Bengals win to reach playoffs, eliminate Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- A.J. Green doesn't really care about the Cincinnati Bengals' woeful past. The wide receiver wasn't part of it and hasn't really taken the time to study it.

The Bengals were bad. End of story.

And now they're good. Beginning of story.

Andy Dalton hit Green with a 21-yard pass in the final minutes to set up Josh Brown's 43-yard field goal with four seconds left as the Bengals earned a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday.

Cincinnati (9-6) clinched a second straight playoff berth. Pittsburgh (7-8) was eliminated from postseason contention.

The only other time the Bengals made the playoffs in consecutive seasons came in 1981-82, six years before Green was born.

Brown missed a 56-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter but earned a second chance when Reggie Nelson picked off Ben Roethlisberger and returned it to the Pittsburgh 46 with 14 seconds remaining. Dalton found Green down the right sideline on the next play, setting up Brown's winner.

"I've had some pretty big kicks, but that was a long time ago," said Brown, who is filling in for injured starter Mike Nugent. "When you have a chance for the playoffs, there's nothing bigger. It's a big deal."

Dalton completed 24 of 41 for 278 yards and two interceptions for the Bengals, who had lost five straight to Pittsburgh. Green caught 10 passes for 116 yards and Cincinnati's defense never let the Steelers get comfortable.

Roethlisberger completed 14 of 28 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Leon Hall returned the first pick 17 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.