The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals met in their AFC North clash on Sunday Night Football.
Mike Tomlin's side were all but out of the playoff race but the Bengals could move to the second seed in the AFC with a victory at Heinz Field, following a loss for the New England Patriots.
However, Marvin Lewis's side missed their opportunity sneak into the spot as they were defeated 30-20 by the Steelers in a comfortable victory for the home side.
Read our commentary below to see how all the action unfolded.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
This game is as big as they come for the Bengals as their hopes of securing a bye in the AFC playoff as they can steal the number two seed from the New England Patriots with a win at Heinz Field.
The Steelers hopes are all but over with a 5-8 record meaning they will have to perform miracles and rely on other teams slipping up to reach the post-season, which is highly unlikely.
Mike Tomlin's side who are usually perennial contenders have fallen away in recent years as his side have grown older on the defensive side of the ball and the quality of the younger players coming through hasn't quite been there, so far.
Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are not the playmakers they once were for the Steelers while other veterans such as Ike Taylor and Brett Keisel have either been below-par or injured.
Younger players such as LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons and Steve McClendon have been up and down this year but have failed to show the consistency of their predecessors who led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in the past.
Ben Roethlisberger has found some form over the last few weeks but still hasn't been able to help his team over the line. He and Antonio Brown have been the Steelers' offense this year with a little bit of aid from Jerricho Cotchery in the redzone. Tomlin's side's hopes will rest of those three players as tight end Heath Miller hasn't been the same player since his return from injury while wideout Emmanuel Sanders has been inconsistent.
For so many years, the Steelers had an excellent ground game but that has slightly diminished over the past few seasons. Rashad Medenhall was meant to be the successor to the great Jerome Bettis but he didn't work out, so now the hopes of the Steelers ground game rests on rookie Le'Veon Bell, who has flashed but is still looking to find his feet in the NFL.
Pittsburgh are going to need a complete game in all three phases to overcome an impressive Bengals outfit.
The Bengals are currently on a three-game win streak and their offense looked potent against the Indianapolis Colts last time out, putting up 42 points.
Quarterback Andy Dalton has been inconsistent this year but can tear defenses apart on his day with his excellent array of weapons around him as he boasts one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.
AJ Green is having another All-Pro year for Lewis's side with over 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. His and Dalton's connection is one of the best in the NFL between receiver and quarterback. If these two are allowed to go off it will be a long day for the Steelers.
Having said that in the earlier meeting between the sides this season it was rookie running back Giovani Bernard who tore the Steelers apart with two touchdowns, as he used his express speed to torch their defense. Pittsburgh may have something else in line for his this evening but as mentioned before if that happens, Dalton has tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert along with wideouts Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu as other options.
Defensively the Bengals are operating without a few key pieces. Geno Atkins, All-Pro defensive tackle went down with a torn ACL against the Miami Dolphins in October, cornerback Leon Hall is also out for the year while Terrence Newman is expected to miss today's game.
However, the other players on the Bengals' defense haves stepped up as Devon Still, Domato Peko and Brandon Thompson have tried to fill the void left by Atkins, while Carlos Dunlap, Wallace Gilberry and Michael Johnson have been a threat in the pass-rush to alleviate the pressure on the second-string quarterbacks.
Against a poor Steelers offensive line, these players will be crucial in this game.
STEELERS INACTIVES: Jones, Moye, Green, Sylvester, Snow, McLendon, Keisel.
BENGALS INACTIVES: Sanzenbacher, Newman, Burkhead, Hawkinson, Charles, Whalen, Bilukidi.
A big blow for the Steelers as veteran d-lineman Keisel and McClendon are out. Other than that it's pretty much full strength from their 53-man roster, while Newman is the only notable absentee for the Bengals.
The Bengals will kickoff and Roethisberger will see the ball first.
Nugent's kick sails out of the endzone and Roethlisberger will start at the 20.
A facemask penalty on Kirkpatrick as he attempted to tackle Bell on first down gives the Steelers 15 yards and another set of downs at their own 40.
Roethlisberger zips the ball out to Brown on second and six, he beats the tackle of Kirkpatrick to move the chains with a 10-yard pickup to move his side into the Bengals side of the field.
The Steelers' drive comes to an end as Bell gets stuffed for no gain on back-to-back plays with a handoff over the left and then a toss play to the right. That forces McBriar to punt and his kick is collected by Tate at the Bengals' seven.
The Bengals go three and out as Green gets nine yards on a curl but on second Polamalu jumps pass route on a screen to Sanu and the ball hits him the back, while on third Williams comes through the line to drop Green-Ellis for no gain, when they only needed a yard to convert. Huber will now punt.
FUMBLE!
Huber drops the snap from the punt and Allen tackles him for what he thinks is a safety and two but the officials rule him down at the one-yard line but the Steelers will get the ball at the one.
TOUCHDOWN STEELERS!
The Bengals repel Bell on first and goal but they can't stop him on second as he powers through the right side of the line to just get over the goalline for the score. Good start for the home side.
Peerman returns the ball to the Bengals' 45 but he waved his arm for what would have been the fair catch and the officials pick up on it so they will have the ball at their own seven. What a swing that could be.
Dalton reveals his inner Colin Kaepernick as he goes read-option as he fakes the ball to Green-Ellis and keeps it himself and runs the nine yards to leave a third and one, and Green-Ellis powers over the line for a one-yard gain for the first on third down.
SACK! Hood bursts through the line and drops Dalton for a eight-yard loss on third down forcing the punt after a false start penalty on Smith had pushed them back on first and they couldn't get any meaningful yardage back. Brown returns the ball to the Bengals' 47 from Huber's punt.
Roethlisberger fires short to Bell on a swing pass out of the backfield and the running back sprints forward and beats a couple of tackles to get the first down with an 11-yard reception with good yards after the catch.
The weather conditions are causing difficulties with the passing game as the wind is blowing a gale at Heinz Field and it affects a Roethlisberger throw to Miller for six yards as the tight end does well to catch the dieing ball, he then throws short to Cotchery on third for two yards falling three yards short of the first. The Steelers are going for on it on fourth down.
The Steelers get the first down as Roethlisberger escapes the pocket and throws on the run to Bell for a 16-yard gain to the Cincinnati 15.
TOUCHDOWN STEELERS!
The Steelers extend their lead as the Bengals rush only two players on second and seven for the Steelers at the 12 and Roethlisberger has all the time in the world to extend the play and find Brown in the endzone who does well to sit down in space between defenders for the score.
Peerman returns the ball to the Bengals' 31 with a 19-yard carry from the kickoff.
The Bengals go three and out again as Dalton's throw to Green on third down is well broken up by Taylor with a thundering tackle after a one-yard run from Green-Ellis on first and an incompletion on second. Huber will punt again.
TOUCHDOWN STEELERS!
Brown collects Huber's return and finds a crease in the pursuing Bengals line and breaks right up the middle and sprints all the way to the endzone for the 67-yard score. Huber took a whack there and maybe injured, we'll bring more on that as it happens.
A lot of walking wounded for the Bengals as Harrison and Huber go back to the locker room for treatment.
Tate returns the ball to the 23 from the kickoff.
The Bengals end the quarter in a third and three situation as Green gets seven yards on a curl route and then Bernard is stuffed for no gain on second.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Cincinnati Bengals 0-21 Pittsburgh Steelers
Huber and Harrison are both questionable to return for the Bengals. Huber has a dental injury as he took a shot right under the chin.
The Bengals get a break on third and three as Timmons is penalised for holding on Bernard after he broke up the pass to the running back. It will be first down at the 35 for Cincinnati.
The Bengals can't go any further as Dalton throws a couple of incompletions as a false start penalty from Whitworth backs them up five yards. On third down Green thinks he has hauled the ball in for a 14-yard gain leaving fourth down and one but he dropped it after a hit from Taylor. Nugent punts instead of Huber and the ball is downed at the Steelers' 33.
Roethlisberger drills the ball short to Sanders and he makes a quick turn and runs down the sideline to gain 21 yards to move his side to the Bengals' 46.
The Steelers get another first down on a quick throw to a receiver as Roethlisberger fires out side to Sanders again and he makes a move to get 12 yards needed to move the chains at the Cincinnati 35.
Roethlisberger gets his side moving with a nine-yard reception to Miller on first down with a hitch route and he drags a couple of defenders with him before he gets brought down at the 26 and Bell comes back on second to move the chains with a hard yard through the middle.
Roethlisberger makes another good throw to Brown on a corner route to move the chains after Bell has got eight yards through the middle of the line with a patient run, side-stepping tackles. Brown's five-yard reception moves them to the Bengals' 5 and first and goal.
The Steelers can't punch the ball into the endzone as Roethlisberger's pass to Miller off play-action is nearly picked off, after two incompletions on first and second. That will leave Suisham with a 25-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Bengals 0-24 Steelers
Suisham fires the ball through the posts and the Steelers have a 24-point lead.
UPDATE! Huber has a fractured jaw and will not return. That could be him out for the season.
A big return from Tate from the kickoff as he returns the ball to the Steelers' 47.
Dalton gets the first down immediately for his side as he fires to Green over the middle of the field on an incut for 17 yards to move his side to the Steelers' 30.
The Bengals move inside the 20-yard line as Bernard reels off eight yards on first and then Dalton fires to Green on a curl route for a nine-yard gain at the Steelers' 12.
Bernard gets a shovel pass from Dalton on third down and six and he gets right to the marker but the officials mark him just short of the first down marker but the Bengals opt to go for it on fourth down.
The Bengals get the first down and will have first and goal at the one-yard line as Dalton keeps the ball and powers through the line.
TOUCHDOWN BENGALS!
Bernard gets the handoff on the goalline on first but is knocked back but on second he finds a gap and leaps over the goalline for the score.
Jones returns the ball to the Steelers 27 where Roethlisberger will begin.
Jones gets the handoff for the Steelers on second down on a sweep play and he finds a huge hole over the left side of the line and runs for 12 yards to move his side to their 40.
Roethlisberger has all the time in the world in the pocket and he drills the ball to Miller over the middle of the field for a nine-yard reception and a first down after Jones got four on first.
Another chain mover for the Steelers that shifts them to the Bengals' 32 as Dwyer gets the handoff on first and reels off five yards through the middle of the line and then he comes back on second with a 10-yard carry over the right side.
The Steelers take a timeout on third and six play at the Bengals 28. A score here would leave them in a great position at the break.
Browns drops the ball on third and five that will leave Suisham with a 45-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Bengals 7-27 Steelers
Suisham fires the ball through the posts and the Steelers have a 20-point lead.
Dalton will start at the 20.
The Bengals move the chains as Dalton fires a quick pass to Sanu and he gets eight yards which is enough for a first as the quarterback ran for four yards on second down. Bengals are at their own 32.
A short screen to Bernard doesn't get the desired yardage the Bengals wanted and they will just let the clock run to bring the end of the half.
HALF-TIME: Cincinnati Bengals 7-27 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are in complete control at the break, anyone watching would believe that they were the team that was bound for the playoffs but they're not. They've executed almost perfectly on the offensive side of the ball and have done a good job of shutting down the Bengals' talented receivers.
The Bengals have had no answer for the Steelers' offense in the first half, they can't get to Roethlisberger in the pocket and he's making them pay with accurate passes to his receivers that are dissecting the secondary.
There is still hope for the Bengals if they were watching the Packers earlier as they overturned a 23-point deficit at the break to beat the Dallas Cowboys, but they will have to execute a whole lot better on both sides of the ball. Especially with the number two seed and a playoff bye at stake.
Tate returns the ball to the 38-yard line of the Bengals where Dalton will start.
The Bengals get knocked back 10 yards on second down as Whitworth is penalised for a hold and they can't get the yardage needed for a first down as Gresham falls a yard short of the marker, but the ball comes loose as Polamalu rips it free and Hood gathers. The Steelers have challenged the call to win possession at midfield.
FUMBLE CONFIRMED! PITTSBURGH BALL!
Gresham did fumble the ball and the Steelers will take over at the Bengals' 48.
INTERCEPTION BENGALS!
On second and four Roethlisberger gets greedy and decides to go for a home run hit to the endzone as he fires deep down the sideline for Sanders but Adam Jones makes the pick at the one-yard line, where the Bengals will take over. The quarterback had several open targets in front of him but he went for the endzone for some reason.
The Bengals get moving as Dalton fires the ball to Green on a curl route and he comes back for the ball makes the catch and turns to get the first down for the 11-yard reception at the Bengals' 15.
Cincinnati can't extend their drive as Green drops Dalton's pass over the middle on third and five after he was forced to throw it away on second as Jarvis Jones was bearing down on him in the pocket. Nugent punts the ball to the Steelers' 37.
Roethlisberger has all the time in the world in the pocket yet again and he fires deep for Brown who makes a good catch along the sideline at the Bengals' 41 on a deep out route for a 20-yard reception.
Another deep throw by Roethlisberger as he stands in the pocket yet again and he fires to Miller this time for the 14-yard reception to move his side to the Bengals' 26.
Bell gets six yards on a run to the left but for some reason Bengals safety Nelson decides to taunt Ramon Foster and the officials add 10 yards to the play with penalty, that moves the Steelers to the 11-yard line.
The Steelers can't punch the ball into the endzone as Sanders drops Roethlisberger pass over the middle and Bell can only get five yards on second and third leaving Suisham with a 26-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Bengals 7-30 Steelers
Suisham knocks the ball through the posts and the Steelers have a 23-point lead.
Dalton will start at the Bengals' 37 following Tate's return.
Dalton hits Green on yet another curl route and the receiver makes the catch and gets 10 yards needed for the first down to move his side to their 40.
Two short passes move the chains for the Bengals as Dalton drills the ball to Marvin Jones on a curl route for eight yards and he then floats a pass to Green for six more yards to shift them to the Pittsburgh 37.
Marvin Jones collects another short pass for Dalton and he twists and turns out of several tackles and reverses from left to right before finally being brought down for a nine-yard gain while on second and one Bernard powers the line for a one-yard run.
Green makes the catch on the curl route again and gets another first down for his side to make it first and goal at the Pittsburgh five after Gresham got eight yards on first with a short pass and run down the sideline.
The Bengals will have third and goal at the Pittsburgh one when the fourth quarter begins as Bernard is stopped for gains of three and then one on first and second.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Cincinnati Bengals 7-30 Pittsburgh Steelers
Bernard gets stopped on third and goal and the Bengals will opt to go for it on fourth down.
TOUCHDOWN BENGALS!
Dalton takes the snap from under center and he fires to his tight end Eifert who makes the grab over Clark on a fade route for the one-yard score. A glimmer of hope for the Bengals.
Roethlisberger will start at the 20.
The Steelers get the first down as Brown sits down in the zone coverage and Roethlisberger fires the ball at him for an 11-yard strike to move the Steelers to the 35.
SACK! Gilberry gets to Roethlisberger on third down and 11 and hauls him to the ground for a seven-yard loss after the Steelers were penalised for a false start. McBriar's kick goes out of bounds as the Bengals' 25.
Dalton gets his side moving immediately as he fires to Eifert on a hitch route and he sprints past down the first down marker and finally gets hauled down at the 44 for a 19-yard reception.
Dalton fires to Green on a curl route down the left sideline for an 11-yard gain to move the chains yet again and into Pittsburgh territory.
Bernard powers through the line for a seven-yard gain to keep the chains moving after Marvin Jones grabbed an eight-yard reception on second, that moves the Bengals to the Steelers' 18.
The Bengals can't keep their drive alive on third down and five as Sanu gets six yards on a short pass form Dalton but the Bengals are going for on fourth down.
TOUCHDOWN BENGALS!
Dalton fires the ball to back of the endzone where Marvin Jones peels off on a go route and is uncovered for the 13-yard score to get his side back into the game and they will now try a two-point conversion to get within a score.
TWO-POINT CONVERSION NO GOOD!
Dalton goes for a short pass to Eifert for the two-point conversion but Timmons gets up with a big hand to block the ball before it can get anywhere near the tight end.
The Bengals don't go for the onside kick and Nugent kicks long into the endzone where Allen downs the ball, so the Steelers will start at the 20.
Sanders makes a crucial catch and break a couple of tackles to move the chains for the Steelers on a third and seven play and that will keep the clock moving and all but end the Bengals hopes hopes of getting back into this game.
The Steelers can't keep the clock moving as Bell can only get three yards on his third down carry needing six to get the first down and McBriar will punt to the Bengals' 25.
Dalton fires over to his left to find Eifert again and he runs with the ball to the 38 before he gets tripped up for a 13-yard gain.
Dalton goes deep on fourth and 10 and looks for Green down the seam but he can't go up and grab the ball under pressure from Polamalu and the Steelers will take over at the Bengals' 38. This drive will end the game.
Dwyer gets the handoff on first down and powers over the right side of the line for an eight-yard gain to leave second and two after the two-minute warning.
The Steelers can't get the two yards they need to end the game as Dwyer and then Bell are stacked up at the line, so they opt to go for it on fourth down.
Dwyer gets the first down with a one-yard rush over the left side of the line and that will end the game.
FULL-TIME: Cincinnati Bengals 20-30 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Bengals miss a golden opportunity to steal the second seed away from the Patriots as they slip up at Heinz Field as they got off to a horror start and never recovered from going 21 points down in the first quarter. The points they did muster where in prevent defense from the Steelers so they can't really take comfort from that.
Even worse for the Bengals was the injuries they sustained as punter Huber looks like he could be done for the year with a fractured jaw while cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick limped out of the game late on. Also linebacker James Harrison left the match in the first quarter with a concussion, a costly defeat for the Bengals.
Not for the first time Dalton cracked under the spotlight of nationally televised game and the Bengals worries over his form in these sort of high-profile matches won't have been eased.
The Steelers played a good game and will be wondering why they haven't been playing like this all season. They move to 6-8 on the year and although they are not mathematically out of the playoffs, they are most certainly not going to get in there unless something miraculous happens.
Thanks for joining our commentary. We'll be back tomorrow with all the action from the Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens. Until then, goodbye.
