Cincinnati
Bengals
12-6
43
FINAL
62
Pittsburgh
Steelers
16-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Divisional Round matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals with a commanding 62-43 victory, securing their spot in the next round of the playoffs. The stakes were high, as both teams aimed to advance further in the 2026 season, but it was the Steelers who delivered an explosive performance.
Drew Allar was the star of the night for Pittsburgh, throwing for an incredible 450 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his ability to connect with his receivers. Germie Bernard emerged as his favorite target, racking up 266 receiving yards, making several key catches that kept the Bengals' defense off balance. Meanwhile, Chase Brown led Cincinnati's ground game with 53 rushing yards but struggled to make a significant impact against a relentless Steelers offense.
Defensively, the Steelers were equally impressive, led by Robert Spears-Jennings with five total tackles and Alex Highsmith, who recorded two sacks, putting pressure on the Bengals' quarterback throughout the game. Payton Wilson made a game-changing contribution with two interceptions, capitalizing on Cincinnati's mistakes and helping to shift momentum firmly in Pittsburgh's favor. The turning point came when Wilson's second interception set up another touchdown drive, sealing the Bengals' fate and propelling the Steelers into the next round.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Allar | QB | 25 | 16 | 450 | 5 | 2 | 113.7 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 38 | 24 | 317 | 2 | 4 | 67.4 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 16 | 53 | 3.3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Drew Allar | QB | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Dohnte Meyers | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germie Bernard | WR | 10 | 266 | 26.6 | 3 | 67 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 9 | 167 | 18.6 | 1 | 46 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 5 | 146 | 29.2 | 2 | 54 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 7 | 36 | 5.1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Wilson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Holcomb | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |

