The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a hot start in their 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and did not relent in their most complete team performance of the season. The lead kept stacking up throughout the first half and by halftime the Steelers held a 24-0 lead over the Bengals. This allowed for the defense to do what it does best—generate pressure on the quarterback and create splash plays via turnovers.
Bengals QB Jake Browning spoke to the media after their loss and put it simply in a video of the press conference posted by the Bengals’ account on X, “They kicked our ass,” he said.
Browning had enjoyed a few excellent games prior to today, leading the Bengals to three straight wins to get them firmly back into playoff contention. The first NFL start of his career was against the Steelers on Nov. 26 and he had an overall rough performance in that game. Since then, he had piled up 953 passing yards and five touchdowns. He had the national media believing that he could lead the Bengals not only to the playoffs but as a contender in the tournament. That all came crashing down in this Week 16 do-or-die game for both teams. He finished the day with 28 completions on 42 attempts for 335 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. “I made some dumb decisions with the ball in my hand and I need to do better,” Browning said.
The first interception was on the Bengals’ second drive of the game. They had advanced into the red zone and on third down Browning tried to throw the ball away. It didn’t quite go out of the back of the end zone as he had hoped and Patrick Peterson intercepted the ball. His other two interceptions went to S Eric Rowe and OLB Alex Highsmith.
The turnovers that the Steelers generated were largely a result of the pressure they brought on Browning. They only finished the game with three sacks, but they also had eight total quarterback hits. The Bengals were attempting a lot of screens and quick passes, but when Browning dropped back and gave the defense time the Steelers took full advantage.
“I think they know if they can just get you to hesitate for a second, they feel good about their pass rush,” Browning said. “I felt like when we didn’t turn the ball over, we were moving the ball well and then just couldn’t finish in the red zone. And so, credit to them. That’s good defense.”
The Bengals entered the Steelers’ side of the field five times. They came away with just three points on those drives. The Steelers largely shut down the running game, allowing just 59 rushing yards until the game got out of hand and the Bengals were forced to abandon the run. From there, Pittsburgh did what it does best and helped secure a season-saving win over the Bengals.
