This Time, Green Makes Money Catch : AFC: Steeler tight end, who had a costly drop in loss a week earlier, hauls in game-winning pass in overtime against Bengals.

Pittsburgh tight end Eric Green dropped a potential game-tying touchdown pass in Denver last week, resulting in a 20-13 loss and a week of trying to forget.

On Sunday, he found himself open near the goal line in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This time, Green gathered in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Neil O’Donnell 6:32 into overtime to give the Steelers a 33-27 victory.

It was a sweet ending to a tough week for the tight end who has dropped only two balls all season, one of which will be remembered for a long time.

“I came to practice and worked hard and tried not to think about what I did last week,” Green said. “That’s all behind me now. I made a good catch to win a game.”

Green was open behind the Bengals’ secondary, caught the third-down pass a couple of steps from the goal line and went into the end zone untouched to end the Bengals’ streak of six consecutive victories over Pittsburgh.

O’Donnell got his first victory in four NFL starts by rallying the Steelers (4-6) with two touchdown passes in the final eight minutes.

He hooked up with Ernie Mills on a 35-yard touchdown pass play and had a 12-yarder to Louis Lipps to give the Steelers a 27-24 lead with 1:24 to play.

Jim Breech handed Cincinnati (1-9) a temporary reprieve with a 47-yard field goal, his longest of the season, with five seconds left in regulation. That sent the game into overtime.

Linebacker Greg Lloyd set up the game-winning touchdown when he stripped Ickey Woods of the ball after a short pass, then got up, picked up the ball and returned it 19 yards. A face mask penalty against Bengal center Bruce Kozerski on the return moved the ball to the Bengal 29.

Two running plays by Merrill Hoge gained only three yards, setting up the third-down play. Although the Steelers were within Gary Anderson’s field goal range, they elected to pass.

“No one thought we’d run play-action down there,” O’Donnell said. “They thought we had an easy field goal with Gary Anderson. I faked (a handoff) and saw Eric wide open, so I gave him the ball.”

When O’Donnell faked, defensive back Wayne Haddix--claimed off waivers at midweek--left his zone. Green headed for the opening and scored uncontested.

“My mistake. My fault,” Haddix said. “I looked back and got caught in the play-action and the guy got behind me.”

Said Coach Sam Wyche: “We had a guy trying to make a play who’s been with us for just two days. Haddix played a good game. If he had not been here, we would have been in trouble.”

The Bengals had a battered defensive secondary, with starters Lewis Billups and Mitchell Price injured. But it kept the Steelers’ in check until the fourth quarter.

Woods ran one yard for his second touchdown of the game to put the Bengals in front, 24-13, with 8:29 left in the fourth quarter. Woods, who hadn’t scored before Sunday, went to the sideline to perform his “Ickey Shuffle” with the Bengals’ bench joining the celebration.