Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
16
FINAL
13
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a hard-fought battle, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-13, in Week 3 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications looming, both teams were eager to secure a crucial win, but it was the Bengals who emerged victorious in a tightly contested matchup.
Joe Burrow led the Bengals with a steady performance, throwing for 149 yards, while Tee Higgins was the standout receiver, racking up an impressive 124 yards. On the ground, Rico Dowdle of the Steelers was the top rusher, gaining 73 yards, but it was the Bengals' efficient passing attack that ultimately made the difference.
Defensively, the game was marked by strong individual performances, including a formidable effort from Patrick Queen, who recorded four total tackles for the Steelers. However, it was Cincinnati's ability to maintain composure in critical moments that turned the tide, as they capitalized on key plays and limited the Steelers' scoring opportunities, sealing the win with a late field goal.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 17 | 10 | 59% | 149 | 0 | 1 | 63.1 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 20 | 13 | 65% | 105 | 0 | 1 | 57.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 13 | 73 | 5.6 | 16 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 10 | 47 | 4.7 | 11 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | — | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 7 | 124 | 17.7 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 6 | 54 | 9.0 | 74 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacario Davis | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 2 | 1 | 48 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 3 | 3 | 1 | 48 |

