Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
34
FINAL
17
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 3 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals topped the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17, solidifying their position in the early part of the 2026 season. With this victory, the Bengals showcased their offensive prowess and continued to build momentum as the season progresses.
Leading the charge for Cincinnati was quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for an impressive 363 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target, Ja'Marr Chase, was unstoppable, racking up 164 receiving yards, making critical catches that kept drives alive. The Bengals' offense was efficient and explosive, making it difficult for the Steelers to keep pace.
Defensively, the Bengals stood strong, with Josh Jobe recording a team-high eight tackles and Jabrill Peppers snagging an interception that shifted the game's momentum. The turning point came in the second quarter when Peppers' interception halted a promising Steelers drive, allowing the Bengals to extend their lead. Despite Cam Heyward's two sacks for Pittsburgh, the Bengals' defense effectively contained the Steelers and sealed the game with a strong performance.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 32 | 20 | 63% | 363 | 3 | 0 | 132.6 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 44 | 29 | 66% | 311 | 1 | 1 | 84.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 19 | 63 | 3.3 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 18 | 47 | 2.6 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Emanuel Wilson | HB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 5 | 164 | 32.8 | 90 | 1 | 95 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 10 | 112 | 11.2 | 39 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 8 | 111 | 13.9 | 38 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 6 | 95 | 15.8 | 17 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 15 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 1 | 37 | 37.0 | 33 | 1 | 37 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 7 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jabrill Peppers | SS | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Jobe | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deonte Banks | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Malcolm Roach | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kader Kohou | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Phillips | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 49 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 47 |

