CINCINNATI - From third overall in the NFL to among the worst in Bengals history, Cincinnatis defence has taken a great fall this season. Indianapolis Colts Jerseys . And theres little time left to put it all back together again.The Bengals are tottering atop the AFC North following a 42-21 loss to Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati (8-4-1) has a half-game lead over Pittsburgh and Baltimore with three to play. The Bengals finish the season in Pittsburgh.The Steelers piled up 543 yards on Sunday. Its the third time this season that Cincinnati has given up 500 yards in a game, a franchise record, according to STATS. Only twice before had the Bengals allowed a pair of 500-yard games in a season, and those were in 1968 and 1969, when they were an expansion team.It gets worse.Linebacker Vontaze Burfict went on the injured reserve list on Tuesday, ending his season. The Bengals have severely missed their best defensive player, who was limited to only five starts because of a pair of concussions and knee surgery.The defence has played very well at times, looking like the unit that ranked in the top seven during each of the last three playoff seasons. When things go badly, it has a tendency to implode.One of the messages I am going to give the guys, that I have been telling them, is we have to be better when the odds are against us a little bit, co-ordinator Paul Guenther said. When things arent going quite as smoothly as we want them to go, we have to go out there and buckle up and play good defence.The defence has been pushed around in all four of Cincinnatis losses. The Bengals play at Cleveland (7-6) on Sunday.The Bengals retained the core of a defence that finished third overall in yards allowed last season. The only significant loss to free agency was defensive end Michael Johnson. Their linebackers have been hurt and tackle Geno Atkins has been slow in recovering from knee surgery.The Steelers piled up 25 points and 229 yards in the fourth quarter alone on Sunday. Ben Roethlisbergers 94-yard touchdown pass was the decisive play.I think thats the first time (since the season opener) that we gave up a deep ball, and thats not like us, safety George Iloka said. Well work on that as a secondary. Thats not how we play championship defence.Right now, it ranks among the leagues worst defences.The Bengals are on pace to give up 6,000 yards overall for only the second time in franchise history. After Sundays blowout loss, theyre in danger of failing to make the playoffs.So you go and you say, Hey, these are the things we need to correct, Guenther said. But we need to move forward.Notes: Quarterback AJ McCarron was added to the active roster on Tuesday. Hed been sidelined since training camp because of a sore passing shoulder. The fifth-round draft pick has practiced with the Bengals for the last three weeks. ... Coach Marvin Lewis apologized again on Tuesday for calling Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel a midget during a radio show on Monday night. Lewis said his remark was insensitive and offensive.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Kenny Moore Jersey . -- Challenged for the first time under Major League Baseballs expanded replay system, umpires got it right. Marshall Faulk Jersey . "He started putting me on the ice to strengthen them at the suggestion from a doctor," he said. Weight said it wasnt a pretty sight at the rink in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "I looked like Forrest Gump," he joked.MILWAUKEE -- Jonathan Lucroy has been frustrated, struggling at the plate the past month despite being named to his first All-Star team. That all changed Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Lucroy homered leading off the bottom of the ninth to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the Reds. "To be honest with you, the last couple of weeks have been kind of tough for making solid contact, but Im glad to help the team out, contribute and get it done tonight," said Lucroy, who was batting just .200 (21 for 105) in his last 25 games. It was Lucroys second homer of the game and 11th of the season. It was his second career walkoff homer and both were against the Reds. His first was last season off closer Aroldis Chapman and this one was off Sam LeCure. The Brewers had lost five consecutive series before beating the Reds in the first two games of this series. Lucroys average had dipped from .341 on June 18 to .308 entering Tuesday nights game. "Hes frustrated because he thinks hes squaring up some balls," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "Its not like he wasnt locked in, but today obviously he was." Francisco Rodriguez (4-3) pitched the ninth to earn the victory. Cincinnati, which is 0-5 since the All-Star break, brought in LeCure (1-2) to pitch the ninth. His outing lasted just three pitches as Lucroy hit a 1-1 offering for a line drive homer inside the left field foul pole. His first homer of the game was on a 3-2 pitch from starter Homer Bailey in the sixth. The Reds came out of the All-Star break just 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central but have quickly fallen 4 1/2 games back. "We just havent executed," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "We havent swung the bats well. We havent gotten a quality start. "And we havent played particularly good defence, weve missed some signs and just havent played terribly well," he said. Milwaukee scored all its runs on solo home runs. Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in the first inninng on the one-year anniversary of the start of Brauns 65-game suspension for violating Major League Baseballs drug policies. Devin Funchess Womens Jersey. "Im glad Im not facing them so its nice to have them on our side," Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson said of having Braun, Ramirez and Lucroy in the lineup. Braun hit his 13th homer and Ramirez followed with his 12th homer, and first since June 26. Cincinnati made it 2-1 in the fourth on Jay Bruces RBI double that scored Billy Hamilton from third. Lucroys first homer extended Milwaukees lead to 3-1. Cincinnati tied it 3-3 in the seventh. Nelson hit Ramon Santiago on the foot with a pitch with the bases loaded and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Brandon Kintzler. Billy Hamilton then hit a soft fly ball but Zack Cozart was doubled off second base to end the inning. Kintzler, Zach Duke and Rodriguez pitched three hitless innings of relief for Milwaukee. "Kintzler did a great job, coming in with the bases loaded and no outs," Nelson said. The Reds managed only five hits and Milwaukee had six. Nelson allowed three runs, four hits and a walk and hit three batters while striking out five in his fourth major league start. "He was down in the zone and his slider was good," Roenicke said. Bailey allowed three runs, four hits and two walks while striking out three in his first start since leaving a game against the Chicago Cubs on July 10 due to right knee soreness. NOTES: Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett left the game in the fifth inning due to tightness in his right quad. Roenicke said he was day-to-day. ... Cozart left the game after being hit on the right hand by a pitch from Nelson in the seventh inning. X-rays were negative and the team said he was day-to-day. ... The Reds placed RHP Logan Ondrusek on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 13 and recalled RHP Curtis Partch from Triple-A Louisville. ... A brief rain shower caused the Brewers to close roof at Miller Park in the fourth inning. It reopened in the sixth. ' ' '