Cincinnati
Bengals
1-1
37
FINAL
31
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 37-31 in a thrilling Week 3 matchup of the 2026 season. With both teams vying for early-season momentum, this contest showcased high-stakes moments and stellar performances from franchise quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow led the Bengals with precision, throwing for four touchdowns, while Chase Brown added a solid 82 rushing yards to keep the Steelers' defense on its heels. Ja'Marr Chase was a standout receiver, hauling in 158 yards and proving to be Burrow's go-to target throughout the game. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers put up a valiant effort with 368 passing yards, but it wasn't enough to secure the victory.
Defensively, the Bengals made critical plays when it mattered most. Kyle Dugger's 12 tackles, one interception, and overall presence were pivotal in shutting down key drives for the Steelers. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Dugger intercepted a pass that thwarted a potential game-winning drive for Pittsburgh, allowing Cincinnati to clinch the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 56 | 32 | 57% | 368 | 3 | 1 | 87.4 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 40 | 26 | 65% | 303 | 4 | 0 | 121.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 16 | 82 | 5.1 | 36 | 1 | 23 | 1 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 14 | 59 | 4.2 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | — | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 11 | 158 | 14.4 | 37 | 2 | 32 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 8 | 124 | 15.5 | 35 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 9 | 109 | 12.1 | 14 | 2 | 21 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 7 | 105 | 15.0 | 24 | 1 | 30 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 8 | 52 | 6.5 | 36 | 1 | 23 | 2 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 21 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 23 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Luke Gifford | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Kiser | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 55 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 53 |

