The Bengals believed this team was different. Different than the last six in a row and nine of ten against Pittsburgh. Different than the group that didn't have that last play in them the last two years.
They were through the first five games, but could they be against the team they have not been able to find a way to beat?
For a few minutes, it appeared they were.
Until Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown did it to them one more time. The only way the Steelers know how – in the most heartbreaking fashion possible.
This time it was Brown running free against an all-out blitz for a touchdown with only 10 seconds left and 28-21 Pittsburgh win.
For a franchise whose fan base and media constantly scream at them to prove it, they nearly did. This young group has come a long way. They did show fight. They did show execution in huge moments.
But, inevitably, they aren't there yet.
It took a whole lot of Andy Dalton in critical moments to make it look like it would happen, but a beat up Bengals defense couldn't make the one final stop to deliver the goods.
The defense was to the point of wondering who would come in next. William Jackson III could barely walk off the field. Dre Kirkpatrick spent multiple plays on a knee. Darqueze Dennard was out. Shawn Williams was out. Nick Vigil was out. Carlos Dunlap was on the sideline for a drive.
But twice with their backs against the goal line the defense stood up to give an opportunity for Andy Dalton to re-create what happened in Atlanta and win a tilt.
He did. Dalton took an offense that had 49 yards in the second half and went 75 yards in nine plays for the go-ahead touchdown by Joe Mixon. It left 1:15 on the clock.
The beat up defense had to hold up once more with guys like Darius Phillips and Tony McRae on the field. There wasn't enough.
Instead, more Roethlisberger magic. That's seven in a row and 10 of 11 for the Steelers in this series.
Hard to explain the level of guts it took to even keep this game within a score until the final minutes, but it doesn't change this ending the same way these always seem to for the Bengals.
Frustration.
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