Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
24
FINAL
21
Pittsburgh
Steelers
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 in a tightly contested Week 3 matchup of the 2026 season. Both teams entered the game looking to establish momentum early, but it was the Bengals who emerged victorious, securing a crucial win in their quest for playoff positioning.
Leading the charge for Cincinnati was quarterback Joe Burrow, who delivered a stellar performance with 325 passing yards and two touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase was his favorite target, racking up 141 receiving yards and proving to be a constant threat down the field. The Bengals' offense showcased efficiency and playmaking ability, which ultimately allowed them to maintain control throughout the game.
Defensively, the Bengals made critical stops, highlighted by Cashius Howell’s sack that disrupted the Steelers' rhythm. Although Jalen Ramsey led the Steelers with seven tackles, the Bengals' defense rose to the occasion when it mattered most, forcing pivotal turnovers that shifted the momentum in Cincinnati's favor. The game turned decisively in the Bengals' direction during the fourth quarter, when a timely interception set up a touchdown drive that sealed their hard-fought victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 34 | 19 | 56% | 325 | 2 | 0 | 108.0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 27 | 14 | 52% | 120 | 1 | 0 | 76.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 12 | 72 | 6.0 | 20 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 13 | 58 | 4.5 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 9 | 54 | 6.0 | 35 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 10 | 29 | 2.9 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 5 | 20 | 4.0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 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 | 6 | 141 | 23.5 | 80 | 1 | 74 | 1 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 6 | 115 | 19.2 | 44 | 1 | 42 | 1 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Ben Skowronek | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | SAM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 48 |

