Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
77
FINAL
85
Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 showdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 85-77. The stakes were high, as both teams aimed to solidify their positions early in the 2026 season, but it was the Steelers who emerged victorious in this offensive shootout.
Brock Purdy led the charge for Pittsburgh, delivering a sensational performance with 693 passing yards and an astonishing nine touchdown passes. His dynamic playmaking was complemented by a consistent ground game, but it was the air attack that truly set the pace for the Steelers. On the other side, Cincinnati’s Ken Anderson rushed for 114 yards, while Dont'e Thornton Jr. wowed fans with an impressive 271 receiving yards, showcasing their offensive firepower.
The defensive plays were pivotal, despite the high-scoring nature of the game. Pittsburgh's Kevin Winston Jr. made his presence felt with seven total tackles, while Jer'Zhan Newton contributed with half a sack. The turning point came when Amare Barno of the Bengals intercepted two passes, but it wasn’t enough to halt the relentless Steelers offense, which ultimately secured the win in a game that will be remembered for its explosive scoring.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | QB | 43 | 24 | 56% | 693 | 9 | 2 | 120.8 |
| Ken Anderson | QB | 28 | 23 | 82% | 656 | 6 | 2 | 128.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Anderson | QB | 5 | 114 | 22.8 | 6 | 1 | 73 | 0 |
| Kyle Williams | WR | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 10 | 2 | 57 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 3 | 70 | 23.3 | 5 | 2 | 53 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Kyren Williams | HB | 9 | 2 | 0.2 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 7 | 271 | 38.7 | 36 | 2 | 80 | 0 |
| Antonio Brown | WR | 8 | 240 | 30.0 | 122 | 3 | 79 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 7 | 229 | 32.7 | 168 | 4 | 75 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 6 | 190 | 31.7 | 90 | 2 | 90 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 5 | 152 | 30.4 | 15 | 1 | 54 | 0 |
| Ashton Dulin | WR | 4 | 112 | 28.0 | 53 | 1 | 57 | 0 |
| Jayden Higgins | WR | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Kalif Raymond | WR | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | — | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 30 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Kyle Williams | WR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amare Barno | REDG | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Winston Jr | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Brooks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Bush | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Joseph | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alontae Taylor | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bud Clark | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jer'Zhan Newton | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cobie Durant | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Samuel Womack III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drue Tranquill | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Hines-Allen | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Williams | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyron Johnson | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Stevens | K | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Wil Lutz | K | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |

