The Pittsburgh Steelers’ lackluster offense defeated the woeful Cincinnati Bengals. Although it was an ugly game, the Steelers won 16-10. The low score outcome was expected, but how it happened was shocking.
In fact, the Bengals nearly won the game off of two plays from one drive. Two miraculous passes from quarterback Ryan Finley to wide receiver Tyler Boyd put the Bengals in an early lead. Yet, it did not last the whole game. How did the Steelers come back?
First Half
The first three possessions resulted in punts near midfield. Yet, the Steelers made the first push as they drove down to the red zone. After a few runs from practice squad signee Kerrith Whyte, the Steelers found themselves at the Bengals’ 10-yard line. Quarterback Mason Rudolph made his first of many mistakes, though. A pass across the middle led to an interception.
Although the Bengals did not score, they ruined the momentum of the Steelers for the next drive. However, the Steelers scored first with a Chris Boswell 26-yard field goal. The Bengals bounced back with the major passes to Boyd. Two passes for 62 yards posted the Bengals with a 7-3 lead. The Steelers could not respond as they went to halftime down four.
Second Half
The Steelers began the second half and did not utilize the possession. The next possession saw the beginning of the “Duck,” as quarterback Devlin Hodges replaced Mason Rudolph. Hodges answered early with a 79-yard touchdown via James Washington.
The Bengals bounced back with a field goal, though. With a handful of rushing yards from running back Joe Mixon, Randy Bullock diminished the lead.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Steelers began a drive. Jaylen Samuels began with a couple of yards. Plus, back-to-back defensive pass interference calls moved the Steelers 34 yards. The Steelers did not finish with a touchdown but took three on a Boswell 47-yard field goal.
The Bengals were ready to respond as Finley hooked in a pass to Boyd. Boyd had the sideline and the end zone until Steelers linebacker Devin Bush poked the ball free. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick picked up the ball for an NFL-leading eighth takeaway.
Despite the fumble recovery near mid-field, the Steelers’ offense failed to succeed. After five plays, the Bengals returned to the field for another three-and-out. The Steelers answered one last time with another Boswell field goal. With under three minutes left in the game, the Bengals had one final drive. Finley dropped back for a final time, as Bud Dupree strip-sacked and recovered the fumble.
The Steelers ran out the clock for the scrappy six-point win.
Conclusion
Although the Bengals had the disadvantage coming into the game, the defense kept the game close. The Bengals did not get the outcome they preferred, but it was a step up.
The Steelers’ offense struggled once again. Two practice squad running backs, a third-string undrafted rookie at quarterback, and a mixture of rookie and practice-squad receivers showed the Steelers need help.
