Cincinnati
Bengals
0-2
29
FINAL
21
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a hard-fought battle in Week 3 of the 2026 season, the Cincinnati Bengals topped the Pittsburgh Steelers with a final score of 29-21, solidifying their position in the divisional race. This matchup was critical for both teams as they aimed to establish early momentum in the season.
Cincinnati's offense was led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for an impressive 318 yards, showcasing his ability to stretch the field. Complementing his efforts, Samaje Perine contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 70 rushing yards. Although Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers tossed two touchdown passes, it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Bengals' offensive firepower.
Defensively, the Steelers did their best to contain Cincinnati's attack, with Cam Heyward notching 1.5 sacks and DeShon Elliott leading the team with eight tackles. However, the game's turning point came in the fourth quarter when the Bengals' defense stepped up, forcing a crucial turnover that allowed them to secure the win. Ultimately, it was a combination of offensive efficiency and key defensive moments that propelled Cincinnati to victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 37 | 30 | 81% | 318 | 0 | 0 | 102.4 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 21 | 16 | 76% | 300 | 2 | 0 | 149.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samaje Perine | HB | 12 | 70 | 5.8 | 32 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 11 | 57 | 5.2 | 19 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 11 | 30 | 2.7 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 6 | 9 | 1.5 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Drew Sample | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germie Bernard | WR | 4 | 110 | 27.5 | 88 | 1 | 95 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 8 | 102 | 12.8 | 33 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | WR | 1 | 75 | 75.0 | 71 | 1 | 75 | 1 |
| Drew Sample | TE | 6 | 68 | 11.3 | 19 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 14 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 25 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes Jr | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | WILL | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Bosa | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germaine Pratt | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PJ Jules | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oren Burks | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Matt Prater | K | 2 | 3 | 3 | 44 |

