Quick Hits: Bengals Fall To 3-7 With 34-12 Loss To Steelers, Game Marred By Ja’Marr Chase, Jalen Ramsey Altercation

PITTSBURGH – Kyle Dugger returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and Mason Rudolph relieved the injured Aaron Rodgers as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 34-12, Sunday in Pittsburgh.

The game featured two confrontations between safety Jalen Ramsey and Ja’Marr Chase, including one early in the fourth quarter. With the Bengals forced to take a timeout and appearing to be in disarray on fourth-and-1 at the Pittsburgh 44, Ramsey grabbed Chase by the facemask and threw a punch, resulting in Ramsey being ejected.

The two players remained on the field before Ramsey had to be escorted off. Entering the game, the Steelers were already without two cornerbacks, including Darius Slay.

After the game, Ramsey accused Chase of spitting at him, a charge Chase denied in the locker room.

But video released on FOX 19 after game clearly reveals Chase spitting onto Ramsey during their second altercation.

Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting at Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott right after the season-opening kickoff on Sept. 4 in Philadelphia. The NFL could have suspended him but decided the missed game in the opener was enough. This figures to be a different case with the NFL.

In a rematch of Cincinnati’s 33-31 win on Oct. 16, the Steelers scored a pair of defensive touchdowns, sealing the game on James Pierre’s 33-yard fumble return with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter.

With Aaron Rodgers suffering a left hand injury late in the first half, Mason Rudolph led the Steelers down the field, converting third downs of 11 and 17 yards that ended in Chris Boswell’s second field goal and giving the Steelers a 13-9 lead.

Feeling pressure in the pocket, Flacco threw a pass over the middle for Tee Higgins that was picked off by Dugger over the middle and returned 74 yards for touchdown and a 20-9 Pittsburgh lead.

Before leaving the game injured, Rodgers completed 9-of-15 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Rudolph finished 12-of-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers (6-4) while Flacco completed 23-of-40 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals (3-7), who lost for the seventh time in eight games.

While the Bengals defense was moderately better Sunday, they still allowed the Steelers to convert 7-of-13 third downs and amass 343 total yars while the Bengals could only gain 297 on the day.

The Steelers opened the game with an eight-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by an uncontested screen pass from Rodgers to running back Kenneth Gainwell in the left flat for an 11-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh’s other feature back, Jaylen Warren ripped off a 35-yard run to the Cincinnati 12.

The Bengals answered with a 71-yard drive in nine plays. Flacco found Tee Higgins for a 28-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline, giving Higgins a touchdown in four straight games and six in his last five games.

Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cam Heyward played in his 221st game passing Mike Webster and moving into sole possession of second place in Steelers history. Ben Roethlisberger holds the all-time mark with 249 games.

The Bengals lost Cam Taylor-Britt to a left foot injury in the first half and the corner did not return. Taylor-Britt had a boot on his left foot and was in crutches in the locker room post-game.

The Bengals played the game without injured defensive edges Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, with Stewart landing on the injured reserve with a knee injury.