The Pittsburgh Steelers scored 30-plus points in a victory for the first time in 56 games tonight in their 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. For Cameron Heyward, it’s a feeling that he wants to be common. Talking to reporters after the game, Heyward said that wins like the one against Cincinnati need to “be the standard.”
“Let this be the standard. Thirty-plus is a nice feeling. I know we’re gonna play different teams, but it’s a group effort,” Heyward said via 93.7 The Fan’s Josh Rowntree on Twitter. “Defense give them the ball back, and the offense go out and score touchdowns.”
The Steelers haven’t won many games handily over the years, so getting one tonight was surely a nice feeling in the locker room. Add the circumstances of the team needing to win to keep its playoff hopes alive, and being down to guys who were fifth or sixth on the depth chart at positions like linebacker and safety, and it makes it all the sweeter. Any time you can get a win against a divisional opponent is a good feeling and the Steelers were able to sweep the Bengals with the win tonight.
The game was also an example of the fact that the Steelers do have playmakers and that they just need to find a way to get them the ball in better situations. George Pickens had four receptions for 195 yards and two scores, Najee Harris ran for 78 yards and a score, and the Steelers got pressure on Jake Browning all day, forcing him into three turnovers. Obviously, the defensive playmakers in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith usually shine, but offensively, we don’t see what we saw from Pickens and Harris on a regular basis.
That’s what has to change within Pittsburgh’s offense as the Steelers just have to find ways to get their playmakers the ball in advantageous situations. Mason Rudolph was able to do that tonight, and he had a career game with 295 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Whether or not Rudolph continues as the starter, whoever is at quarterback should take note of how he picked his spots. The sixth-year veteran made sure he wasn’t forcing throws while still taking shots and keeping possession for the offense.
It was a refreshing game to watch, one that the Steelers dominated from start to finish, after three terrible games with Pittsburgh playing uninspired football. While the odds aren’t great, their playoff hopes are still alive, and Heyward is right that comfortable wins should become the standard. Whether that happens, we’ll see, but this team has the talent to make it happen regularly.
