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Unlikely sources contribute to Steelers

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CINCINNATI – The players all Steelers fans seem to hate came up with big play after big play for Pittsburgh in its playoff game Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

First came defensive back Antwon Blake making an interception in the first half on a deep pass by Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron.

In a game in which both teams were having difficulty establishing much of anything offensively, Blake’s interception and return to the Cincinnati 41-yard line on a pass intended for A.J. Green was a momentum stealer.

Pittsburgh cashed in on the turnover, getting a 39-yard field goal from Chris Boswell to take a 3-0 lead.

Then, with the Steelers leading 6-0 early in the second half, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, who had been completely stymied to that point, broke off a 38-yard run to the Pittsburgh 29.

With the Bengals threatening to cut into the Steelers’ lead or, worse yet, take the lead in a game Pittsburgh was dominating – the Bengals had just two first downs in the first half – linebacker Jarvis Jones made perhaps the biggest play of the season for the Steelers.

Despite what looked like a very solid hold by Cincinnati left tackle Andrew Whitworth, Jones got to McCarron and forced a fumble.

Cam Thomas – a player so reviled by Steelers fans that many would have traded him for a bag of half-inflated New England Patriots footballs last year – recovered the fumble.

Thomas fumbled the ball while running with it and William Gay returned it for a score that was later negated upon review when Thomas was ruled down by contact. But not only had the Bengals’ scoring chance been negated, the Steelers converted that turnover into points, getting another Boswell field goal to take a 9-0 lead.

It’s easy to say a player stinks. It’s simple to write them off and wonder why they’re still on the roster. But coaches don’t have that luxury. They must have 53 players on the roster. And whether you like it or not, sometimes you have to rely on all of those guys.

The Steelers did Saturday, and it was a good thing they did.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that they were playing the Bengals, the biggest patsy in all Steelers lore.

The Bengals came into this season with perhaps the best roster in football. They seemingly don’t have a Blake, Jones or Thomas.

But they also didn’t have a playoff victory in 25 years going into Saturday night. And their record against the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in 2000, was 3-14.

That would be understandable if the Bengals had been as bad as, say, Cleveland, which has a winning season about once per decade.

But the Bengals have been highly competitive since Marvin Lewis took over as head coach in 2003. This season’s division title was their fourth under Lewis and the playoff appearance their seventh.

That hasn’t added up to any playoff victories and the Steelers have continued to dominate the series, despite the Bengals being 112-94-2 under Lewis. Throw out Lewis’ 8-19 record against the Steelers and Lewis’ mark is 104-73-2. That’s pretty darn good.

The Bengals, however, continue to be the Steelers’ fall guy.

Unlike Blake, Jones and Thomas, there doesn’t appear to be an end to that status for Lewis.

Unfortunately for Lewis, a McDonald native who is a very good football coach, there doesn’t appear to be an end to the Bengals’ little brother status to the Steelers.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.

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