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PITTSBURGH (AP) — The win they needed but at times didn’t act like they particularly wanted finally secured Womens Andy Dalton Jersey , the Pittsburgh Steelers lingered on the Heinz Field turf after a sluggish 16-13 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday and turned their eyes to the massive videoboard in the south end zone.A season filled with promise six weeks ago before things came undone boiled down to something entirely out of Pittsburgh’s control: whether Cleveland could pull off a stunning rally in Baltimore.As a decidedly out-of-place chant of “Let’s Go Browns” reverberated and Cleveland marched into Ravens‘ territory, a third straight AFC North for the Steelers seemed possible.Then Cleveland rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a late pick. The Ravens held on. Optimism evaporated. Replaced by a mix of harsh reality and a hint of wistfulness.The Steelers (9-6-1) firmly believe they would be a tough out in the playoffs. Instead, they won’t get the chance. The team that appeared assured of a fifth consecutive playoff berth following a six-game midseason winning streak instead will miss the postseason for the first time since 2013 after Indianapolis beat Tennessee later Sunday to lock down the final wild-card spot.“It just sucks,” Steelers guard David DeCastro said. “How hard we work, how much effort we put in. To go from 7-2-1 to where we are now is heartbreaking.”And avoidable. Yet four losses in five games — all of which the Steelers led at some point in the second half — forced them to enter Week 17 needing to beat the injury ravaged Bengals and a hope surging Cleveland could upset the Ravens on the road.“It’s just tough,” said Pittsburgh running back James Conner, who ran for 64 yards in his return to the lineup after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. “We’re relying on somebody else to advance.”The team that stressed it wouldn’t spend all afternoon scoreboard watching certainly looked distracted as Cincinnati took a 10-3 halftime lead. Pittsburgh eventually rallied behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — who threw for 287 yards and a touchdown despite missing injured star receiver Antonio Brown to finish with a career-best and NFL-high 5,129 yards passing — and new kicker Matt McCrane booted three field goals, the last a 35-yarder with 1:56 to go that put the Steelers ahead to stay.Pittsburgh held on when Cincinnati backup quarterback Jeff Driskel’s fourth-down pass intended for Josh Malone fell incomplete with 1:08 to go. Roethlisberger then took a pair of knees to run out the clock Womens A.J. Green Jersey , setting the stage for the bizarre sight of the Steelers and thousands of black-and-gold clad fans cheering on the Browns.For a few anxious minutes, the dominoes appeared to be falling into place. When they didn’t, Pittsburgh didn’t place blame on Cleveland but countless missed opportunities.“It just makes me mad that as a leader of this group, we put ourselves in this situation like this, looking for others to do our job,” Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward said. “Cleveland played a heck of a game … it’s frustrating and as a leader of this group it’s just unacceptable.”Roethlisberger vowed to return for a 16th season. He turns 37 in March and doesn’t think Pittsburgh’s window is closing as long as the offensive line in front of him remains intact.“I still feel good,” he said. “We keep that line together, that’ll give us a good fighting chance.”MARVIN’S MURKY FUTUREJoe Mixon rushed for 105 yards for the Bengals but Cincinnati (6-10) — which entered Sunday with 18 players on injured reserve, including quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green— lost for the seventh time in eight games and head into another offseason unsure about the future of longtime head coach Marvin Lewis.Cincinnati’s season turned at home against the Steelers back in October http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/auth...sie-bates-iii-jersey , when the Bengals let Pittsburgh go down the field in the final minute to pull out a 28-21 victory on Antonio Brown’s 31-yard catch and run with 10 seconds to play. An avalanche of injuries and losses followed. Lewis headed to the locker room surrounded by cameras, which he found “ridiculous” after his beat-up squad took the Steelers basically to the wire.“I think it’s sad (my status) is the only thing they can point to,” Lewis said. “This isn’t about me. This is about this football team and what they do. To make this about one person. It’s not about one person. This is my job. That’s it.”INJURIESBengals: WR Cody Core left late in the first quarter with a left elbow injury. Core was hurt while diving for a pass deep down the left sideline. … LT Cordy Glenn injured his left ankle after getting rolled up on during a scrum following fumble by Driskel in the third quarter. Safety Brandon Wilson left in the second half with a chest injury and tight end Matt Lengel exited with a left knee issue.Steelers: Brown missed his first game of the season while dealing with a knee injury. Pittsburgh also sat starting safety Sean Davis (quadriceps) and inside linebacker Vince Williams (toe).UP NEXTBengals: Owner Mike Brown will meet with Lewis to decide whether a 17th season is in the offing for the winning coach in franchise history.Steelers: While head coach Mike Tomlin is on firm ground, changes to the coaching staff could be made. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler’s unit struggled to create turnovers and the special teams were a mess under coordinator Danny Smith. West Coast Story Begins Another EditionIf you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. When Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced his first four staff hires Thursday, they came from NFL offenses his new team has had trouble deciphering in the past decade, particularly in a lethal running game version of Paul Brown's scheme that morphed into the West Coast Offense.Why Zac Taylor ignored his stated emphasis on character, culture to hire Jim Turner – The AthleticCINCINNATI – Zac Taylor hired as the Bengals' new offensive line coach Jim Turner on Thursday and raised some eyebrows with the decision.Press Taylor doesn't appear to be leaving Eagles for BengalsThe Philadelphia Eagles doesn't appear to be losing Press Taylor after all. The Cincinnati Bengals named several members to Zac Taylor's coaching staff Tuesday, none of whom had Press Taylor's name mentioned (Press Taylor is the brother of Zac Giovani Bernard Jersey White , so he may have been inclined to join him for a promotion in Cincinnati).Bengals part ways with Strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton and assistant strength and conditioning coach Jeff Friday.Morton had been with the Bengals since 2003 when Marvin Lewis was hired.Izzy's deli creates sandwich honoring new Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac TaylorOne local sandwich shop chain has taken it upon itself to further whet the appetite of Cincinnati Bengals fans hungry to see what the team will do with new head coach Zac Taylor at the helm.Around the LeagueCardinals sign CB Robert Alford to three-year deal - NFL.comRobert Alford has found a new home. The Arizona Cardinals have signed the cornerback to a three-year, $22.5 million contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.Kyler Murray expected to attend NFL Scouting Combine - NFL.comThree-hundred-and-thirty-eight college prospects are slated to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis later this month, but one of them stands out: Kyler Murray.Chiefs GM -- No more basketball for Patrick MahomesChiefs GM Brett Veach told a Kansas City radio station that he called Patrick Mahomes' agent after seeing his star QB playing basketball in a video that went viral and was able "to nip that in the bud."Bob Stoops returns to coaching with Dallas in relaunched XFLBob Stoops is returning to coaching, as he was named the new head coach and general manager of the XFL's Dallas-based franchise Thursday.2019 NFL Draft: Biggest combine snubs include big Nebraska running back, receiver who shined at Senior Bowl - CBSSports.comThese prospects deserved to be invited to the 2019 NFL Combine but were left off the list.No kickoffs as AAF action kicks off this weekend - NFL.comAlliance of American Football action will begin this Saturday with plenty of different rules from the NFL, not the least of which is there will be no kickoffs in games.