Bengals Lead 14-10 At Halftime Against Steelers

Dec 7, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor (24) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals took the field with a game and a half lead in the AFC North. It’s simple, if they win the Steelers drop to two and a half games back and all but out, and if they lose, the Bengals will be looking at a half game lead over the Steelers with three games to play. The Bengals will offense woke up in the second half but the defense couldn’t hold the Steelers as they scored 10 points of their own.

The Bengals gained 152 yards in the air and 60 yards on the ground, including a 20 yard scramble by Andy Dalton on a play fake that went for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 14-7 lead. AJ Green leads all wide receivers with 104 yard including a 56 yard completion that set up the Bengals first touchdown that tied the game at 7-7. In fact, It only took the Bengals 5 plays and 3 completions to take it 80 yards for the answer.

The Bengals defense had trouble in the second quarter holding the Steelers but only gave up a field goal on the final drive of the second half to keep the Bengals in front by four. The Bengals defense will need to keep Ben Roethlisberger and this talented wide receiving core in check if they want to hold on.

The best statistic is that the Steelers are only 1-4 when trailing at halftime. The Bengals will need to keep them in their rearview mirror to have the best chance at keeping the division title out of reach for the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns. Here is your Halftime scoreboard for the AFC North from ESPN.com

Ravens 7
Dolphins 10

Indianapolis 7
Cleveland 14

Enjoy the second half and Go Bengals!