Bengals vs. Steelers: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

It looked like a day when all the Andy Dalton detractors would rejoice. There were bad interceptions, stagnant offensive possessions and a whole heaping pile of "Is it January?" jokes made on Twitter. 

But as he has so many times this season, Dalton came through just in time to prove everyone wrong.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback connected with A.J. Green from nine yards out with 2:57 remaining to give the Bengals their first lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers and help spur them to a 16-10 win at Heinz Field on Sunday, keeping their perfect record intact at 7-0.

After weeks of playing himself into MVP consideration, Dalton regressed to a form more reminiscent of his playoff numbers early on. He completed 23 of his 38 passes for 231 yards but was picked off twice and fumbled once, though he was able to recover the loose ball. Before Sunday, Dalton had three 300-yard games in his last four and hadn't had a multi-interception game all season.

“It comes down to having the success that we expect of ourselves, and so there’s a lot of people who have criticized me in the past who aren’t criticizing me anymore,” he told Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. “It’s just kind of the nature of it.”    

PFT Commenter put it best:

Yet it was Ben Roethlisberger's Daltonian moments that allowed his opposing quarterback to shine. The Steelers signal-caller, returning from a four-game absence due to a knee injury, threw two ugly picks late that changed the tide of a defensive battle.

First, he tried forcing a pass to Will Johnson on the sideline only to see a diving Shawn Williams come up with the pick. That led to Dalton's game-winning touchdown pass. On his very next throw, Roethlisberger made an ill-advised decision that landed in the hands of Reggie Nelson, who helped set up a Bengals field goal.

The Steelers would nearly manage to pull off a last-second win as Roethlisberger returned to form on a last-gasp drive, but time was not their friend. Antonio Brown caught a last-second heave to the end zone, but he was well out of bounds. Roethlisberger finished with 262 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions. 

It was obvious to most people watching, including NESN's Doug Kyed, that Roethlisberger was not 100 percent:

Pittsburgh's biggest concern heading into Week 9 is the status of running back Le'Veon Bell, who was carted off the field after going down with a knee injury in the second quarter.

Running near the sideline, Bell was brought down by Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whose entire body weight (250 lbs) came crashing down on the All-Pro's leg. Bell did not return and will undergo further testing before a possible timetable to return is settled upon, per Steelers PR spokesman Burt Lauten.

Former NFL team physician David J. Chao chimed in with an onerous prognosis:

Bell already missed the season's first two games because of a suspension. He had 511 rushing yards in five appearances heading into Week 8 and was well on his way to another triple-digit performance, posting 45 yards on the ground before his exit.

It's becoming a snakebitten season for Pittsburgh from an injury perspective. Roethlisberger and Bell have played two games together all year, and neither one has ended with them both healthy. Couple that with a four-game suspension for Martavis Bryant and ailments for backup quarterback Michael Vick, and it's no wonder offensive coordinator Todd Haley's bunch has failed to get into a rhythm.

Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review highlighted the Steelers' plight:

The Bengals, meanwhile, have their full force in order. Green had 118 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions, Jeremy Hill had a solid 60 yards on the ground and Giovani Bernard was a threat out of the backfield via the pass or run. 

All of that continues to establish the Bengals as Super Bowl contenders. They're now four clear of Pittsburgh in the loss column and have all but locked up the AFC North title. It's the franchise's first 7-0 start, and Cincy appears ready to challenge the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos for home-field advantage in the AFC playoff bracket. Lindsay Patterson of ESPN3 is ready for a championship shirt:

"

Bengals are 4 games up in the AFC North. Print. The. Shirts.

— Lindsay Patterson (@LndsPatterson) November 1, 2015"

These are the types of wins that separate the 2015 Bengals from their predecessors. Too often early in his career, Dalton would fold in big moments. One bad pick would turn into two, allowing panic to set in as fans started wringing their hands on the sidelines. On Sunday, Dalton came back from two bad picks to lead a game-winning drive against the Steelers on their home turf.

That sound you hear is Dalton's detractors slowly backing away from their hot takes.

Post-Game Reaction

The Steelers provided comments from coach Mike Tomlin and Roethlisberger:

Alby Oxenreiter of WPXI-TV also provided comments from Roethlisberger: 

Tomlin explained on his decision to save a timeout before the two-minute warning, per Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot: “To me, having the timeout was more significant than the 38 seconds. They're [the Bengals] a great situational football team, especially in two minute. [I] wanted to have the ability to work the middle of the field."

Bengals receiver A.J. Green said his team has a fighter's mentality, per Joe Danneman of Fox19: "We're the Bengals of the new. We're going to keep punching until someone gets knocked out."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was understandably happy with his team's move to 7-0, per Jeremy Rauch of Fox19: "My boss will congratulate me. I'll congratulate him. We move on to the Browns." 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.