Cincinnati
Bengals
0-2
24
FINAL
21
Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21, solidifying their position in the early stages of the 2026 season. Both teams entered the game with high expectations, but it was the Bengals who ultimately came out on top, showcasing their resilience in a tightly contested battle.
Chase Brown was the standout performer for Cincinnati, racking up an impressive 162 rushing yards that were critical to the Bengals' offensive strategy. Despite the Steelers' defense, Aaron Rodgers was able to connect for two touchdown passes, but it was Brown's relentless ground game that kept the Bengals in control and set the tone for the win.
Defensively, the Bengals made key plays that influenced the game's outcome, with Dexter Lawrence II contributing two sacks that disrupted the Steelers' offensive rhythm. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Jaquan Brisker intercepted a pass, but the Bengals' defense held firm in the final moments. Cincinnati's ability to pressure Rodgers and limit big plays proved vital in sealing their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 20 | 11 | 55% | 200 | 2 | 1 | 102.0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 11 | 5 | 45% | 75 | 0 | 2 | 28.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 11 | 162 | 14.7 | 16 | 2 | 71 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 19 | 80 | 4.2 | 30 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | — | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK Metcalf | WR | 4 | 103 | 25.8 | 51 | 2 | 55 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 6 | 93 | 15.5 | 22 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 17 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shemar Stewart | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Liam Anderson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 30 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

