Steelers vs. Bengals - 3rd Quarter

• Bonnie Bernstein lets us know that Carson Palmer has a torn ACL, and the Bengals hope he'll be ready for training camp next year. Ouch. What a very Bengal thing to happen. You have my sympathy, Bengals fans.

• The Bengals mangle a field goal attempt after a nice long drive, as the snap comes in way high. You know, I had noticed that the snaps on their placekicks had been coming in a little high. Also, my buddy AJ yelled "Steve Perry" just as they snapped it, so maybe that had something to do with it.

• Ben Roethlisberger almost maybe kinda sorta hits Antwan Randle-El on a long touchdown pass, but the ball comes loose, which is irrelevant since the Bengals were called for pass interference anyway. Jerome Bettis took advantage on the next play, plunging it in from about the 5. Steelers claim the lead, 21-17.

• Jon Kitna briefly morphs into David Carr, on two consecutive plays, dropping back and then not really doing anything in particular. On the first play, he was sacked. The second time, he just kinda dropped the football because he was tired of holding it.

• Oooomph. The Steelers completely deflate the Bengals with a crazy trick play on a 3rd and 2 that ended with Ben Roethlisberger hitting a wide-open Cedric Wilson in the endzone. There's a lot of time left, of course, but it's as if the football gods are scripting this to be as possible as painful for Bengals fans.

• Obviously, on TV, I can't see downfield, but Jon Kitna is refusing to throw the ball. On four straight plays now, he drops back and ends up not doing anything.