Cincinnati
Bengals
1-1
34
FINAL
21
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a pivotal Week 3 matchup of the 2026 season, the Cincinnati Bengals secured a 34-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, further solidifying their position in the division standings. With both teams vying for early-season momentum, the Bengals emerged as the clear frontrunners in this heated rivalry.
Joe Burrow was nothing short of spectacular, throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns, a performance that showcased his elite passing ability. Ja'Marr Chase was his top target, racking up an impressive 188 receiving yards, while Chase Brown contributed significantly on the ground with 66 rushing yards, helping to balance Cincinnati's offensive attack.
Defensively, the Bengals were able to contain the Steelers effectively, forcing critical stops at key moments. Although Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt recorded two sacks and Joey Porter led the team with ten tackles, the Steelers struggled to mount a comeback after Cincinnati took a commanding lead. The game's turning point came in the second half when Burrow connected with Chase for a long touchdown, effectively sealing the win and leaving Pittsburgh trying to catch up.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 36 | 26 | 378 | 4 | 0 | 143.0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 38 | 22 | 291 | 3 | 0 | 108.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 21 | 66 | 3.1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 8 | 42 | 5.3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 6 | 26 | 4.3 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 6 | 15 | 2.5 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 10 | 188 | 18.8 | 3 | 69 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 5 | 144 | 28.8 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 8 | 132 | 16.5 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 7 | 69 | 9.9 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 5 | 36 | 7.2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Porter | CB | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carson Bruener | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PJ Jules | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 51 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

