Cincinnati
Bengals
0-2
21
FINAL
20
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 21-20, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the competitive 2026 season. Both teams battled hard, but the Bengals emerged victorious in a game that held significant implications in the division standings.
Joe Burrow showcased his passing prowess with three touchdown throws, leading the Bengals' offense effectively. Tee Higgins was his top target, racking up 125 receiving yards, while Chase Brown added a strong ground presence with 78 rushing yards. The combination of Burrow's precision and Brown's ability to move the chains was instrumental in the Bengals' offensive strategy.
Defensively, the Bengals made critical plays, with Cashius Howell recording two sacks to disrupt the Steelers' rhythm. Jalen Ramsey's interception added to the pressure on Pittsburgh, but it was the Steelers' defense led by Patrick Queen, who tallied ten tackles, that kept the game close. Ultimately, the Bengals' late-game execution and defensive stops proved pivotal, sealing their hard-fought victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 33 | 17 | 52% | 213 | 1 | 0 | 82.0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 36 | 18 | 50% | 207 | 3 | 1 | 83.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 16 | 78 | 4.9 | 46 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 22 | 52 | 2.4 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 10 | 33 | 3.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 7 | 125 | 17.9 | 82 | 1 | 70 | 1 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 86 | 28.7 | 73 | 1 | 77 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 9 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Will Dissly | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Moore II | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Shaq Thompson | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SirVocea Dennis | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 26 |

