Steelers...24 Bengals...13

CINCINNATI -- With a chance to make a statement, the Cincinnati Bengals backed down and went for a field goal. Their decision to demur said it all.

Hines Ward caught a pair of touchdown passes, and the Pittsburgh Steelers turned Marvin Lewis’ conservative coaching decision into the pivotal moment of a 24-13 victory.

The Steelers (5-2) solidified their hold on first place in the AFC North. The Bengals are 2-5 for the first time since 2004.

Trace this one to the sideline.

Trailing 14-3, the Bengals had a fourth and one from just inside the two-yard line with 2:16 left in the first half. They decided to kick a field goal rather than flex some muscle. Shayne Graham’s 20-yard kick had barely cleared the uprights when the stadium-record crowd of 66,188 started booing.

Pittsburgh’s response? A gutsy touchdown. The Steelers drove to the Bengals’ one-yard line with eight seconds to go, then gave the ball to Willie Parker, who dived into the end zone.

Quoteworthy: “Good teams put it in the end zone. Teams like us kick field goals.” -- T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals receiver