An inability to close out road games and a short-handed lineup have the Pittsburgh Steelers carrying a losing record this late into a season for the first time in coach Mike Tomlin's tenure.

While they'll likely still be missing some players, the Steelers would appear to have their opportunity to end their road drought Sunday night as they've won 10 of 11 in Cincinnati. The Bengals, however, are eager to rebound from their own late collapse to another AFC North rival and avoid a third straight defeat.

Pittsburgh had started 6-2 or better in each of coach Mike Tomlin's first five seasons, but entering this game 2-3 has the Steelers concerned about their playoff hopes. They've reached the postseason in eight of the last 11 years, made three Super Bowl appearances and won two championships.

"The panic button, we're tapping on it," linebacker Larry Foote said. "We ain't got two hands on it, but we're kind of nibbling on it a little bit. ... We can't lose no more, that's the approach. Five, six losses you ain't going to be in the playoffs."

Pittsburgh hasn't been below .500 entering Week 7 since 2006, when it started 2-6 after claiming the franchise's fifth Super Bowl victory in coach Bill Cowher's penultimate campaign.

The Steelers, though, would have headed into this week undefeated had they held on to fourth-quarter leads in each of their three road games. In the most recent of those contests Oct. 11, they were ahead of Tennessee by a touchdown with 4:20 to play but gave up 10 unanswered points in a 26-23 defeat.

After Shaun Suisham missed a 54-yard kick with 54 seconds left, the Titans drove for Rob Bironas ' 40-yarder as time expired. Pittsburgh also lost on a last-second kick in a 34-31 defeat in Oakland on Sept. 23 and gave up 17 unanswered points in a 31-19 season-opening loss in Denver on Sept. 9.

"It comes down to playmaking," said Tomlin, whose team has given up 40 fourth-quarter points in those defeats, "and we haven't made enough significant plays."

A spate of injuries hasn't helped, but linebacker LaMarr Woodley could return from a strained left hamstring this week. Center Maurkice Pouncey might also play after a right leg injury caused him to leave the loss to Tennessee.

The Steelers, though, likely won't have safety Troy Polamalu (calf), linebacker Chris Carter (hamstring) and right tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle). Rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu was suspended two games Tuesday following his arrest over the weekend.

Running backs Rashard Mendenhall (Achilles) and Isaac Redman (ankle), meanwhile, are questionable. Mendenhall scored four touchdowns in last season's two matchups with Cincinnati.

The Bengals (3-3) will try to take advantage of those absences to regain some momentum and end a four-game skid to Pittsburgh. Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games after winning three in a row and gave up 21 fourth-quarter points in last Sunday's 34-24 defeat in Cleveland.

"It's not time to jump ship," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "We're 3-3 just like everybody else in our conference. At the end of the day, it's not about wins and losses, it's about who makes the playoffs.

"Our goals are all still right there in front of us. Somebody that's 3-3 has to go win some games and get in the playoffs. Why not be us?"

Andy Dalton threw for a career-high 381 yards and three touchdowns but also had three interceptions for the second time in 23 career games.

"We've got to fix it. Obviously we are not playing consistently enough for the ability of the guys that we have," coach Marvin Lewis said. "We're almost too nice at times and we've got to have more of a killer instinct."

The Bengals didn't show much of that instinct during last season's matchup in Cincinnati on Nov. 13. They rallied to tie that game at 17 midway through the third quarter but eventually lost 24-17.

Pittsburgh blew out the Bengals 35-7 at Heinz Field on Dec. 4 and has prevailed in 19 of 25 meetings, including an AFC wild card game in 2006.

Dalton completed 26 of 54 passes (48.1 percent) and failed to top 170 yards in each of his first two games against Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger didn't surpass 250 yards in last season's matchups but had three touchdowns and only one interception.

Roethlisberger, who is 7-1 lifetime at Cincinnati, has thrown for 747 yards with five TD passes and one interception in his last two road games.

Depleted Steelers beat Bengals 24-17

CINCINNATI (AP) -- The top two running backs were gone. So were two offensive linemen. Safety Troy Polamalu was sitting on the bench along with all those other injured Steelers.

So, what exactly did Pittsburgh have left? A determined defense. Some reserve running backs. And Ben Roethlisberger .

That's enough, especially in Cincinnati.

Roethlisberger threw for a touchdown, and Pittsburgh's defense clamped down on the Bengals' Dalton-to-Green connection for a 24-17 victory Sunday night that got the Steelers back into the thick of the AFC North race.

For the Steelers (3-3), it was a significant win under tough conditions. Their first road victory of the season moved them into second place behind Baltimore (5-2), which lost to Houston 43-13 earlier Sunday.

"It puts us right there in the hunt," safety Ryan Clark said.

A lot of players got them there on a tough night.

Third-year running back Jonathan Dwyer made his first career start and ran for a career-high 122 yards, including a 32-yard gain in the final minute that put it away. Shaun Suisham kicked field goals of 42, 47 and 42 yards. And the defense came up with a game-turning interception.

"It was a back-against-the-wall mentality and you've got to fight your way out," said cornerback Ike Taylor , who helped limit Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green to one catch.

Cincinnati (3-4) wasted yet another chance to show it deserved to be considered up there with the division's two most successful teams. The Bengals fell to 0-6 against the Steelers and Ravens over the last two seasons, a sign they are still an also-ran in their division.

They have lost three straight, falling into third place in the division.

"It's going to be tough to sleep," Bengals cornerback Leon Hall said. "At the end of the day, we've lost three in a row and we're in a tough spot."

This was their best chance yet to break through, especially after the Steelers dropped passes, fumbled and threw an end zone interception in a self-destructive first half. They couldn't take full advantage against the team that always seems to win on their home field.

The Steelers improved to 12-2 at Paul Brown Stadium, where thousands of towel-waving fans make them feel at home. They have won their last five overall against their Ohio River rival and 10 of the last 12.

And once again, the Bengals could blame themselves.

Andy Dalton 's slip-out-of-the-hand interception set up Roethlisberger's 9-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller and a tying 2-point conversion to the tight end with 24 seconds left in the half. Chris Rainey 's 11-yard touchdown run put the Steelers ahead early in the fourth quarter, and the injury fill-ins finished them off.

"I'm proud of the way those young guys stepped up," said Roethlisberger, who was 27 of 37 for 278 yards. "There never was a doubt they would do that."

The Bengals got the better of it at the outset, pulling ahead 14-3 by getting their running game moving behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis and turning a fumble by Roethlisberger into a touchdown. If they were going to end that streak of futility against the Steelers, this was their chance.

Dalton's only glaring mistake made the difference.

He saw a defender waiting to make an interception and tried to stop his throwing motion. The ball slipped out of his hand, hit the helmet of Bengals lineman Kevin Zeitler and deflected to linebacker LaMarr Woodley at the Cincinnati 29-yard line with 1:23 left in the half. That set up Roethlisberger's tying TD pass and conversion.

"You can't have a thing like that happen," Dalton said. "We had a chance to go down and score points or at least keep it where it was. What you can't let happen is not just let the ball slip out of your hands, but let them get an interception and get points."

Dalton was 14 of 28 for only 105 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He threw six passes toward Green but completed only one, an 8-yard touchdown after Roethlisberger's fumble.

The Steelers' 31st-ranked running game was missing Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman , as well as center Maurkice Pouncey and right tackle Marcus Gilbert . Rookie Mike Adams made his first start in Gilbert's spot.

Plus, Polamalu was inactive for the fourth time in the last five games with a calf injury.

That put a lot on Roethlisberger, who usually does well in his home state - 15-2 all-time in Cleveland and Cincinnati - but has rarely been so short-handed.

Didn't matter.

"On the road, which is big for us, in this hostile environment - I can't say enough about it," Roethlisberger said.

Notes: Steelers rookie NT Alameda Ta'amu served the first of his two-game suspension for his arrest last weekend. ... Bengals rookie CB Dre Kirkpatrick was inactive for the seventh game. He hurt his left knee over the summer and hasn't played. He's expected to be ready after the Bengals' upcoming bye week. ... Bengals C Jeff Faine injured a hamstring, forcing rookie Trevor Robinson to take over in the second half. ... The Steelers wasted a chance to score off a trick play in the first half. Roethlisberger threw a lateral to Antonio Brown , who threw a pass to uncovered running back Baron Batch . The ball went through his arms. Roethlisberger then threw an end zone interception.

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