Monday Night Football Score 2013: NFL Week 2: Bengals Seize Rare Primetime Opportunity, Maul Steelers
Very seldom do the Cincinnati Bengals get a chance to play on the grand Monday Night Football stage.
Last night, the Bengals took their rare Monday Night opportunity and ran with it en route to a convincing 20-10 Week 2 victory over division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Cincinnati.
Although the Steelers had two turnovers in the game, they played a tight first half and emerged from halftime with a 10-10 tie. It didn't take long, however, for the Bengals to kick it into gear and pull away. The Bengals scored a touchdown in the third and added a field goal in the fourth, giving the team a 10-point lead late in the game.
The Bengals didn't win by much, but they didn't need much. The Steelers defense, formerly known as a dominant and consistent group, didn't even force one turnover in the game. There was one play when rookie Giovani Bernard, out of North Carolina, turned a short pass into a 27-yard touchdown score. This rarely happens against the Steelers.
"I saw green grass," said Bernard. "Once you see green grass, you've got to take it. You don't get many chances like that. When you do, you've got to take it."
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 280 yards in the air and a touchdown, while counterpart Ben Roethlisberger struggled as he barely completed half of his passes and had an unfortunate tipped interception.
The Steelers slipped to 0-2 for the first time in over a decade, while the Bengals have carried the momentum gained from last year's playoff run into this season. The 2-0 Bengals will have yet another home game next week when they will welcome the Green Bay Packers to town.
Next week's Monday Night Football game will feature the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos at Mile High.