Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Pittsburgh 23, Cincinnati 7
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 12, 2010
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Temperature: 37°
Head Official: Walt Coleman
Attendance: 57501

Troy Polamalu and LaMarr Woodley returned interceptions for touchdowns and the host Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-7 Sunday for their fourth straight victory.

The Steelers entered the game with the No. 1 rushing defense at 62.3 yards per game and held the Bengals to 34 yards.

Woodley’s 14-yard return with 12:27 left gave the Steelers a 20-7 lead. He also had two sacks and five tackles.

Polamalu’s score came from 45 yards out in the second quarter to make it 7-7. His second interception at the Pittsburgh goal line with 2:09 remaining ended any hopes of a Cincinnati comeback.

Carson Palmer was 20 of 31 for 178 yards for the Bengals (2-11), who have lost 10 straight. Palmer’s 1-yard touchdown pass to tackle Andrew Whitworth in the first quarter gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, playing with a shield to protect his broken nose, finished 21 of 33 for 258 yards, including 115 to Hines Ward.

Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals for the Steelers (10-3). He is 9 for 9 on field goals and 9 for 9 on extra points since he was signed by Pittsburgh on Nov. 16.

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Cincinnati   Pittsburgh
Cedric Benson Player Rashard Mendenhall
8 Attempts 18
19 Yards 66
2.4 Avg Yards 3.7
0 Touchdowns 0
7 Long 10
Receiving
Cincinnati   Pittsburgh
Chad OchoCinco Player Hines Ward
6 Receptions 8
71 Yards 115
11.8 Avg Yards 14.4
0 Touchdowns 0
16 Long 29
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Cincinnati 190 34 156 1 0 0 4.0 0
Pittsburgh 354 123 231 2 3 3 3.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against N.Y. Jets. The Steelers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Cincinnati will play their next game at home against Cleveland. The Bengals have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.