Bengals crumble under turnovers by Dalton, Green

Electric three weeks ago, the Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton-to-A.J. Green connection barely sparked Sunday.

Thirteen times Dalton threw toward his star wideout, yet the duo's major contributions were three turnovers in a 27-17 loss at Heinz Field. With two interceptions, the Steelers defense matched Green's first-half catch total. A fourth-quarter fumble by Green sealed the Bengals' loss.

In defeat, the Bengals clinched the AFC's first wild card and will travel to Indianapolis for a playoff game next weekend. But in the fourth quarter Sunday, they seemed headed toward a division title.

With 3:51 left and the Steelers ahead 20-17, the Bengals were driving when Green was hit hard by Steelers safety Mike Mitchell after a 17-yard catch. Green fumbled at the Steelers 31, and cornerback Antwon Blake recovered.

The collision left Green on the turf. Already dealing with an injured arm, Green did not return. A team official said Green was being evaluated under the league's concussion protocol and was unavailable for interviews afterward.

Of his 13 targets, Green caught eight for 82 yards. Three fell incomplete. Steelers cornerback Brice McCain intercepted the two others, when Dalton and Green misconnected.

In the first quarter, Green cut a red-zone route short, and Dalton overthrew him along the sideline. The turnover came on second-and-10 at the Steelers 28.

In the second quarter, Green was open over the middle, but a high throw from Dalton bounced off his hands. Before the turnover, the Bengals had second-and-3 at their 34.

McCain intercepted each, turnovers that let the Steelers build a 20-10 halftime lead.

Dalton took blame for both.

“The first one I shouldn't have thrown,” Dalton said. “The next one I left high. It was my fault. You've got to be better. You can't turn the ball over.”

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis split the blame.

“Green felt like he couldn't get to (the first intercepted pass), but he has to go and make a play on it,” Lewis said. “... Then Andy Dalton was high on the second one, and it goes off Green's arm. They each were having a little bit of fault. In both cases, you have to deliver a good ball and move on and protect the quarterback.”

Dalton completed 27 of 38 for 244 yards with two touchdowns. He threw a 17-yarder to running back Giovani Bernard and a 5-yarder to tight end Jermaine Gresham.

Green had a career-high 224 yards and 11 catches Dec. 7, when the Steelers won 42-21 in Cincinnati. An 81-yard touchdown catch by Green on the last play of the third quarter had put the Bengals ahead 21-17.

His longest catch Sunday was the 17-yarder when he fumbled, and he failed to reach the end zone for the third consecutive week.

Green was held without a catch last week in Denver, when a first-quarter hit bruised his right biceps. A week earlier, he had only five catches for 49 yards against Cleveland. But Dalton said the two were building momentum in the second half Sunday.

Gresham's touchdown catch capped a 15-play, 89-yard fourth-quarter drive.

“It felt like we had good rhythm,” Dalton said. “We were able to put a big drive together that put us within three. We had a chance at the end to go down and win it. We didn't do enough today to get that done.”

Chris Harlan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.