Jim Wexell

• Gamebook

The Steelers held the Cincinnati Bengals offense to a single touchdown, and the defense scored two touchdowns to key a 34-12 win that kept the Steelers alone in first place in the AFC North Division with a 6-4 record.

Kyle Dugger sparked the Steelers with a 73-yard interception return late in the third quarter to give the Steelers breathing room at 20-9. Kenneth Gainwell's 5-yard touchdown catch of a Mason Rudolph pass clinched the win late in the game, And James Pierre, starting in place of injured Darius Slay, picked up a fumble and returned it 33 yards for the defense's second score with 3:22 remaining.

The Steelers, who had allowed Bengals wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins 22 catches for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 33-31 loss a month ago, held Chase and Higgins to a combined 6 catches for 93 yards and the single touchdown in avenging that loss Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

The Steelers started quickly with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kenneth Gainwell on the game's first series. Jaylen Warren had ripped off 43 yards on 3 carries, including a 35-yard cutback run to the Cincinnati 12, but Gainwell replaced him and Aaron Rodgers spotted him flaring out of the backfield one-one-one with rookie linebacker Barrett Carter. Gainwell easily beat Carter to the pylon for a 7-0 Steelers lead with 10:12 left in the first quarter.

The Bengals answered with Joe Flacco's 28-yard touchdown pass to Higgins. The Steelers were penalized on the successful extra-point kick, and the Bengals attempted a two-point conversion. But wildcat runner Brown was tackled short of the goal line by Patrick Queen, keeping the Steelers up 7-6 with 5:10 left in the first.

The hot offenses cooled off throughout the rest of the half. The only further scoring came from Chris Boswell, who knocked in a 25-yard field goal 10 seconds remaining to give the Steelers a 10-6 halftime lead. The key plays of the 86-yard drive included an 8-yard scramble by Rodgers on third-and-4 and a 31-yard reception by Washington, who smashed one potential tackler with a stiff arm and ran over a second potential tackler for the gain.

The Bengals' Evan McPherson matched Boswell's field goal with a 43-yarder to open the second half, cutting the Steelers' lead to 10-9.

Rodgers injured his left hand in the first half and Rudolph stepped under center for the Steelers' first possession of the second half and led them to a 30-yard Boswell field goal. Rudolph completed a third-and-11 pass to Roman Wilson for 17 yards and a third-and-17 pass to Washington for 17 yards as he bulled his way over safety Geno Stone to convert the first down. Boswell's kick put the Steelers up by 13-9 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Dugger's play of the game ended the procession of field goals. With the Bengals in field goal range on third-and-9, Nick Herbig and T.J. Watt collapsed the pocket and the hurried Flacco threw a pass straight into Dugger's chest at the Pittsburgh 26. The new strong safety returned the interception 73 yards for the touchdown that gave the Steelers a 20-9 lead with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. A block on the return by Herbig sprung Dugger to paydirt.

The Bengals stayed within a score on a 48-yard McPherson field goal. The Bengals drove to the Pittsburgh 29, courtesy of a Jalen Ramsey personal foul during a fourth-and-1 timeout. Ramsey was ejected, but a sack by Herbig effectively kept the Bengals to the field goal, which cut the Steelers' lead to 20-12 with 9:41 to play.

The Steelers clinched the win on their ensuing possession. Gainwell, in full-time for an injured Warren, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to put the Steelers ahead 27-12 with 3:40 to play. Gainwell's 20-yard catch on third-and-11 and his 28-yard catch of a screen converted a first-and-23 to set up his touchdown on the next play.

On the Bengals' next snap, Brandin Echols forced a fumble by Noah Fant. Pierre scooped it up and returned it 33 yards for the game's final score with 3:22 left.

In replacing Rodgers and his first-half passer rating of 106.5, Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and the TD pass to Gainwell to compile a 118.5 passer rating in his first extended appearance of the season.

Warren led the Steelers in rushing with 62 yards on 10 carries, but Gainwell gained 105 yards from scrimmage with 7 receptions for 81 yards leading the Steelers' pass-catchers.