Steelers Try to Help, but Bengals Still Lose : AFC: Pittsburgh pulls out 14-10 victory despite mistakes. Foster is hurt, out at least two weeks.

The Cincinnati Bengals seem to bring out the worst in everybody--most of all themselves.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Barry Foster to an injury on his first carry and probably should have lost the game, but the winless Bengals wouldn’t let them as Neil O’Donnell’s two second-quarter touchdown passes keyed a 14-10 victory on Sunday.

The Steelers scored both touchdowns within a three-minute span, the second coming five plays after Levon Kirkland intercepted a pass by Bengal backup quarterback Don Hollas, a third-year player from Rice who had not thrown a pass this season. Hollas relieved David Klingler, who came out temporarily with blurred vision.

The Steelers had their problems too. O’Donnell was sacked eight times by a defense that previously had only three sacks, and the Steelers couldn’t score in the second half against the NFL’s 26th-ranked defense.

They were especially ineffective after losing Foster for two to three weeks because of a twisted left knee.

“We don’t think it’s anything serious,” Steeler Coach Bill Cowher said of Foster, the AFC’s second-leading rusher.

“I have all the confidence that Bam Morris will be a solid replacement. We’re at the midpoint of the season and he’s not a rookie anymore. He’s been around here long enough.”

Morris had 82 yards in 21 carries, but almost all came between the 30s in the second half.

The Bengals (0-6) couldn’t capitalize on Alfred Williams’ four sacks or Corey Sawyer’s fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, losing their seventh in a row over two seasons.

The Bengals’ lone touchdown came on a fake field-goal attempt with 10:57 left in the third quarter.

Lee Johnson, the holder, shoveled the ball to blocking back Jeff Cothran for a seven-yard scoring pass to make the score 14-7.

Klingler finished only 16 of 29 for 143 yards. O’Donnell was 15 of 22 for 190 yards and no interceptions.