Bengals Find One Team They Can Beat

PITTSBURGH — The Cincinnati Bengals are the NFL’s team of the decade--its worst team. Think how bad they would be without the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rodney Heath had two first-half interceptions, one that he returned for a touchdown and the other to set up a score, and the Bengals nearly blew a big lead again before holding off the reeling Steelers, 27-20, Sunday.

The Bengals (2-10) have won only three of their last 23, and need one more loss for the most losses (107) by any NFL team in a decade. But they beat the Steelers for the third time in two seasons, twice at Three Rivers Stadium.

The Bengals, who blew a 14-point lead last week in a 34-31 loss to Baltimore, opened a 24-3 lead with the help of Steeler turnovers (three in the first half), Jeff Blake’s passing (134 yards and a touchdown on his first three completions) and Corey Dillon’s rushing (120 yards in the game), then held off a comeback led by backup quarterback Mike Tomczak.

Tomczak, in his first extensive playing time since 1996, was 19 for 35 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. But the Steelers (5-6) still lost at home to a team with one victory for the second time in three weeks. The Cleveland Browns beat them, 16-15, Nov. 14.

Tomczak, who replaced Kordell Stewart after Heath’s two interceptions, threw touchdown passes of 15 yards to Bobby Shaw and 34 to Hines Ward to make it 24-20 early in the third quarter. The Steelers previously had only three touchdowns in four home games, all following turnovers.

But the Steelers never caught up. Kris Brown’s 46-yard field goal was wiped out by a holding penalty, forcing a punt, and they twice failed to convert on fourth and short in the fourth quarter.