Cameron Heyward's special teams contribution played major role in tilting momentum for Steelers in 35-7 win

PITTSBURGH -- Cameron Heyward saw the shift in the Cincinnati Bengals' line and knew he had a chance.

A 28-yard field goal by Cincinnati's Mike Nugent had been wiped out by a delay of game penalty midway through the first quarter Sunday afternoon, forcing the Bengals to try again from 33 yards.

The second time around, Heyward burst through the line and blocked the kick. That kept the score tied at 0-0 just two plays after a motion penalty had wiped out an apparent 4-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to tight end Jermaine Gresham.

Talk about a momentum shift in a game the Steelers would eventually win 35-7 at Heinz Field.

"Ziggy (Hood) got good penetration on the first kick and I saw the guard move over so he could block him," said Heyward, the rookie defensive end who was the Steelers' first-round draft pick this year from Ohio State. "That left the gap wide open for me to shoot through. It was a good feeling. You always want to make a big play, especially one that can set a tone."

By halftime, the Steelers had the game safely in hand with a 28-7 lead as they scored the game's first 21 points in a span of 4:14 during a 28-point second quarter.

Yet it all started with Heyward's block.

"It was a big play," said Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who later made a big play of his own. "A real big play."