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A20 SPORTS
Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019

Steelers break out of funk, stomp Bengals 27-3

By WILL GRAVES much pride to go out there
AP Sports Writer and showcase what we
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pitts- showcased. It was just aw-
burgh Steelers insisted they ful overall."
might have been winless RUDOLPH ROLLS
through three weeks, but Rudolph was uneven at
they were far from hope- best in his first career start
less. They stressed the pro- last week in San Francisco
cess of finding an identity after being thrust into the
with franchise quarterback gig for the rest of the sea-
Ben Roethlisberger out for son while Roethlisberger
the season with an elbow rehabs from elbow surgery.
injury would take time and Rudolph was considerably
a collective effort from all sharper against Cincinnati,
involved. though he wasn't asked to
An effort that looked an do much other than find
awful lot like what they the closest open man —
put together during a 27-3 usually Conner or Samuels
pounding of Cincinnati on — and keep the sticks mov-
Monday night. ing. He completed 24 of 28
Mason Rudolph threw for passes, the only deep shot
229 yards and two scores. a 43-yard strike to Diontae
Running back, part-time Johnson in the third quarter
wide receiver and occa- that broke it open.
sional wildcat quarterback "Our message all week was
Jaylen Samuels accounted stack one (win) and then
for 134 yards of total of- start stacking more," said
fense and a 2-yard touch- quently during his college ner had 14 touches for 125 zone interception in the Rudolph, who was award-
down run. James Conner career at N.C. State, and yards in all, including a 21- fourth quarter and was ed the game ball by head
emerged from an early the Bengals (0-4) certainly yard sprint through the Cin- strip-sacked by Pittsburgh's coach Mike Tomlin.
funk to run for 42 yards and looked caught off guard cinnati defense in the sec- outside linebacker Bud Du- INJURIES
catch eight passes for 83 when Samuels lined up in ond quarter that gave the pree in the second quarter. Bengals: WR John Ross III
yards and a score. The de- the shotgun and started Steelers a lead they never T.J. Watt fell on the ball and left in the third quarter with
fense sacked Andy Dalton distributing the ball like a came close to squandering the Steelers were off and a right-shoulder injury. ...
eight times and held the point guard. Sometimes while beating the Bengals running. Dalton finished 21 LT Cordy Glenn missed his
Bengals scoreless over the he'd hand it off to Conner. for the ninth straight time. of 37 for 171 yards, stressing fourth straight game while
final 51 minutes. Others he'd "throw" a "pop" WOE AND 4 he felt "fine" physically and recovering from a con-
It wasn't perfect. But it was pass to a teammate run- Cincinnati coach Zac Tay- that he's not panicking. cussion and Cincinnati's
a start. One that helped ning in motion in front of lor became the second "Everybody is going to stick protection problems con-
the Steelers (1-3) avoid their him. Still others he opted first-year coach to drop together," Dalton said. "We tinued. The Bengals have
second 0-4 start in 51 years to keep it himself, including his first four games with the have from the beginning, now surrendered 19 sacks
and reaffirmed their belief on his third-quarter touch- Bengals. Sam Wyche start- regardless of the circum- through four games.
that they can find a way down in which he strolled ed 0-5 in 1984 but helped stances of these games, Steelers: TE Vance Mc-
forward without Roethlis- into the end zone after the his team rebound to an 8-8 we've stuck together. And Donald sat out with a right
berger. Bengals bit on a fake hand- finish. Taylor's task of getting so I don't expect that to shoulder injury. Nick Van-
"It's huge," Samuels said. off. Cincinnati back to respect- change." nett, acquired in a trade
"Coming in 0-3 and coming "We knew if we could get a ability will be far harder if Tyler Boyd, elevated to the with Seattle last week, start-
back, getting a divisional lot of guys going sideways, he can't figure out a way No. 1 receiver while A.J. ed and caught two passes
game, that's huge. We've it was going to mess them to protect Dalton. Green recovers from ankle for 28 yards.
just got to build off this up a little bit so that's what "To be quite honest, it starts surgery, was held to three UP NEXT
game." we did," Samuels said. "It with me," Taylor said. "I've receptions for 33 yards on Bengals: Host Arizona next
With Pittsburgh's running was working. ... We were got to make sure the stan- the same field where he Sunday. The Cardinals won
game going nowhere picking up five, six yards ev- dard is higher than what starred in college at Pitt. the last meeting, 34-31, in
through three weeks, run- ery play. They couldn't stop it is right now, because "Personally I hate being 2015.
ning backs coach Eddie it." I haven't done a good embarrassed," Boyd said. Steelers: Welcome AFC
Faulkner suggested to of- Samuels ran for 26 yards enough job." "At the end of the day, I North rival Baltimore to
fensive coordinator Randy on 10 carries, caught eight The eight sacks Dalton en- can take the losing. But Pittsburgh on Sunday. The
Fichtner that it might be passes for 57 more and was dured were a career-high when you go out there and teams split the season se-
time to dust off the wild- credited with three com- for the nine-year veteran, get embarrassed, Monday ries last year, both winning
cat. Samuels ran it fre- pletions for 31 yards. Con- who also threw an end night, prime time . I got too at home.q