PITTSBURGH — The Bengals flinched, but the Steelers couldn't finish.

Cincinnati scored on five of its first six possessions to take a 31-24 lead Sunday at Heinz Field before finally hitting a wall. The vaunted Bengal offense managed just 10 plays and 12 yards on its next three possessions, opening the door for the Steelers to walk through.

They walked backwards instead.

"We had our opportunities to take control of this game and didn't do it," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said.

Giving up field position all day — the Bengals average starting point in the game was their own 43-yard line — the Steelers pinned Cincinnati inside its own 10 with 4:53 left in the third quarter and forced a three-and-out. Facing a third-and-7 from the Bengals 42 moments later, Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception to Deltha O'Neal, who returned it to near midfield.

"I was trying to make a play and gave it right back to them," Roethlisberger said.

No matter. Then came another three-and-out by Cincinnati. The Steelers took possession at their own 20 and Roethlisberger made some plays. He connected with tight end Heath Miller for 12 yards. A screen pass to Jerome Bettis notched nine more yards and gave Pittsburgh a second-and-1 from the Bengals 39.

Bettis lost two yards on second down. Duce Staley mishandled a pitch on third down and lost nine more.

"What hurts is we were able to move the ball consistently all day," Staley said. "We made mistakes at the wrong time. You have to come up big at the right time."

The Steelers gained 474 yards on the day, 150 more than Cincinnati. Roethlisberger threw for 386 yards. Hines Ward caught passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

"The numbers don't matter when you lose," Ward said. "I think of the plays I didn't make. I dropped a touchdown pass at the end of the first half that would have tied the game. I lost a fumble. Great players make those plays.

"It's disappointing to me that I didn't."

Despite handing the Bengals a first down by roughing the passer, the Steelers forced the Bengals into another punt on their next possession. But on first-and-10 from his own 42, Roethlisberger was intercepted by rookie Odell Thurman. The Bengals had the ball on the Steelers 49. Six plays later, they were in the end zone for a 38-24 lead with 6:09 to play.

Opportunity — and game — lost.

"I had Hines (Ward) wide open on that play and missed him," Roethlisberger said. "It's on me. I didn't make as many plays as I needed to make today."

"We kept giving an explosive offense a short field to work with," Cowher said. "You can't do that."

The Steelers had four turnovers. The Bengals had none.

"You can't turn the ball over, you can't have mental errors and expect to win," Ward said. "They made more positive plays than we did. That's what it comes down to."

While the Bengals have control of the AFC North, the Steelers are left with the task of trying to win their final four games and hope the scoreboard-watching goes their way.

"I told our team that now we just have to play it out," Cowher said. "We have to take care of our business and see where the chips fall."

"When a wounded animal is backed against a wall, it either comes out fighting or it dies," Staley said. "Don't expect this team to die."