Cincinnati
Bengals
2-0
23
FINAL
31
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Cincinnati Bengals 31-23, securing a vital victory in the early stages of the 2026 season. With both teams aiming for momentum, this contest proved critical for their playoff aspirations as they battle for positioning in the competitive AFC North.
Aaron Rodgers was the standout performer for the Steelers, throwing for three touchdowns and keeping the Bengals' defense on their heels. Joe Burrow of the Bengals put up impressive numbers as well, racking up 355 passing yards and connecting with Andrei Iosivas for 91 receiving yards, but it wasn't enough to overcome Pittsburgh's offensive firepower. Jaylen Warren contributed a solid ground game with 76 rushing yards, helping to establish a balanced attack for the Steelers.
Defensively, T.J. Watt was a force, recording two sacks that disrupted Cincinnati's rhythm and put pressure on Burrow throughout the game. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when DeShon Elliott intercepted a pass, sealing the win for Pittsburgh and allowing them to hold off a late Bengals rally. DJ Turner II led Cincinnati's defense with six tackles, but it ultimately wasn't enough to shift the momentum back in their favor.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 29 | 21 | 72% | 355 | 3 | 2 | 119.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 27 | 18 | 67% | 233 | 3 | 1 | 115.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 4 | 76 | 19.0 | 3 | 1 | 73 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 14 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 3 | 91 | 30.3 | 31 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 7 | 75 | 10.7 | 21 | 2 | 17 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 5 | 63 | 12.6 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 15 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 49 | 12.3 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 49 | 49.0 | 5 | 1 | 49 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 26 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 20 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jack Endries | TE | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Ben Skowronek | WR | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Riley Nowakowski | FB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Carson Bruener | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 44 |

