The Pittsburgh Steelers’ meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 19, 1978 looked like a mismatch on paper, and for most of the afternoon it played like one - except the scoreboard refused to cooperate.
Pittsburgh came in at 9-2, Cincinnati at 1-10, and the Steelers had already beaten the Bengals 28-3 earlier that season. The history backed up the expectation, too.
Since Cincinnati entered the NFL with the 1970 merger, Pittsburgh had owned the series, leading 72-41 overall, with advantages both at home, 37-19, and in Cincinnati, 35-22. The Bengals had never won at Three Rivers Stadium.
Terry Bradshaw was in the middle of his best year, already up to a career-high 19 touchdown passes, while Lynn Swann led the league with nine touchdown catches.
Even so, the game never turned into the rout many expected.
Cincinnati opened the scoring after Louis Breeden intercepted Bradshaw and Ken Anderson guided the Bengals 69 yards in nine plays before Chris Bahr finished the drive with a 29-yard field goal. Pittsburgh answered in the second quarter when Bradshaw found John Stallworth twice for gains of 21 yards, setting up Rocky Bleier’s 1-yard touchdown run and a 7-3 Steelers lead after Roy Gerela’s extra point.
The rest of the half turned into a turnover-heavy mess. Mel Blount picked off Anderson, but Pittsburgh couldn’t cash in.
Bradshaw then gave the ball away to Ken Riley, only for the Bengals to go three-and-out. On the next Steelers possession, Bradshaw was intercepted again by Breeden, and Bahr drilled a 38-yard field goal to pull Cincinnati within one.
Bradshaw’s fourth interception came on the final play of the first half, yet Pittsburgh still carried a 7-6 edge into the break.
The second half offered more missed chances than clean execution. Blount intercepted Anderson again, but the Steelers came away empty.
Joe Greene recovered a fumble forced by Jack Ham, and Pittsburgh still couldn’t add to the lead when Gerela missed a 34-yard field goal. Cincinnati also left points on the field, missing a 48-yard field goal attempt.
Then, with less than a minute left and the Bengals moving into position for a potential game-winning kick, Mike Wagner came on a safety blitz and hit Anderson from behind. Anderson fumbled, Jack Ham recovered, and Pittsburgh escaped with the narrowest of victories.
The Steelers won 7-6.
Bradshaw didn’t hide from how poorly Pittsburgh played. “I played absolutely horrible.
It’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s embarrassing.
They played a heckuva game and we didn’t.”
Anderson, describing the hit that ended Cincinnati’s last drive, said, “I felt I was hit by a truck,”
Joe Greene put the result in blunt terms: “The good teams win these kinds of games regardless.”
Pittsburgh moved on quickly from the ugly win, taking its final four games to finish 14-2 and claim its sixth division title. The Steelers then rolled past Denver 33-10 and Houston 34-5 as the top seed in the playoffs. After beating Dallas 35-31 in the championship game, that shaky afternoon against the Bengals faded fast, and Bradshaw ended the season as Super Bowl XIII MVP.
In Other News...
Steelers Suddenly Have A Trade Decision Giants Fans Just Created
Jaxson Darts knee injury has added a fresh layer of uncertainty to the Giants quarterback situation, and that ripple effect reaches all the way to Pittsburgh. The Steelers are carrying four quarterbacks on their active roster, which gives them more flexibility than most teams at the position and puts Mason Rudolph back into the conversation as a possible trade chip if another club decides it needs help.
For the Steelers, the question is whether keeping Rudolph provides more value as insurance or whether this is the kind of moment to turn a surplus into future draft capital. The Giants, facing an uncertain timeline for Darts return, are the most obvious club to watch, with speculation already linking them to Rudolph as a depth answer and a possible offer centered on a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Catch A Break As Bengals Passing Game Takes Early Hit
The Bengals passing game took an early hit this week when Andrei Iosivas landed on injured reserve after tearing a ligament in his thumb and undergoing surgery. Cincinnati has not given a firm return date, but the projected absence of four to six weeks trims another option from a receiver group that was already facing the challenge of adjusting on the fly.
For the Steelers, it is the kind of development that matters even before the first meaningful divisional head-to-head meeting. Zac Taylor said other players will get chances to step into the void, but any early-season reshuffling in Cincinnati only adds another layer of uncertainty to a matchup Pittsburgh is already going to be tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Rookie Is Making Himself Hard To Ignore Early
Robert Spears-Jennings has already found a way to stand out for the Steelers, even with his role mostly coming on special teams. Through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, the rookie safety leads the league with seven special teams tackles, a strong early sign that he is quickly earning trust in Pittsburgh where every hidden-yardage play tends to matter.
Special teams coach Danny Crossman has taken notice of Spears-Jennings effort and impact, even with limited defensive snaps, and he has also had reason to mention running back Eli Heidenreich after a 26-yard kick return against the Patriots. For a Steelers team always looking for young players who can carve out value in any phase, those kinds of contributions can turn into real opportunities before long. [Read more 🡒]