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Nov 16, 2009 6:33 am US/Eastern
Bengals Beat Steelers 18-12, Polamalu Injured
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) ―
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Troy Polamalu No. 43 and William Gay No. 22 of the Pittsburgh Steelers break up a pass intended for Laveranues Coles No. 11 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on Nov. 15, 2009, in Pittsburgh.
Rick Stewart/KDKA
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals battled it out over at Heinz Field Sunday afternoon with the Steelers coming out on the losing end of the heated matchup for the second time this season.
Shayne Graham kicked four field goals in the second half and with a final score of 18-12 the Bengals found a way, this season, to hand the Steelers two losses.
The first came at the end of September when the Steelers were defeated 23-20 at Paul Brown Stadium.
This is only the second time that the Bengals have been able to sweep the Steelers in a season series.
The Steelers had problems all day converting third downs and they appeared to not commit enough to their ground game.
Jeff Reed connected from 28, 33, 35, and 34 yards to account for all 12 Steelers points in the game. The only touchdown of the game came from the Bengals in the first quarter.
Graham gave the Bengals the lead for good in the fourth quarter with a 32-yard field goal to make it 15-12.
He added to that later in the quarter - putting the final points on the board - with a 43-yard field goal.
"We did things that we don't normally do and we didn't do things that we normally do," said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "Just from the get go we weren't on it offensively. We weren't good in the red zone, we weren't good in the run, we weren't good in the pass; we just didn't play well - and you know what - it's gonna happen sometimes. It's behind us now, and yeah, it's a big loss - it hurts - but how can we rebound now?"
In the first quarter, the Bengals missed drawing first blood by mere inches when Graham's 51-yard field goal try rang off the upright.
The Steelers then moved the ball well and Reed connected on a 28-yard field goal try to put the game's first points on the board.
After Reed's 28-yard field goal, Bernard Scott took the ensuing kick 96 yards for the go-ahead score of 6-3 early in the first quarter. The extra point attempt failed after a bad hold.
In the second quarter, Reed kicked two field goals, giving the Steelers a 9-6 lead heading into halftime.
But Graham tied the game with a 23-yard field goal with 11:19 to play in the third quarter after Roethlisberger was picked off.
Graham also kicked a 32-yard field goal with just under seven minutes to play in the third quarter.
In addition, Troy Polamalu reinjured his left knee in the first quarter and didn't return to the game. It is the same knee that he had a sprained MCL in earlier this season, which forced him to miss four games.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Polamalu was undergoing an MRI exam.
Polamalu apparently was injured tackling running back Cedric Benson during Cincinnati's opening possession. Polamalu could be seen flexing his knee after coming off the field, and he left for the locker room shortly after that.
Benson suffered a hip injury for Cincinnati in the second quarter and also did not return to the game.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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