REPORT CARD VS. STEELERS

PASSING OFFENSE: C-plus — Carson Palmer hit for four touchdown passes,
but he also threw two interceptions and was sacked six times.
He lost one of three fumbles when hit in the pocket. The Steelers
held Chad Johnson to one catch for 11 yards, but it came at a p
rice. T.J. Houshmandzadeh had nine receptions, two for touchdowns,
and two of Chris Henry's six receptions went for scores. They had
single coverage. The line had trouble with Pittsburgh blitzes.

RUSHING OFFENSE: C — The Bengals stayed with the run, in an attempt
to balance their offense. Though Rudi Johnson was held to 47 yards
on 19 carries (2.5-yard average), Kenny Watson ran three times for
35 yards, one for 18 yards on a draw play that pushed the ball
inside the Steelers 5 and set up a touchdown pass.

PASS DEFENSE: A — Tory James struggled early, but the Bengals
intercepted three Ben Roethlisberger passes and sacked him three
times. The Steelers scored only on the ground, and the Bengals
held Hines Ward to two receptions for 17 yards.

RUSH DEFENSE: D — The Steelers hammered the Bengals for 170 yards
on the ground, but after a 6-for-6 start in converting third-down
plays into first downs, the Steelers were held to 1 of 10 for the
balance of the game. Safety Kevin Kaesviharn came up to force a
fumble from Verron Haynes in the fourth quarter that led to the
touchdown that gave the Bengals a 28-17 lead.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A — Kyle Larson punted five times for a 53.4-yard
average and a 46.6-yard net. He also had two punts inside the 20.
Ricardo Colclough muffed a Larson punt inside the 10 that was
recovered by tight end Tony Stewart in the fourth quarter. It was
the biggest play of the game; the Bengals took a 21-17 lead on the
next play. Defensive tackle John Thornton blocked a Jeff Reed field
goal attempt, and Kenny Watson returned five kickoffs for a
21.2-yard average in place of the injured Tab Perry.

COACHING: A — The Bengals stayed with the run and had enough
production to balance the pass. Special teams outplayed the Steelers.
The defense came up with four of five takeaways. Marvin Lewis
convinced his team to weather ups and downs throughout the game,
and the Bengals made more big plays than the Steelers. Lewis'
Bengals have won three of their past four in Pittsburgh and 9 of
their last 11 road games. They are developing resiliency along with
excellent roster depth.