Cincinnati
Bengals
1-1
17
FINAL
31
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Pittsburgh Steelers secured a convincing 31-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 of the 2026 season, solidifying their position in the competitive AFC North. With both teams vying for early-season dominance, this matchup showcased the Steelers' offensive firepower and defensive resilience.
Drew Allar led the charge for Pittsburgh, throwing for 212 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to connect with key targets. DK Metcalf was a standout receiver, racking up 130 yards, consistently stretching the field and creating mismatches against the Bengals' secondary. On the ground, the Bengals' Chase Brown put forth a strong effort with 85 rushing yards, but it was not enough to keep pace with Pittsburgh's dynamic offense.
While the Steelers' offense shined, their defense played a pivotal role in the outcome. Alex Highsmith's 1.5 sacks disrupted Cincinnati's rhythm and applied pressure on the quarterback, forcing crucial mistakes. The turning point came late in the second quarter when a pivotal turnover allowed the Steelers to capitalize and extend their lead, ultimately sealing the game and sending a clear message to the league.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Allar | QB | 28 | 18 | 64% | 212 | 2 | 0 | 111.0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 29 | 15 | 52% | 181 | 1 | 0 | 82.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 15 | 85 | 5.7 | 26 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 14 | 62 | 4.4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 15 | 57 | 3.8 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 14 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 16 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | 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 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK Metcalf | WR | 7 | 130 | 18.6 | 77 | 2 | 70 | 1 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 6 | 121 | 20.2 | 60 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | — | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | — | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Drew Sample | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 39 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 42 |

