BY GEOFF HOBSON
PITTSBURGH _ The Bengals threw a fake field goal, a reverse and four completions to Peter Warrick in the first half here Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium.
But they still couldn't score and their offense still couldn't avoid a last-minute gaffe as the Steelers took a 10-0 lead at the half.
Near mid-field with 53 seconds left in the half and looking for a field goal to cut the lead to 7-3, déjà vu blitzed. Quarterback Akili Smith couldn't pull the trigger on a first-down pass, giving linebacker Joey Porter time to beat Bengals left tackle Rod Jones for a blind-side sack.
As he did against Miami two weeks ago in the first half's final minute, Smith fumbled. Linebacker Jason Gildon recovered and although he didn't return it for a touchdown like the Dolphins' Jason Taylor, the turnover set up Kris Brown's 36-yard field goal with four seconds left.
Which spoiled a stout half for the Bengals' defense. Before Smith's fumble, Steelers quarterback Kent Graham had missed on 10 of his last 12 passes as the Bengals sat down cornerback Artrell Hawkins on passing downs and went with a trio of starters Tom Carter and Rodney Heath along with rookie Robert Bean.
The Bengals also managed to brake "The Bus." Running back Jerome Bettis came into the day with 414 yards in his last four games, but he managed just 20 yards on eight carries in the first half.
But a major reason the Bengals couldn't pick up their defense is because Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon got just one yard on his first seven carries.
The Steelers stunned the Bengals on the second play of the game when quarterback Kent Graham threw his first touchdown of the season and receiver Hines Ward caught his first touchdown of the season from 77 yards out.
Graham, the controversial starter in place of Kordell Stewart, changed the play at the line of scrimmage and chalked up Pittsburgh's second touchdown pass in 20 quarters and the Steelers' longest pass play in six years.
Pittsburgh held the 7-0 lead early in the second quarter, when the Bengals fake field goal with 12:34 left failed at the Steelers 21.
During that drive, the Bengals started to get some big plays from their biggest names. On back-to-back plays, Smith scrambled away from a sack for 21 yards and Warrick juked for 49 more on a reverse.
But when Smith couldn't hook up with Warrick on a third-and-2, rookie kicker Neil Rackers lined up for a 34-yard field-goal attempt. Holder Daniel Pope took the snap and ran an option play with Rackers trailing, but when Pope cut it up inside and then pitched to Rackers, Rackers had to go to the ground to get it for a five-yard loss.
Graham saw Ward matched up one-on-one with cornerback Rodney Heath and hit him down the middle. When strong safety Cory Hall came up to pop Ward, Hall and Heath bounced off the receiver and Ward had no one in front of him.
Hall suffered a minor concussion and was replaced by Chris Carter for the rest of the game.
The Bengals had to punt on their first series even though Smith hit his first three passes for 28 yards, two for first downs. But the drive ended at mid-field when Smith took a coverage sack from Gildon.
The Bengals prepared to see Bettis all day and opted to start defensive tackle Glen Steele in place of the banged-up Tom Barndt.
But the Bengals held Bettis to 10 yards on his first six carries and Graham came out throwing. He hit six of his first seven passes for 121 yards to four different receivers.
In an effort to juice up the NFL's last-rated offense, the Bengals gave wide receiver Craig Yeast his first NFL start and activated rookie running back Curtis Keaton for the first time.
Yeast, a second-year player with six catches for 74 yards, replaces rookie Ron Dugans at split end. Dugans, working opposite Warrick, has nine catches for 72 yards since being named the Opening Day starter.
Warrick, who didn't get a catch until the last two minutes last week, caught a seven-yarder on the Bengals' first play.
On the second series, Yeast dropped a pass that would have taken the Bengals out of a hole inside their own 5-yard line. But they ended up punting and the Steelers got the ball at the Bengals' 49 with 1:46 left in the first quarter.
"We're trying to get our best playmakers on the field and Craig has shown an ability to break stuff," said Bengals receivers coach Steve Mooshagian. "He's quick and can make things happen."
With Warrick now rotating punt returns with the 5-8, 160-pound Yeast, the Bengals felt they could give Yeast a little more of a load. But Dugans is still the starting split end and Yeast remains in the slot when the Bengals go with three receivers.
Keaton, a fourth-round pick out of James Madison, could be called on to return some kickoffs. He probably won't play on third-down situations, but he could get some carries spelling running backs Corey Dillon and Brandon Bennett.
The Bengals like the 215-pound Keaton's explosiveness and outside speed and think he might be a good change-of-pace for the bigger Dillon and Bennett.
The club deactivated Nick Williams to make room for Keaton, leaving Clif Groce as its only active fullback.
