Cincinnati
Bengals
0-2
22
FINAL
37
Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive clash on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Cincinnati Bengals 37-22, solidifying their position in the early stages of the 2026 season. The win was crucial for the Steelers as they look to establish themselves as contenders in the division, while the Bengals aim to bounce back from this setback.
Joe Burrow had a standout performance for the Bengals, throwing for 307 yards and three touchdowns, with Ja'Marr Chase hauling in 119 receiving yards. However, it was Eli Heidenreich of the Steelers who stole the spotlight, rushing for an impressive 163 yards, showcasing Pittsburgh's potent ground game and ability to control the clock.
Defensively, the Steelers made key plays that swung momentum in their favor. Payton Wilson recorded a sack, putting pressure on Burrow, while Zayne Anderson's interception proved pivotal in stifling a potential scoring drive for Cincinnati. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Anderson's pick set up a quick touchdown drive, allowing the Steelers to extend their lead and ultimately secure the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 33 | 16 | 48% | 307 | 3 | 2 | 86.3 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 14 | 7 | 50% | 130 | 2 | 0 | 122.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 27 | 163 | 6.0 | 23 | 2 | 34 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Riley Nowakowski | FB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Kaden Wetjen | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 5 | 119 | 23.8 | 34 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 106 | 26.5 | 15 | 2 | 44 | 1 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 3 | 93 | 31.0 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 10 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Christian Kirk | WR | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zayne Anderson | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Matt Milano | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Whaun Bentley | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brenden Schooler | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 3 | 3 | 4 | 58 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

