Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
24
FINAL
21
Cincinnati
Bengals
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling opener to the 2027 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers held off the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 24-21. Both teams were eager to start the season on the right foot, but it was the Steelers who emerged victorious in a tightly contested match.
Joe Burrow showcased his skills for the Bengals, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns, solidifying his role as a key offensive player. On the ground, Eli Heidenreich led the Steelers with a strong performance, racking up 95 rushing yards, while Tee Higgins stood out in the receiving game for Cincinnati, accumulating 128 yards.
The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when T.J. Watt's relentless pressure resulted in two and a half sacks, disrupting the Bengals' rhythm and forcing critical mistakes. While Dax Hill tallied eight tackles for Cincinnati, it was Pittsburgh's defensive stand that ultimately secured their victory. The Steelers’ ability to capitalize on defensive opportunities proved decisive in this season opener.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 41 | 25 | 266 | 3 | 0 | 104.3 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 27 | 18 | 166 | 1 | 0 | 95.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 18 | 95 | 5.3 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| Tyrannosaurus Doomsday | HB | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 0 | 68 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 11 | 33 | 3.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 5 | 8 | 1.6 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Glen Lawrence | FB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 11 | 128 | 11.6 | 2 | 38 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 6 | 62 | 10.3 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 4 | 35 | 8.8 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Ke'Shawn Williams | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Tyrannosaurus Doomsday | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dax Hill | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yahya Black | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lamar Keenan | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curtis Larsen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Johnson | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lionel Langford | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daijahn Anthony | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobe King | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 43 |

