Kyle Dugger returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown and Mason Rudolph relieved the injured Aaron Rodgers as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 on Sunday.
The Steelers scored a pair of defensive touchdowns, sealing the game on James Pierre’s 34-yard fumble return with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter, to avenge their 33-31 loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 16.
Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown for the Steelers (6-4). Joe Flacco finished 23-of-40 for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Bengals (3-7), who lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Rodgers completed 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown before his left hand was injured late in the first half.
After Rodgers’ exit, Rudolph converted third downs of 11 and 17 yards to set up Chris Boswell’s second field goal and give Pittsburgh a 13-9 lead.
Feeling pressure in the pocket, Flacco threw a pass over the middle for Tee Higgins that Dugger intercepted and returned for a long touchdown to extend the lead to 20-9.
The game featured two confrontations between Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey and Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase, including one early in the fourth quarter.
With the Bengals forced to take a timeout and appearing to be in disarray on fourth-and-1 at the Pittsburgh 44, Ramsey grabbed Chase by the facemask and threw a punch, resulting in Ramsey being ejected. The two players remained on the field before Ramsey had to be escorted off.
The Steelers opened the game with an eight-play, 78-yard drive that was capped by an uncontested screen pass from Rodgers to running back Kenneth Gainwell in the left flat for an 11-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh’s other feature back, Jaylen Warren, ripped off a 35-yard run to the Cincinnati 12.
The Bengals answered with a 71-yard drive in nine plays. Flacco found Higgins for a 28-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline, giving Higgins a TD in four straight games and six in his last six games.
