While the Pittsburgh Steelers will still be playing football next weekend, their regular season closed on a sour note Saturday night with their fourth straight loss, falling 19-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game where Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to get going for most of the night.
The Steelers won the toss and deferred, so the Bengals started the game with the ball. Pittsburgh’s issues covering tight ends continued on the opening drive, with TE Mike Gesicki catching two balls for 28 yards as the Bengals marched into the red zone. Three straight completions to WR Ja’Marr Chase, including the 12-yard touchdown, and a 6-6 start for QB Joe Burrow gave Cincinnati a 7-0 lead with 9:49 left in the first quarter after K Cade York’s extra point.
York’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, so the Steelers started their first drive at their own 40-yard line. As has been the case far too often over the last month though, the offense did nothing and went three-and-out.
The Bengals put together an 11-play, 37-yard drive that the Steelers defense finally showed up on with two plays left. LB Patrick Queen ended the drive with a strip sack of Burrow, but Cincinnati recovered and extended their lead to 10-0 after a 48-yard field goal by York with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
On 3rd and 11 during Pittsburgh’s ensuing drive, Wilson went deep down the right to WR Mike Williams who made an impressive catch along the sideline, barely keeping his feet in bounds. On 3rd and 5 a few plays later, the Bengals were flagged for defensive pass interference and Pittsburgh had another first down, and the Steelers took advantage with an 11-yard run by RB Najee Harris down to the Cincinnati 18. Taylor-Britt was again flagged for pass interference against TE Darnell Washington in the end zone, then the Steelers had 1st and Goal at their one-yard line and Harris would punch it in. K Chris Boswell’s extra point cut the Cincinnati lead to 10-7 with 9:54 left in the first half.
The Bengals would go for it on 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 37, and the Steelers got off the field with DL Cameron Heyward deflecting Burrow’s pass at the line of scrimmage. The Steelers didn’t capitalize off the momentum of the fourth-down stop though, as the offense went three-and-out.
A sack by OLB Preston Smith ended Cincinnati’s drive at their own 19, but WR Calvin Austin III fumbled the punt return. LB Shaka Heyward knocked the ball out and the Bengals recovered to take over at the Pittsburgh 33. A defensive holding penalty against CB Cory Trice Jr. wiped out a T.J. Watt sack on third down that would’ve knocked Cincinnati to the very edge of field goal range. Instead, the Bengals got a new set of downs. It worked out in Pittsburgh’s favor though, as CB Beanie Bishop picked off Burrow after a tip by Patrick Queen with 1:10 left in the half, and the Steelers kept the deficit at three.
The Steelers failed their 4th and 1 try at their own 37, and the Bengals took back over with 48 seconds left in the half. They would get points from a 27-yard Cade York field goal at the end of the half, taking a 13-7 lead with 16 seconds left in the first half that would carry over into the locker room.
Pittsburgh got the ball to open the second half but went three-and-out. The Bengals’ opening drive of the second half began at their own 36. They moved over midfield on the first play of the drive with a completion to WR Tee Higgins, and the Cincinnati offense kept humming down the field, moving to the Pittsburgh 19 after a nine-yard completion to Chase. A sack by OLB Nick Herbig on third down at the Cincinnati 5 would force the Bengals to settle for a field goal. York’s 35-yard try was good, and the Bengals extended their lead to 16-7 with 6:56 left in the third quarter.
The Steelers again failed to do anything on offense, with WR George Pickens dropping what would’ve been a big completion on 3rd and 8. The Bengals took back over at their own 11 with 4:49 left in the third quarter. They once again got into a rhythm and a 19-yard completion to Chase moved them just outside the red zone at the Pittsburgh 22. On 3rd and 9, Burrow escaped pressure and found TE Tanner Hudson for an 11-yard gain. The Steelers kept their hopes alive by forcing another field goal though, with York connecting from 23 yards out to extend the Cincinnati lead to 19-7 with 11:02 left in the game.
Pittsburgh’s offense finally had a sense of urgency, and they responded with a nine-play, 65-yard drive in 2:55 that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass to TE Pat Freiermuth. Boswell’s extra point cut the Cincinnati lead to five at 19-14 with 8:07 left to play.
The Steelers defense would get off the field, and the Pittsburgh offense got the ball back with 5:54 left at their own 11 trailing by five, but they went three-and-out and punted back to Cincinnati. The punt hit CB D.J. Ivey in the foot and TE Connor Heyward recovered the fumble, and the Steelers took over at the Cincinnati 38. The Steelers would be forced to settle for a field goal though, as K Chris Boswell hit a 54-yard try with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter to cut the Cincinnati lead to 19-17.
The Bengals would go three-and-out, with DT Keeanu Benton coming through with a third-down sack of Burrow and the Bengals punted at the two-minute warning.
After Russell Wilson took a sack, the Steelers had the ball on their own 40 and facing a 3rd and 12. On the third down, Wilson went deep to Pickens, but he couldn’t make the play on a poorly thrown ball, and the Steelers would have one play with 15 seconds left for the game. The fourth down pass was off the hands of TE Pat Freiermuth, and the Steelers lost 19-17.
It’s Pittsburgh’s fourth straight loss. The Steelers could drop to the AFC’s No. 6 seed pending the result of the Los Angeles Chargers game against the Las Vegas Raiders tomorrow. Moving to the No. 6 seed would give the Steelers a road matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round next weekend.
Cincinnati finishes the regular season at 9-8 and keeps the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive.
