touchdowns. BenJarvus Green-Ellis also had a solid day with 75 yards rushing and Andy Dalton threw for 280 yards in victory.
Josh Kirkendall of Cincy Jungle was most impressed with the Cincinnati defense, which sealed the game late:
In the end, it was the Bengals defense that helped Cincinnati secure the win. With over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Reggie Nelson intercepted a deflected Ben Roethlisberger throw. Mike Zimmer's group also held Pittsburgh to only 278 yards of offense (214 yards before the final possession) while limiting the Steelers to only three of 12 on third down opportunities (they were one of 10 before the final possession).
On the other side, the Steelers offense continued to be punchless. Once a franchise known for running the ball at will, whether with Franco Harris or Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh can't get going in the rushing department. On Monday, the Steelers gained 44 on 16 carries.
Ultimately, Pittsburgh was outdone by having two turnovers and only 24 minutes and change of possession time.
Over at Behind The Steel Curtain, Neal Coolong wrote about where the Steelers are right now:
Pittsburgh has lost 11 of their last 19 games, dating back to a playoff loss at Denver at the end of the 2011 season. It’s their first 0-2 start since the 2002 season, and the first of head coach Mike Tomlin’s career.
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