Cincinnati
Bengals
3-6
26
FINAL
23
Pittsburgh
Steelers
6-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 16 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-23, solidifying their playoff aspirations as the regular season winds down. Both teams entered the game with high stakes, but it was the Bengals who emerged victorious in a tightly contested battle.
Cincinnati's offense was propelled by an outstanding performance from quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Brown also made a significant impact on the ground, racking up 121 rushing yards, while Jeff Peerman led all receivers with an impressive 176 yards receiving. This dynamic offensive trio kept the Steelers' defense on its heels throughout the game.
The Bengals' defense played a crucial role in the outcome, highlighted by Jonathan Allen's two sacks, which disrupted Pittsburgh's rhythm. Although Jalen Ramsey of the Steelers snagged two interceptions, it was Cincinnati's defensive pressure that ultimately turned the tide in their favor. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter, when a key sack by Allen helped seal the victory, allowing the Bengals to hold off a late Steelers surge.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 39 | 25 | 64% | 388 | 2 | 5 | 74.4 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 26 | 15 | 58% | 229 | 2 | 4 | 72.9 |
| Jeff Peerman | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 13 | 121 | 9.3 | 48 | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| Josh McKee | HB | 7 | 45 | 6.4 | 6 | 1 | 29 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 5 | 3 | 0.6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jeff Peerman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Peerman | WR | 9 | 176 | 19.6 | 48 | 0 | 58 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 8 | 121 | 15.1 | 30 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Josh McKee | HB | 2 | 79 | 39.5 | 61 | 1 | 71 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 5 | 45 | 9.0 | 55 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 30 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 18 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 19 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Trey Guerrero | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cole Holcomb | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Sawyer | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yahya Black | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carson Bruener | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Espinosa | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 3 | 2 | 23 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |

