Key matchup
Warren’s versatility
176 total yards kept Pittsburgh’s offense balanced.
Bengals vs Steelers
Pittsburgh won a back-and-forth AFC North matchup 30–27 on a late Chris Boswell field goal, then sealed the game with a final-minute strip-sack.
Cincinnati Bengals
27
2–1
Pittsburgh Steelers
30
2–1
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Bengals vs Steelers — Week 3, 2026
Coach Pfeff’s Game AnalysisWeek 3 · 2026
Key factors that decided the matchup.
Cincinnati strengths: Cincinnati consistently won through the air. Joe Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns, while Ja’Marr Chase posted 9 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown and Tee Higgins added 6 receptions for 90 yards and a score. Cincinnati also converted both fourth-down attempts. Burrow said the offense was “pretty dang good” overall, and The production reflected that assessment: Cincinnati produced 19 first downs and 352 total yards and did enough to hold a fourth-quarter lead.
Cincinnati weaknesses: The offense lacked balance and clean situational execution. Cincinnati managed only 83 rushing yards on 18 attempts, lost two fumbles, and allowed Pittsburgh to create 411 total yards. Jordan Battle summed up the defensive problem after his interception: “You have to make that play if you want to win games like this,” and Cincinnati “gave up too many explosives and didn’t get enough guys on the ground.” The special-teams mistakes were costly; Zac Taylor said the roughing-the-punter penalty and muffed punt “translated to 10 points.”
Pittsburgh strengths: The Steelers built a balanced offensive plan around Jaylen Warren’s 127 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards, while Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Pittsburgh converted 7 of 12 third downs and answered Cincinnati’s scores consistently. The late 77-yard drive demonstrated the value of that balance: Darnell Washington gained 47 yards on a catch-and-run, Warren added a 26-yard run, and Chris Boswell finished the possession with the winning 33-yard field goal. Pittsburgh also made the decisive pressure play, with Derrick Harmon’s sack and forced fumble ending Cincinnati’s final drive.
Pittsburgh weaknesses: The defensive performance was not a shutdown effort. Burrow completed 75.7% of his attempts, Cincinnati scored three passing touchdowns, and Pittsburgh went only 1-for-3 in the red zone while committing five penalties for 37 yards. The Steelers needed one late takeaway to finish the job. The result was a timely defensive win rather than a dominant one: the coverage and run fits were uneven, but Harmon’s strip-sack supplied the decisive answer. Dexter Lawrence made the same broader point from Cincinnati’s side, calling much of the outcome “self-inflicted” and promising the Bengals would “eliminate mistakes and correct the ones we made.”
Turning point
Boswell’s late field goal
The 33-yarder capped Pittsburgh’s 77-yard winning drive.
The finish
Harmon’s strip-sack
Joseph-Day recovered the fumble with 44 seconds left.
Key Play Highlights
Game-clock moments tied to the key plays in the analysis.
Q1 · 13:10
Roman Wilson’s 38-yard touchdown
Aaron Rodgers opened the scoring with a deep touchdown to Wilson, giving Pittsburgh a 7–0 lead on its first drive.
Q1 · 5:50
Ja’Marr Chase’s 3-yard touchdown
Cincinnati answered with an 11-play, 73-yard drive. Burrow went 7-for-7 for 60 yards on the possession before finding Chase.
Q1 · 0:52
Ben Skowronek’s 23-yard touchdown
Pittsburgh restored its lead with a designed motion concept that freed Skowronek for Rodgers’ second touchdown pass.
Q2 · 0:34
Tee Higgins’ 28-yard touchdown catch
Jordan Battle’s interception set Cincinnati up, and Burrow answered with a contested end-zone throw to Higgins to tie the game at halftime.
Q3 · 2:43
DK Metcalf’s 6-yard touchdown
After a roughing-the-punter penalty extended the drive, Rodgers finished an 11-play, 74-yard possession with Metcalf’s first touchdown of the season.
Q4 · 13:29
Mike Gesicki’s fourth-down touchdown
Taylor stayed aggressive on fourth-and-two, and Burrow found Gesicki for a 25-yard touchdown that put Cincinnati back in front.
Q4 · 10:52
Ke’Shawn Williams’ muffed punt
The special-teams error gave Pittsburgh the ball at the Cincinnati 14. Boswell converted the short field into a 36-yard tying field goal.
Q4 · 2:15
Chris Boswell’s 33-yard winning field goal
A 47-yard catch by Darnell Washington and a 26-yard Warren run helped Pittsburgh travel 77 yards for the go-ahead kick.
Q4 · 0:44
Derrick Harmon’s strip-sack
Harmon punched the ball out of Burrow’s hands near midfield, and Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered to end Cincinnati’s final possession.
Cincinnati Bengals
Game leaders
Joe Burrow
28/37, 282 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 1 sack for 13 yards.
Ja’Marr Chase
9 REC
98 YDS • TD
Tee Higgins
6 REC
90 YDS • TD
Chase Brown: 13 carries, 61 yards; 2 receptions, 8 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Game leaders
Aaron Rodgers
19/34, 292 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 2 sacks for 19 yards.
Jaylen Warren
17 CAR
127 RUSH YDS • 49 REC YDS
Darnell Washington
3 REC
67 YDS • LONG 47
Receiving TDs: Roman Wilson (38 yards), Ben Skowronek (23 yards), and DK Metcalf (6 yards).
Game Stats
Final game statistics. Bengals orange / Steelers gold = row advantage
| Category | Bengals | Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Score by quarter | 7 • 10 • 3 • 7 27 | 14 • 3 • 7 • 6 30 |
| Total first downs | 19 | 22 |
| Total net yards | 352 | 411 |
| Rushing | 18–83 • 4.6 avg | 23–138 • 6.0 avg |
| Passing | 28/37 • 282 gross 269 net • 3 TD • 0 INT | 19/34 • 292 gross 273 net • 3 TD • 1 INT |
| Third down | 6/12 • 50.0% | 7/12 • 58.3% |
| Fourth down | 2/2 • 100% | 0/0 |
| Turnovers | 2 lost fumbles | 0 |
| Penalties | 6–40 | 5–37 |
| Time of possession | 30:06 | 29:54 |
| Red zone | 1/2 • 50% | 1/3 • 33.3% |
| Field goals / PATs | 2/2 FG • 3/3 PAT | 3/3 FG • 3/3 PAT |
| Punting | 2 punts • 42.0 avg 39.5 net | 1 punt • 51.0 avg 51.0 net |
| Returns | Punt: 0–0 Kickoff: 7–184 | Punt: 1–5 Kickoff: 5–102 |
| Defensive leaders | D. Lawrence: 2 sacks J. Battle: INT, 11 return yds | P. Queen: 13 tackles D. Harmon: sack, FF |
Scoring summary
- Q1: Roman Wilson 38-yard TD; Ben Skowronek 23-yard TD; Bengals TD drive.
- Q2: Field goals by Evan McPherson (50) and Chris Boswell (44); Tee Higgins 28-yard TD.
- Q3: McPherson 38-yard FG; DK Metcalf 6-yard TD.
- Q4: Mike Gesicki 25-yard TD; Boswell 36-yard and 33-yard FGs.
Game-defining plays
Pittsburgh’s late 77-yard drive set up Boswell’s go-ahead 33-yard field goal with 2:15 left. With 44 seconds remaining, Derrick Harmon strip-sacked Burrow and Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered the fumble.
The game lasted 3:09 and was attended by 66,816 fans.
Coach Pfeff’s Game Notes
Handwritten Bengals–Steelers game notes.
Steelers#1
“Perfect pass by Rodgers to Roman Wilson for the first touchdown.”
Actually means: Wilson scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass at 13:10 of the first quarter.
Bengals#2
“Quick throws and bootlegs worked to perfection for a touchdown.”
Actually means: Cincinnati’s opening touchdown drive covered 73 yards on 11 plays; Burrow completed all seven of his passes on that drive.
Steelers#3
“Rodgers to Skowronek was a beautiful touchdown pass.”
Actually means: Skowronek caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.
Bengals#4
“The secondary was giving up big plays and getting picked apart.”
Actually means: Pittsburgh finished with 411 total yards, including 292 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.
Steelers#5
“Jaylen Warren’s 30-yard run was stopped by a combo block.”
Actually means: Warren’s official long rush was 35 yards; his separate 87-yard run was negated by a holding penalty.
Steelers#6
“The offense was doing well working around Dexter Lawrence.”
Actually means: Lawrence recorded two sacks and three quarterback hits against Rodgers.
Bengals#7
“Joe Burrow was ripping apart the Steelers’ zone looks.”
Actually means: Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns, a 75.7% completion rate.
Bengals#8
“The offensive game plan clearly targeted tight-end mismatches, and it worked with all of them.”
Actually means: Cincinnati tight ends combined for five receptions and 50 yards; Gesicki added three catches, 37 yards, and a touchdown.
Steelers#9
“Lots of weapons as targets: tight ends plus Michael Pittman and DK Metcalf.”
Actually means: Rodgers completed passes to nine Steelers, led by Washington’s 3–67, Wilson’s 3–60 with a touchdown, and Metcalf’s 3–31 with a touchdown.
Steelers#10
“It was not on Rodgers — he made a perfect throw that went through DK’s hands.”
Actually means: Metcalf still finished with three receptions for 31 yards and a six-yard touchdown on five targets.
Bengals#11
“Amazing touchdown catch by Tee Higgins before halftime.”
Actually means: Higgins caught six passes for 90 yards and a 28-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left before halftime.
Bengals#12
“Perfect throw and catch on fourth-and-two: a back-shoulder ball to Ja’Marr Chase.”
Actually means: Cincinnati converted both fourth-down attempts; Chase finished with nine receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Steelers#13
“Jaylen Warren may be the underrated offensive weapon.”
Actually means: Warren totaled 176 yards: 127 rushing on 17 carries and 49 receiving on three catches.
Steelers#14
“The receivers and tight ends had crazy-good blocks on Warren screens.”
Actually means: Warren’s 49 receiving yards came on three catches, supporting the impact of the screen and perimeter blocking.
Steelers#15
“The DK touchdown had three guys wide open after the Bengals’ cornerbacks collided.”
Actually means: Metcalf’s touchdown came on a six-yard catch during an 11-play, 74-yard drive that put Pittsburgh ahead 24–20.
Bengals#16
“The running game really needs to improve. Is the issue the running backs or the offensive line?”
Actually means: Cincinnati ran 18 times for 83 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry; Brown led the team with 61 rushing yards.
Bengals#17
“An off-target throw to a wide-open Gesicki still became a great catch.”
Actually means: Gesicki finished with three receptions for 37 yards, including the 25-yard fourth-down touchdown.
Steelers#18
“All-effort play by Skowronek to recover the muffed punt.”
Actually means: Skowronek recovered the muffed punt at the Cincinnati 14, setting up Pittsburgh’s 36-yard tying field goal.
Bengals#19
“Holding Pittsburgh to a field goal after the muff saved the game — temporarily.”
Actually means: Boswell made the 36-yard field goal with 8:45 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game 27–27.
Steelers#20
“The 87-yard Warren run that was called back was an awesome run.”
Actually means: The 87-yard Warren run was erased by a holding penalty on Metcalf; Warren still finished with 127 rushing yards.
Steelers#21
“Pretty cool seeing 300-pound tight end Darnell Washington take a 47-yard reception while breaking tackles.”
Actually means: Washington caught three passes for 67 yards, including a 47-yard catch-and-run on Pittsburgh’s winning drive.
Bengals#22
“The defense holding Pittsburgh to another field goal with two minutes left was huge.”
Actually means: Boswell’s 33-yard field goal at 2:15 gave Pittsburgh a 30–27 lead after a 77-yard drive.
Steelers#23
“I don’t think I heard T.J. Watt’s name once all game.”
Actually means: Watt did not appear in the official defensive stat line; Pittsburgh’s recorded sacks came from Harmon and the rest of the defense.
Bengals#24
“Burrow’s fumble to end the game was a rough ending to a good game after two massive defensive stops.”
Actually means: Harmon forced the final fumble with 44 seconds left, and Joseph-Day recovered it; Cincinnati lost two fumbles in total.