Antonio Brown spearheads Steelers’ 30-20 win over Bengals

PITTSBURGH — Antonio Brown caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a score in a 64-second span in the first quarter, and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 30-20, on Sunday night.

Shaun Suisham added three field goals for the Steelers (6-8), who built a 24-point lead and hardly looked like a team playing out the string.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 20 of 25 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown and an intercepted pass. Le’Veon Bell added 117 yards of total offense.

Andy Dalton completed 25 of 44 passes for 230 yards and two second-half touchdowns, but Cincinnati (9-5) never recovered after getting staggered early at frigid Heinz Field.

Looking to move closer to a third straight playoff berth, the Bengals were undone by a series of miscues on special teams.

Bell scored two plays after Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber dropped a snap while standing near the goal line after the Bengals’ first possession. Pittsburgh’s Will Allen dropped Huber at the one-yard line and Bell bulled into the end zone on second down for his sixth touchdown of the season.

Cincinnati’s issues continued on the ensuing kickoff.

Officials ruled Cedric Peerman called for a fair catch at the Cincinnati nine-yard line, wiping out a lengthy return. The Bengals eventually punted, setting up the Steelers with a short field. Pittsburgh went 47 yards in eight plays, with Roethlisberger buying enough time for Brown to get open for a 12-yard touchdown strike to make it 14-0.

Brown’s work wasn’t done. Cincinnati punted yet again and Brown took it 67 yards right up the middle, breaking a tackle at midfield on his way to the second punt return for a score in his four-year career for Pittsburgh’s third touchdown.