With a chance to make a statement, the Cincinnati Bengals backed down and went for a field goal. Their decision to demur said it all. Hines Ward caught a pair of touchdown passes, and the Pittsburgh Steelers turned Marvin Lewis' conservative coaching decision into the pivotal moment of a 24-13 victory Sunday, their seventh straight in Cincinnati. From the top down, it was another case of down-the-river domination. The Steelers (5-2) solidified their hold on first place in the AFC North and pushed the last-place Bengals to the precipice. The Bengals are 2-5 for the first time since 2004, Carson Palmer's first season as the starting quarterback.