The Steelers finally got the kind of offensive spark they’d been hunting through the first two weeks, and it was enough to survive a 30-27 battle with the Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. But for all the relief that came with the win, Pittsburgh also walked away with a few new concerns, especially on defense and in the secondary.
Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy gave the offense a real jolt early, and it showed immediately on the scoreboard. Pittsburgh opened with consecutive touchdowns and snapped a 69-game streak of scoring seven points or fewer in the first quarter. That’s the kind of fast start this group had been missing.
It wasn’t a clean afternoon from there. Drops hurt the Steelers, including an interception off Roman Wilson’s hands, and Rodgers left a few throws out there as well.
Still, the structure of the offense looked more promising. The Steelers worked their tight ends into the plan and leaned on some pick routes to help free receivers downfield.
It was progress, even if there’s plenty left to clean up.
Jaylen Warren made his case even louder. With 127 rushing yards on 17 carries and 49 more receiving yards on three catches, he looked like the most dangerous player on the field for stretches of the game.
His contact balance, burst, and ability to shake defenders in space stood out all afternoon. Rico Dowdle may still have a role, but Warren showed why the offense needs to run through him.
Roman Wilson had a roller-coaster game. He opened the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown from Rodgers and added two more catches, including a solid in-breaker for a first down.
But he also let a perfect throw slip through his hands, and Jordan Battle ended up with the interception. The talent is showing up more often, but so are the mistakes.
The Steelers’ reshuffled offensive line also gave the offense a lift. The move to Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman on the right side seemed to matter, especially in the run game, where Pittsburgh finally created more room for Warren.
Hoffman was strong as a run blocker, particularly alongside Zach Frazier, and he also looked like an upgrade in pass protection over Spencer Anderson. Iheanachor wasn’t flawless, but he flashed the athleticism and power that made him a first-round pick.
On the other side of the ball, Patrick Graham had his first rough outing as Steelers defensive coordinator. The defense finished the job when Derrick Harmon strip-sacked Joe Burrow to kill Cincinnati’s comeback hopes, but the Bengals moved the ball too easily for too long. Burrow completed his first 13 passes and kept finding openings in Pittsburgh’s soft zone looks.
That ties directly into the biggest issue hanging over the defense right now: Joey Porter Jr. is still missing, and it showed. Pittsburgh spent much of the game sitting in zone, and Burrow picked it apart with easy completions.
The Steelers did start contesting more passes later, but the lack of man coverage stood out, especially with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the other side. If Porter isn’t back, Graham may not have much choice but to keep living in zone.
Porter remains one of the central storylines for this defense until he returns, or until the situation changes another way. By all accounts, he should be ready next week if his back injury doesn’t flare up, though there’s no guarantee he’ll look fully like himself after missing the offseason work.
The Bengals also handed Pittsburgh some help on special teams. A roughing-the-kicker penalty set up a Steelers touchdown that put them ahead 24-20, and former Steeler Ke’Shawn Williams muffed a punt late, giving Pittsburgh the opening it needed to tie the game 27-27. Without those mistakes, this one could have looked a lot different.
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