It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't as easy as the score indicates, but the Pittsburgh Steelers came away with a 34-12 home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. Despite having almost half of the season left to play, this game was a must-win if the Steelers wanted to remain in the hunt for the AFC North title.
The Baltimore Ravens are surging thanks to a re-energized defense and the return of MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, and a loss would have put them in position to pull even with Pittsburgh with a win over the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals also would have stayed in striking distance had they won.
Now, it's highly likely that the division will come down to either Pittsburgh or Baltimore. The Steelers may have the edge for now, but they can't afford to make many mistakes down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Steelers stay ahead of the pack in the race for the AFC North crown
It was a defensive struggle throughout most of this game, with the score sitting at 13-9 late into the third quarter. Then, trade deadline addition Kyle Dugger jumped a pass from Bengals QB Joe Flacco and returned it all the way for a 73-yard interception touchdown.
That kick started a huge run for Pittsburgh, with a touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph (in for the injured Aaron Rodgers) and another defensive touchdown from James Pierre to reach their final point total of 34. Even with the offense struggling at times, the Steelers were able to finally wear down the Bengals' defense late and put the pressure on Flacco and the offense.
It was a stark contrast to their last matchup, where both offenses seemingly could do anything they wanted. The Steelers' defense deserves a ton of credit for locking down this potent Bengals offense, limiting star receiver Ja'Marr Chase to just three receptions for 30 yards. Strangely, they did some of their best work after safety Jalen Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase.
Now 6-4, Pittsburgh controls its destiny the rest of the way. With the way the Ravens have looked in recent weeks, even just one or two more losses could be enough to make their Week 18 meeting a battle for the division title. Still, this win allowed them to have some wiggle room that they may not have had otherwise.
With the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills (both of whom are 7-3) up next, more performances like this will be needed if they want to keep their hold on the AFC North. For now, though, the division remains in their grasp.