Pittsburgh pulls away and controls the clock

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly how to beat the Cincinnati Bengals -- with or without Chad Ocho Cinco.

The Steelers limited the depleted Bengals to six first downs following an early touchdown drive and found just enough offense themselves amid the snow flurries to control the clock behind Roethlisberger and beat Cincinnati, 27-10, on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh (8-3) wasn’t dominating -- except defensively -- in winning its fifth in a row over Cincinnati (1-9-1), its longest streak since an eight-game run in the early 1990s. The Steelers trailed, 7-0, until Roethlisberger threw a three-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller, their first touchdown in more than seven quarters, and didn’t take control until backup running backs Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell led a third-quarter drive that made it 20-7.

Russell ran two yards for his first NFL touchdown with 16 seconds left in the third after Moore, benched four days before after being stopped at the goal line by San Diego on fourth and inches, ran four times for 21 yards and made a 22-yard reception during a 64-yard drive.

Roethlisberger, turnover-free for a second successive game while completing 17 of 30 passes for 243 yards, scored himself from the eight late in the game as Pittsburgh held an edge in time of possession of more than 10 minutes.

Jeff Reed also kicked field goals of 37 and 38 yards that weren’t sure things given the slippery field conditions, which helped slow a Bengals offense that was loaded with backups because of injuries and Ocho Cinco’s deactivation for violating team rules.