The Bengals had a chance to start 3-0, but a pair of costly turnovers helped turn Sunday into a 30-27 loss to the Steelers.
Cincinnati’s punt return mistake by Ke’Shawn Williams and a fumble by Joe Burrow gave Pittsburgh the opening it needed, and the Steelers made it count. Aaron Rodgers led the way with 292 yards and three touchdowns as the game tilted against a Bengals defense that kept seeing players cycle in and out of the lineup.
Zac Taylor said the Bengals were still trying to finish the game aggressively late, not settle for a tie-breaking kick.
"We were, I think, right at the 38, trying to go score and win, not trying to kick a field goal. We would have if we had to, but we were trying to go win the game right there," Taylor said after the game.
"You look at their lineup; they got good players. They were going to find the rhythm at some point on offense.
It's unfortunate it was today, but that's the way it went."
Burrow had his own perspective on a day when Cincinnati still put up 27 points and reached 30-plus touchdowns for him in the regular season for the 30th time in his career. Even with the loss, he said the offense did a lot right.
"I thought we were pretty dang good," Burrow noted. "We had a couple penalties that set us back.
That we just can't have happen. Yeah, a couple things procedurally that we got to clean up that put us behind the eight ball a little bit, but overall I thought we were pretty good."
Still, the mistakes mattered. Burrow’s fumble came while he was trying to force something in the moment, and Cincinnati also left points on the table when it could have tied the game with another Evan McPherson field goal.
"That's part of the game. Guys are going to make mistakes, and got to try to overcome it. That's what great football teams do," Burrow said.
The loss drops the Bengals into a Week 4 matchup with Jacksonville, which comes in at 2-1 after two blowout wins, including a 35-6 rout of New England on Sunday.
"I think we have a chance to be great, but we got to go and prove it. We got to go and show it every day," Burrow said.
In Other News...
Bengals Draft Regret Suddenly Looks Even Worse After Burrow Hit
The Bengals entered the 2025 draft hoping Shemar Stewart would become a difference-maker off the edge, but the early return has only sharpened the spotlight on that decision. Selected 17th overall, Stewart had a minimal rookie impact and then did not play a defensive snap in Cincinnatis AFC North opener in his second season, a development that left the Bengals looking for answers from a pick they expected to help reshape the front.
Meanwhile, Derrick Harmon, the defensive tackle the Steelers took in that same range, was making his presence felt in the same game with a key strip sack. For Cincinnati, the comparison is hard to ignore because it goes beyond one play or one afternoon, touching the way the defense might have looked, the resources the team has tied up, and how much pain lingers when a first-round swing doesnt land the way the front office envisioned. [Read more 🡒]
Amarius Mims Passed A Huge Bengals Test Despite One Costly Mistake
Amarius Mims had the kind of game the Bengals have been waiting to see from their 2024 first-round pick. Against the Steelers, he held up well at right tackle and gave Joe Burrow a cleaner pocket than Cincinnati has often had this season, even with Pittsburgh sending elite pressure off the edge. For a young tackle still learning the NFL pace, the performance suggested he can already handle big moments against top pass rushers like T.J. Watt.
Of course, it was not a spotless afternoon. Mims had some penalties and a late pass protection breakdown, the sort of hiccup that can swing attention in a close divisional game, and Cincinnati fell 30-27 anyway. The bigger concern for the Bengals was not just one rookie mistake, but how the loss also featured problems on defense and special teams, leaving Mims' encouraging work as one of the few clear positives to come out of the day. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Injury Concerns Suddenly Loom Larger After Steelers Loss
The Bengals left Pittsburgh with more than just a loss to process, and Zac Taylors postgame injury update added another layer to an already uneasy Sunday. Colbie Young looks likely to miss next weeks game against the Jaguars, while several other injured players remain in limbo as Cincinnati tries to sort out its roster heading into the next stretch.
Taylor also addressed defensive end Shemar Stewarts limited workload, tying it to his recent practice history, while Joe Burrow said he came out of the game without any new injuries. Burrows focus was on the missed chances against the Steelers, but the bigger question for Cincinnati now is how many moving parts will still be available when the Bengals try to bounce back. [Read more 🡒]