Antonio Brown wasted no time piling on after the Bengals’ 30-27 loss to the Steelers on Sunday, using Joe Burrow’s latest miscue as the punchline.
The former Pittsburgh wideout shared a picture of actor Macaulay Culkin dressed as Burrow for Halloween in 2024, taking a shot at the Cincinnati quarterback after Burrow’s late fumble helped close out Week 3’s AFC North matchup. Burrow had put Cincinnati in position to either force a tie or steal a comeback win in the final minutes, but the drive ended when he coughed up the ball near the Steelers’ 38-yard line.
Even with that costly turnover, Burrow put together a strong day statistically. He finished 28 of 37 for 282 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. After the game, Burrow explained that he was trying to avoid a sack when the ball came loose.
"Trying to take a shot at the end zone, trying not to take the sack, trying to get the ball out, (and I) fumbled it," Burrow said.
The loss also added another tough line to Burrow’s résumé in late-game situations. Sunday’s result dropped him to 1-34 when the Bengals are trailing in the final eight minutes.
Burrow wasn’t hiding from the bigger picture afterward, either. With Cincinnati taking its first loss of the season, he said the team needs more accountability across the board.
“Guys got to take ownership of their roles, got to take ownership of themselves, and just be smart situational football players,” Burrow said.
The Bengals’ defense couldn’t slow down Pittsburgh’s offense, either. Jaylen Warren powered the ground game with 17 carries for 127 yards, while Aaron Rodgers controlled the passing attack with 292 yards and three touchdowns.
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For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of scoreboard comparison that stings a little more than usual. The Pirates finished the regular season with a better record than Houston, yet they are watching the playoffs from home because of the realities of divisional standings, while the Astros are still playing in October despite their own uneven moment with the crowd. It is a clean example of how one team can end up in the tournament and another can miss out, even when the records do not fully tell the same story. [Read more 🡒]