CINCINNATI — Chris Boswell kicked a field goal on the final play shortly after Antonio Brown caught a 6-yard touchdown pass, and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another improbable comeback against the Cincinnati 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 20-20 with 3:51 to go, setting up Boswell’s 38-yard field goal.
The Bengals (5-7) simply can’t find a way to beat their Ohio River rival, not even after getting off to the big early lead. They’ve dropped six consecutive and nine of 10 against Pittsburgh, including the Steelers’ 18-16 playoff victory at Paul Brown Stadium in 2015.
The hard-hitting game was full of personal fouls, penalties and injuries that could have a long-term effect, es-
Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell (9) kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Steelers to a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in which they overcame a 17-0 second-quarter deficit.
pecially 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.
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was carted off in the fourth quarter after JuJu Smith-Schuster leveled him with a high hit.
Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin did not have an update on Shazier’s status after the game.
There were 11 personal fouls. The Bengals self-destructed with 13 penalties for a team-record 173 yards.
The AFC North-leading Steelers remain tied with New England for the 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. They rallied to beat the Packers 31-28 nine days ago 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 but had another big game, finishing with 101 yards in eight catches. Le’Veon Bell ran for 76 yards and had another 106 yards on 5 catches, including a 35-yard touchdown play in which he 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 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.