CINCINNATI - From third overall in the NFL to among the worst in Bengals history, Cincinnatis defence has taken a great fall this season. 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 Brian Burns Jersey . - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to meet with Richie Incognito to determine if one of the central figures in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal can help their struggling offensive line. Jordan Scarlett Youth Jersey .Y. - Sven Andrighetto scored once and set up two more as the Hamilton Bulldogs hung on to defeat the host Adirondack Flames 5-3 on Tuesday in American Hockey League action. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panther...-blue-jersey/.J. - The New York Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell, giving them some added depth at the position. Ryan Kalil Jersey .Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. Greg Olsen Youth Jersey . -- Chris Jones and Louisville have done a tremendous job protecting the basketball this season and thats led to easy victories.NEW YORK -- The NBA said Thursday that its referees made a mistake when they ejected Los Angeles forward Blake Griffin in the Clippers 105-103 loss at Golden State on Wednesday night. Griffin was ejected for his second technical with 10:43 left after scuffling with Andrew Bogut, following Warriors forward Draymond Green to the showers after they got into it at the end of the third. "After a league review of the Clippers-Warriors game, we have come to the conclusion that Blake Griffin should not have been ejected from the game," said Rod Thorn, the NBAs president of basketball operations. "A common foul should have been called on Griffin for initially attempting to dislodge the Warriiors Andrew Bogut and a technical foul should have been assessed to Bogut for grabbing Griffin by the shirt and wrestling with him.dddddddddddd" With Griffin gone, the Clippers missed several key chances in the waning moments. "If you look at it, I didnt do anything and I got thrown out of the game. It all boils down to they (referees) fell for it," Griffin said after the game. "To me, its cowardly basketball. I dont know their intentions, but it worked. ... If I knew the answer Id probably be in a different position. Tonight I got two technicals for nothing." Also Thursday, the NBA fined Green $15,000 for failing to leave the court in a timely manner after his ejection. ' ' '