Report Card: Grading the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers

Here is a look at the good, the bad and the key plays from the 24-20 loss the Bengals suffered against the Steelers on Sunday in this week's Report Card:

RUSH OFFENSE

The Good: Rex Burkhead continued to run strong and decisive in limited opportunities, averaging 4.6 yards on his seven attempts.

The Bad: It took four attempts to run the ball in from the 1-yard line, and Jeremy Hill had six carries for minus-1 yard in the second half as the Bengals failed to break 100 yards for the fifth time in six games since the bye.

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Key Play: After scoring on their first four possessions, the Bengals had picked up a pair of first downs on their first drive of the third quarter when Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison dropped Hill for a 3-yard loss to set the stage for the remainder of the half.

Grade: D

PASS OFFENSE

The Good: Wide receiver Brandon LaFell had one of his most productive games of the season with seven catches for 91 yards, and the pass protection was solid, allowing the Steelers to only sack Dalton once and hit him two other times.

RELATED: 6 things to know about the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers

The Bad: The Bengals refused to take any deep shots in the second half while Pittsburgh was crowding the box resulting in Dalton going 6 of 11 for 41 yards and an interception, and the 157 yards he finished with were his fewest in more than two years.

Key Play: The momentum had already started to swing Pittsburgh's way when Dalton threw an interception to linebacker Lawrence Timmons, setting up the Steelers with a short field that they converted into a sixth field goal to get within 20-18.

Grade: D

MORE: Bengals suffer another second-half collapse

RUSH DEFENSE

The Good: The Bengals snapped Le'Veon Bell's streak of four consecutive 100-yard games by limiting him to 4.0 yards per carry, and the Steelers' total of 97 was 15 below their average.

The Bad: Down four with 5:53 to go and needing a stop to give the offense a final shot, the Bengals let the Steelers rush for three first downs and run out the clock.

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Key play: The Steelers got 30 yards on one play when Sammie Coates gained 15 on a reverse for the team's longest run of the day, and the officials tacked on another 15 for a personal foul penalty against Vontaze Burfict, setting Pittsburgh up at the Bengals 21. They would eventually capitalize with a field goal for their first of four consecutive scores to go ahead.

Grade: C+

PASS DEFENSE

The Good: The Bengals held Antonio Brown in check once again with three catches for 58 yards.

The Bad: Cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and Adam Jones had a combined four penalties for 41 yards, the pass rush struggled to get pressure and Michael Johnson dropped an easy interception near midfield.

RELATED: Tom Archdeacon on how well suited Big Ben is to winning

Key play: Ben Roethlisberger's game-winning, 24-yard touchdown pass to Eli Rogers came two snaps after the Bengals had committed penalties on four consecutive snaps.

Grade: C-

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Good: Newly signed kicker Randy Bullock made all four of his kicks – two extra points and two short field goals – while punter Kevin Huber averaged 47 yards per punt and his coverage unit held the explosive Brown to 5 yards on his only attempt.

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The Bad: Poor tackling enabled Pittsburgh's Sammie Coates to rip off a 44-yard kick return to squelch the momentum the Bengals had built with a field goal on their opening drive.

Key Play: Alex Erickson's 72-yard kickoff return was a finger or two away from being a 98-yard touchdown that would have given the Bengals a 24-6 lead, but instead Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell tripped him up and Cincinnati eventually settled for a field goal and a 20-6 advantage.

Grade: B+

COACHING

The Good: Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther accomplished the improbable by devising a scheme that held both Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown in check, and offensive coordinator Ken Zampese came out with a strong, aggressive scheme … for a half.

The Bad: The players can shoulder the blame all they want, but blowing a 14-point lead by getting outscored 15-0 in the second half smacks of an inability to recognize and react to what the opponent is doing. And it's clear the Bengals were wrong when they said they learned their lesson from the wild-card loss as they appeared to be an undisciplined mess once again with two personal fouls and a taunting penalty.

MORE: Bengals say refs let the Steelers have their way

Key Play: Marvin Lewis' challenge of Hill's run on third and goal from the 1 was not successful, but it stymied some of the momentum the Steelers had built with three straight stops from the 1 and gave the Bengals time to set up their fourth-down play, which was successful when Dalton plunged in on a keeper.

Grade: D

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