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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Cincinnati Bengals looked at their prime-time visit to Pittsburgh as a chance to make a statement about their legitimacy as AFC contenders. In one sense, the Bengals fit right in. Just like Denver and New England earlier in the weekend, Cincinnati let a chance to take firm control of its playoff fate disappear against a scuffling rival. Pittsburghs Antonio Brown caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a score in a 64-second span in the first quarter and the Steelers jumped on the Bengals early in a 30-20 victory Sunday night. Given a chance to all but clinch the AFC North and move into the No. 2 spot behind Denver in the AFC, the Bengals (9-5) let Pittsburgh race to a 21-0 lead and never recovered. "Its tough, for sure, because we had everything in front of us," Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green said. "We could have had ourselves set up in a great position if we could have come out here and won today." Green finished with nine receptions for 93 yards, but the Bengals didnt make much happen downfield. Cincinnatis longest play was 19 yards, preventing the Bengals from making speedy inroads on the Steelers (6-8) after falling behind so quickly. Andy Dalton completed 25 of 44 passes for 230 yards and two second-half touchdowns, but Cincinnatis only chance to draw within one score ended when Daltons 2-point conversion was batted down with 5:51 remaining. "Theres no panic," Dalton said. "Theres no worry about anything. Were not frantic. We still have two games at home and have everything to accomplish, so weve got to take care of our business." Shaun Suisham added three field goals for Pittsburgh, which built a 24-point lead and hardly looked like a team playing out the string. Ben Roethlisberger completed 20 of 25 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception. LeVeon Bell added 117 yards of total offence and a touchdown. "I have said for a bunch of weeks now that there is going to be no quit from me or from anybody," Roethlisberger said. "I thought tonight was a good example of that." Looking to move closer to a third straight playoff berth, the Bengals were undone by a series of miscues on special teams. Bell scored two plays after Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber dropped a snap while standing near the goal line after the Bengals first possession. Pittsburghs Will Allen dropped Huber at the 1 and Bell bulled into the end zone on second down for his sixth touchdown of the season. Cincinnatis issues continued on the ensuing kickoff. Officials ruled Cedric Peerman called for a fair catch at the Cincinnati 9, wiping out a lengthy return. The Bengals eventually punted, setting up the Steelers with a short field. Pittsburgh went 47 yards in eight plays, with Roethlisberger buying enough time for Brown to get open for a 12-yard touchdown strike to make it 14-0. Browns early work wasnt done. Cincinnati punted yet again and Brown took it 67 yards right up the middle, breaking a tackle at midfield on his way to the second punt return for a score in his four-year career for Pittsburghs third touchdown of the quarter. Huber took a hard hit from Pittsburghs Terence Garvin during the return. Huber was down on the field for several minutes before walking straight to the Cincinnati locker room with a fractured jaw. Cincinnati kicker Mike Nugent took over Hubers punting duties. Pittsburgh extended its lead to 24-0 before the Bengals steadied themselves with a 47-yard touchdown drive capped by Giovani Bernards 1-yard run. The Steelers responded late in the half with Suishams 45-yard field goal by to give them their biggest halftime lead of the season. Suishams third field goal pushed Pittsburghs advantage to 30-7 before the Bengals responded with Daltons 1-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert. Dalton later found Marvin Jones for a 13-yard score on fourth-and-5 with 5:51 to play, but Pittsburgh rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones got his hands on Daltons conversion attempt to keep it a two-score game. The Bengals got the ball back one more time, and Daltons long heave to Green on fourth down fell incomplete. "It was a snowball effect," Cincinnati centre Kyle Cook said. "Its tough when youre all bundled up like that to start the game, and then the next thing you know youre down 21-0. So, that makes it tough to get going and come back from that deficit." NOTES: The crowd of 45,873 was the smallest in the 13-year history of Heinz Field. ... Brown caught five passes for 66 yards and a score and now has 95 receptions on the season, tied for second-most in team history. ... Bengals linebacker James Harrison, making his first appearance in Pittsburgh since leaving the Steelers to sign with Cincinnati in the off-season, left in the first quarter with a concussion. 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After a tight first half, the Croatians took command in Reykjavik after Skulason was dismissed for a professional foul in the 51st minute, but couldnt find a way past Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson and his packed defence. Eduardo had a weak shot cleared away from near the goalline after barely a minute for Croatia, whose substitute Ivica Olic forced a fine reaction save from Halldorsson in the 55th.NEW YORK -- Cold, shorter rest, a bigger ball. No matter the challenges, Masahiro Tanaka is making a smooth transition from Japan to the major leagues for one major reason: his split-fingered fastball. Tanaka allowed two bunt hits in eight dominant innings on a frigid Wednesday, Carlos Beltran homered for the third straight game and New York welcomed the Chicago Cubs to the current Yankee Stadium with a 3-0 victory in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. "That split is not something you want to sit on. Its not something youre going to be able to handle," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "But, as it was coming out of the hand, as the guys were coming in, they were saying, Gosh, it looks like a fastball. It ends up diving." And it makes batters look silly. The 25-year-old Japanese right-hander struck out 10 for his second straight start, this time while wearing three-quarter sleeves on a 43-degree day that felt much colder because of a brisk wind. Tanaka (2-0) gave up a replay-aided hit to Junior Lake in the second inning, and Anthony Rizzo pushed a bunt toward a vacated third base with a shifted infield leading off the seventh. Tanaka has 28 strikeouts in 22 innings, the most strikeouts for a Yankees pitcher in his first three career starts, according to the Yankees via the Elias Sports Bureau. Tanaka threw 107 pitches, and Shawn Kelley allowed a single to Rizzo as he finished the three-hitter for his fourth save. "It was cold out there and I did feel it but I was able to control myself, control the grip and manage myself to pitch the way I did today," Tanaka said. Dean Anna had a sacrifice fly and Jacoby Ellsbury added an RBI tap-out against Jason Hammel (2-1) in Chicagos first regular-season game in the ballpark, which opened in 2009. The Cubs have yet to win in the Bronx. They were swept in the 1932 and 38 World Series and lost all three-games in 2005, their only interleague series in New York. With Tuesdays rainout postponing Jackie Robinson Day festivities, the Yankees planned to unveil a plaque honouring Nelson Mandela before the nightcap. Players from both teams were to wear No. 42, and Michael Pineda was set to make his first start for New York since he was spotted with a mysterious brown substance on his hand Thursday against Boston. Travis Wood was slated to start for Chicago. After an overnight storm, the grounds crew used blowers to melt the ice on the tarp before removing the covering from the infield.dddddddddddd Snow still covered the grass in right field while the Cubs took batting practice, and many players wore ski caps. But it wasnt too cold for Beltran. He connected on a 1-1 changeup from Hammel with one out in the first. Anna started again at shortstop for Derek Jeter and drove in his run with a fly to left field in the fourth. Jeter missed three games with a tight quadriceps but manager Joe Girardi said the captain would start the second game. "Right now I feel good at the plate, and am seeing good results, said Beltran, the current AL player of the week. New York added a run in the fifth when Junior Lake lost Brett Gardners liner to left in the sun for a double. After Gardner advanced on Beltrans groundout, Ellsburys bat made contact with catcher John Bakers glove before dunking a ball in front of the mound. Catchers interference was called but under rule 6.08 (c), the Yankees had the choice to reject the interference call -- it would have put runners at the corners -- and take the play as it unfolded on the field. The elected for the latter, with Gardner scoring and Ellsbury tagging out by Hammel. "With one out you take the run," Girardi said. Tanaka gave up six runs -- five earned -- in his first two starts combined, all before the third inning was over. This time he was sharp from the start. He walked his second batter this season and lowered his ERA to 2.05 ERA. Lake bunted toward the third base side, and Tanaka fielded it cleanly. Initially, first base umpire Manny Gonzalez called Lake out but Cubs manager Rick Renteria requested a challenge and the call was overturned. Hammel was nearly as good. He yielded three runs and five hits, striking out five. "I thought I threw the ball pretty well, but he was better today," Hammel said. "I was very impressed. Strike thrower, obviously, his split finger is devastating." NOTES: Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira (right hamstring) is working out in Tampa, Fla. He is eligible to come off the DL Sunday. ... The Cubs have played in 122 ballparks. ... The Yankees swept two exhibition games from the Cubs at the new stadium before opening day in 09. ... Renteria asked for a second review on a close play at first base in the seventh. The replay umpire ruled the call stands, which means there wasnt conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field. ' ' '