What a difference a month made for the Pittsburgh Steelers' deservedly maligned defense.

The Steelers held quarterback Joe Flacco in check and scored two second-half touchdowns on Sunday in a 34-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.. Flacco passed for just 199 yards and one touchdown, and the Bengals finished with 304 total yards.

That was a contrast to the teams' previous meeting on Oct. 16 in Cincinnati, when the Bengals beat the Steelers 33-31. The 40-year-old Flacco had 342 passing yards and three touchdowns, connecting with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase 16 times for 161 yards. Chase had just three catches for 30 yards on Sunday.

The Steelers still ranked 30th in the NFL in total defense entering Sunday's game. So, what changed from their first game with the Bengals to the rematch?

"I just thought as a collective, whether it's front, secondary, linebackers, I just think we were more solid," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "I think we were more connected. I thought we communicated well. It's not necessarily about what it is that they do, it's about the quality of what we do, and I thought we were just above the line in so many of the intangible areas today that allowed us to play."

Outside linebacker Nate Herbig said the reason was simple why the Steelers did a better job of stopping the Bengals the second time around.

"We just played our game, our brand of football," Herbig said. "We played Steeler football. We didn't have all the turnovers that our culture is like, but you know, we had two touchdowns, which is -- I mean, that's instrumental, huge in the win. Just getting back to our roots, doing what we do, and playing Steeler football."

Strong safety Kyle Dugger scored the defense's first touchdown when he intercepted a pass and had a 73-yard return to give the Steelers a 20-9 lead with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. The score provided a momentum shift as the Bengals were potentially on their way to a go-ahead touchdown.

Cornerback James Pierre added a 34-yard touchdown on a fumble return with 3:22 remaining to close the scoring.

Dugger was playing in his third game with the Steelers since they acquired him from the New England Patriots in a trade. The six-year veteran is a steady presence in a secondary that has struggled all year. The Steelers were last in the league in pass defense before Sunday.

"He's a veteran player that's a been-there, done-that guy," Tomlin said. "That's why we coveted him at the trade deadline. He's been an asset to us, certainly, and increasingly so. I'm excited about moving forward with him as he continues to get solid in assignments, communication, and understanding."

Dugger fell out of favor with first-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. However, he has found a home with the Steelers.

"That dude has made a career out of being the next-man-up mentality," Herbig said, noting that Dugger played collegiately at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. "To be able to do what he's done and have the career he's had so far, that doesn't just happen. There's work that is put in behind the scenes that people don't see. That dude has put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to be where he's at today."