The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 44-38 at Paycor Stadium with an offensive explosion that saw their highest point total in 7 years, improved their record to 9-3 and strengthened their lead in the AFC North.
During the game, CBS commentators Ian Eagle and Charles Davis repeatedly cited the Steelers success in Cincinnati. While Pittsburgh has played well in the Queen City, the Steelers were coming off of an AFC North loss and Paycor/Paul Brown Stadium has been the scene of unsettling slips up for the men in Black and Gold:
- A week 3 loss in 2009 signaled Steelers were suffering a Super Bowl hangover
- In 2020, Ben Roethlisberger’s piss-poor play appeared to be his Ali-Holmes moment
- The lopsided loss in 2021 seemed to reset the AFC North pecking order
Mike Tomlin rightly proclaims that Sunday’s win is indicative of a “total team effort.” But the key reason the Steelers won is simple: They let Russ cook, and Wilson proved to be a master chef.
Russell Wilson cooking. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com
Russ Can Cook
Russell Wilson threw 38 passes, completing 29 of those for 414 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception. It was the second-highest yardage total of his career and the first time he’s broken the 400-yard mark since 2019.
- Yet those statistics, if anything, mask just how well he has played.
Since his first start against the Jets, Russell Wilson proved that his patented “moonball” remains a lethal threat. But against the Bengals on Sunday, Wilson demonstrated that he’s anything about a one-dimensional passer:
- He completed “moonballs” to George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin
- He excelled in medium range passes to Pat Freiermuth, Cordarrelle Patterson and MyCole Pruitt
- He hit both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on multiple check downs to gain critical yards
Calvin Austin scores. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
Moreover, Wilson showed himself as a quarterback willing and able to use the middle of the field. He bailed out on bad situations a number of times and only took two sacks, one of which had negligible impact.
While Wilson put up some impressive stats, those numbers don’t offer a true measure of his performance.
From start to finish, Russell Wilson played as a quarterback in control of his offense. Three plays into the Steelers first possession, Wilson threw a pick six.
- IT didn’t phase him in the slightest.
Wilson responded by directing a flawless, 70-yard drive that ended with George Pickens touchdown. Throughout the game, Wilson acted as a general on the battlefield, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, shifting protections and calling audibles with ease.
Wilson won 2024 Steeler Thanksgiving Honors because of how he melded talent with leadership, and the win over the Bengals offers yet another example.
Arthur Smith Solves for X, at Least for a Week
Nine days ago after the loss to the Browns, the takeaway was that the Steelers offense was less than the sum of its parts. The “X” factor was hard to decipher, as the Steelers overall posted some strong offensive numbers.
- And offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was charged with solving for X.
Justin Fields slides to seal the win. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
A single stat reveals that, for one week at least, he solved the equation: 12:50 in the 4th quarter.
That was the first, and only, time that Corliss Waitman step on the field to punt. Smith’s offense also logged a slight but meaningful edge in time of possession. And they earned that edge despite passing more than running.
But they were able to run effectively when they needed to, using all three running backs, and Smith deployed Justin Fields at just the right time.
Splash Plays Shouldn’t Overshadow Key Stops by Defense
Teryl Austin’s defense had its ups and downs. Early in the game the Bengals gouged the Steelers for a few long runs including a touchdown. But Austin made his adjustment, and the running threat was not a factor for Cincinnati following that.
Nick Herbig strip sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
They also let the Bengals back in the game with a touchdown drive that only took 5 plays and a minute 1:14 late in the 4th quarter. And Joey Porter Jr. gifted the Bengals premium field position with alarming regularity.
But the Steelers defense showed that it can continue to make game-changing plays:
- T.J. Watt strip-sacked Joe Burrow with just 4:46 left in the first half.
- Watt later sacked Burrow on 3rd and 6 at Pittsburgh’s 11, forcing a field goal
- Cam Heyward tipped a ball which Donte Jackson intercepted at midfield.
- Nick Herbig strip-sacked Burrow with Payton Wilson returning it for a touchdown
The Steelers needed each of those splash plays. Wilson led the Steelers to a Chris Boswell field goal following the first strip-sack and the Payton Wilson fumble return for a touchdown negated the Bengals’ own defensive score.
Don’t be fooled by Cincinnati’s 4-8 record – they have one of the NFL’s most potent offenses. The Bengals only punted twice. But those punts book-ended their first-half possessions, and forcing those twin three and outs was as much of a difference maker as were the splash plays.
Win Sharpens Steelers as Road Gets Tougher
The win assures Mike Tomlin and the Steelers of their 18th consecutive non-losing season and leaves them alone atop the AFC North thanks to Philadelphia’s win over Baltimore.
But with rematches against the Browns, Ravens and Bengals, looming, a trip to Philadelphia where they have not won since Lyndon Johnson was president and Mike Nixon was coach, and a Christmas day game against Kansas City, the road only gets tougher.
When asked for his feelings about where the Steelers stand today T.J. Watt replied, “It feels good, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”
That’s exactly the attitude the Steelers must take out of this game.
