CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals just couldn't help themselves.

After leading by 14 points in the second quarter, it looked like the Bengals (5-8-1) were going to scare away the Pittsburgh Steelers-sized elephant in the room and keep their playoff hopes alive another week.

But once again, the Bengals became their own worst enemy and officially eliminated themselves from playoff contention in a mistake-filled 24-20 loss.

With Ryan Shazier being able to put pressure on Andy Dalton, the Steelers held the Bengals to just 38 second-half yards on Sunday. AP Photo/Gary Landers

The Bengals' losing streak to the Steelers now stretches to four games, and they'll have to wait until next year to try to turn that around.

The Bengals have firmly and repeatedly said they were past all of the things that led to a late-game meltdown against the Steelers (9-5) in the playoffs last year. But when it came down to it, the Bengals couldn't keep their cool when they needed to most.

After playing solid defense for three quarters and holding the Steelers to six field goals, the defense melted down in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Bengals committed four straight defensive penalties, two each by Dre Kirkpatrick and Pat Sims, before Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found Eli Rogers for the 24-yard go-ahead touchdown.

That drive was just one example of the Bengals' many mental errors Sunday.

There was the taunting penalty by cornerback Adam Jones in the second quarter that gave the Steelers an extra 15 yards and led to a field goal.

There was the unnecessary roughness penalty on linebacker Vontaze Burfict on second-and-2 early in the third quarter. The Steelers, who had already gained 15 yards on the play, gained 15 more after Burfict hit Roethlisberger late. The Steelers kicked another field goal.

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There was also a head-scratching interception thrown by Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton at the end of the fourth quarter. Center Russell Bodine appeared to get too far downfield and, as an ineligible receiver, ducked. Dalton threw the ball anyway and was picked off at midfield. That also led to a Steelers field goal.

Playing Pittsburgh tends to bring out the best and the worst in the Bengals. Whether it was Jeremy Hill pretending to rip up a Terrible Towel, a celebration spike after a touchdown, or the usual pushing and shoving, the second matchup of the season had all of the usual makings of a classic between the two rivals.

For one half, the Bengals were playing some of their best football. But for all the good things they did -- like holding Le'Veon Bell to 93 rushing yards and Antonio Brown to 58 receiving -- the rest of the game went much like the season has gone. In the end, the Bengals appeared to let their emotions get the best of them.