Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
22
FINAL
21
Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 22-21 in a thrilling Week 3 matchup of the 2026 season. With playoff implications looming, both teams fought hard to secure a crucial victory, but it was the Bengals who ultimately came out on top in a nail-biter.
Cincinnati's offense was fueled by a standout performance from Tee Higgins, who racked up 115 receiving yards, and Joe Milton, who contributed 177 passing yards. Joe Burrow added to the scoring with a critical touchdown pass, ensuring that the Bengals maintained their edge throughout the contest. The dynamic play from the Bengals' offensive unit proved to be decisive in the close game.
On the defensive side, the Steelers put up a strong fight, with Player 555221636 leading the team with six total tackles and Player 555223853 recording two sacks. However, the Bengals' ability to execute in key moments, coupled with their defensive resilience, turned the tide in the second half. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Cincinnati's defense stifled a potential game-winning drive from the Steelers, allowing the Bengals to hold on for the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Milton | QB | 15 | 8 | 53% | 177 | 1 | 3 | 78.3 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 18 | 9 | 50% | 152 | 0 | 2 | 39.3 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 9 | 7 | 78% | 137 | 1 | 0 | 155.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Edwards | HB | 16 | 93 | 5.8 | 21 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | — | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | — | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Devontez Walker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 6 | 115 | 19.2 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| Devin Culp | TE | 2 | 95 | 47.5 | 61 | 0 | 58 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 72 | 24.0 | 24 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 63 | 15.8 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 2 | 57 | 28.5 | — | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Sincere Brown | WR | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Donovan Edwards | HB | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominique Hampton | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |

