Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-0
42
FINAL
28
Cincinnati
Bengals
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an exciting opener to the 2027 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Cincinnati Bengals 42-28, showcasing their offensive firepower and setting the tone for the year ahead. Both teams entered the game with high hopes, but it was Pittsburgh that emerged victorious, marking a strong start for the franchise.
On the offensive side, J'Koby Williams led the charge for the Steelers with an impressive 146 rushing yards, while Evan Stewart made a significant impact in the passing game, racking up 156 receiving yards. Cincinnati's Lamar Jackson put up a valiant effort, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to overcome Pittsburgh's balanced attack and explosive plays.
Defensively, the Steelers made crucial stops that shifted the momentum of the game. Byron Murphy II stood out with 1.5 sacks, applying pressure on Jackson throughout the contest. The turning point came late in the third quarter when Pittsburgh's defense stifled a Cincinnati drive, allowing the Steelers to capitalize and extend their lead, ultimately sealing the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | QB | 20 | 12 | 60% | 292 | 2 | 1 | 116.6 |
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 18 | 10 | 56% | 245 | 2 | 2 | 97.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J'Koby Williams | HB | 14 | 146 | 10.4 | 25 | 4 | 65 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 8 | 48 | 6.0 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luke Reynolds | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Stewart | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Stewart | WR | 4 | 156 | 39.0 | 74 | 2 | 67 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 4 | 102 | 25.5 | 61 | 0 | 59 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 2 | 92 | 46.0 | 38 | 2 | 78 | 0 |
| Luke Reynolds | TE | 4 | 67 | 16.8 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 20 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 24 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Omar Cooper Jr | WR | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| KC Concepcion Jr | WR | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Devon Witherspoon | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy II | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KJ Bolden | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermod McCoy | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colton Hood | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Evan Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelley Jones | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darien Porter | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zach Lutmer | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery Simmons | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Gay | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Michael Badgley | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

