Steelers tight end Darnell Washington stiff arms Falcons safety Xavier Watts during the second half of an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Steelers tight end Darnell Washington stiff arms Falcons safety Xavier Watts during the second half of an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Post-Gazette sports reporter Christopher Carter breaks down the Week 3 game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals and lists the team’s keys to victory.
When the Steelers have the ball
It’s a bad week to face a talented Bengals defensive line.
The Steelers’ struggling offensive line could potentially have two new starters in Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman. They’ll have to face a revamped Bengals defensive front, with linemen Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen, as well as edge rushers Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy. All of those players except for Murphy were offseason acquisitions.
Lawrence may be the best interior defensive lineman in football right now, while Allen has been a strong veteran for years. Mafe arrived after contributing to the Seattle Seahawks’ championship defense last year. Together, they’ve made the Bengals one of the toughest run defenses in the NFL.
[Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/09/25/noah-hiles-mike-mccarthy-mike-tomlin/stories/202609220035)
The Bengals’ 2.1 yards per carry allowed when they have seven defenders in the box is tops in the NFL.
That means the Steelers’ offensive line will have its work cut out for it. Aaron Rodgers will need to find ways to pick on the Bengals in the secondary. That means working the ball to the tight ends. The Bengals have allowed 17 receptions and 200 yards to tight ends through two games, the most allowed in both stats by any defense in the NFL.
When the Bengals have the ball
The Bengals might have the best three-headed monster of a passing attack in the NFL with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But they’ve also had that trio for the past five seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2022.
The offensive line has routinely held them up, as they’ve allowed an average of 46.6 sacks per year over the past five seasons.
Burrow’s been sacked six times through two games, a rate that would see him sacked 51 times this season. But there are new strengths to the offensive line. Right tackle Amarius Mims hasn’t allowed a single pressure this season, guard Dalton Risner has allowed only two and center Ted Karras three.
The Steelers will need to focus on the weak points of the Bengals’ offensive line to pressure Burrow and disrupt their passing attack. If Burrow, Chase and Higgins are given time to work against the Steelers’ secondary — even if Joey Porter Jr. returns — the Steelers will play right into the Bengals’ hands.
Key matchup
Alex Highsmith vs. Orlando Brown Jr.: Attack the weak link
[Mike Callan, a Steelers fan who recently retired after working 30 years for FDNY, smiles with wife, Stacy, and daughters, Madison and Avery, at a Steelers game.
Mike Callan, a Steelers fan who recently retired after working 30 years for FDNY, smiles with wife, Stacy, and daughters, Madison and Avery, at a Steelers game.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/09/25/mike-callan-fdny-retirement-911-cleanup/stories/202609220036)
Half of Burrow’s sacks have been allowed by left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who will most likely face off against Alex Highsmith for most of the game. Highsmith’s three sacks are tied for third in the NFL with Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson and Minnesota’s Dallas Turner.
But watch out for T.J. Watt to get a few chances against Brown, as well. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has schemed Watt to play six snaps on the right edge of the defense in back-to-back games. That total of 12 is more snaps than he lined up on that side throughout all of last season.
The X-factor: Darnell Washington
Darnell Washington has caught only three passes for 25 yards this season. Those numbers must take a leap against the Bengals.
Beyond his receiving numbers, the 6-foot-7, 264-pound tight end also is a battering ram who can help the Steelers’ run game compete against a strong Bengals defense.
Instead of rushing up the middle against Lawrence and Allen, coach Mike McCarthy can call wide zone runs for Jaylen Warren to neutralize their impact on the run.
That’s where Washington can team up with Iheanachor — who projects to make his first start Sunday — and fellow tackle Troy Fautanu to finally give the Steelers an edge in the run game.
Carter’s three keys
Commit to your tight ends. McCarthy has used 11 personnel — one running back, one tight end, three receivers — seventh most of any team through the first two weeks of the season. That hasn’t produced any results, as the Steelers rank next to last in points scored on offense.
But the Steelers have used multiple-TE sets for only 30 snaps this season, 18th most in the NFL. Meanwhile, the offenses leading the league in using those formations are some of the league’s best teams, like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.
This would be a good week for McCarthy to hop on one of the top offensive trends in the NFL right now, while also playing to two of his roster’s biggest strengths in Washington and Pat Freiermuth.
Get risky with the blitz. Facing Chase and Higgins means the Steelers will need to deploy two-high safety defenses more often to help their cornerbacks. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t send the blitz after Burrow.
The numbers suggest Burrow and his offensive line struggle with the blitz.
When Burrow hasn’t been blitzed, his passer rating is 122.1 and he’s completed 75% of his throws with three touchdowns.
But when blitzed, his passer rating dipped to 46.4, his completion rate dropped to 54.5% and he’s thrown an interception with no passing touchdowns.
TruMedia charts the Steelers as having blitzed the quarterback 15 times this season, tied for 21st most in the NFL. But when they do, they’ve held quarterbacks to a 77.4 passer rating, ninth lowest in the league.
Comprehensive plan for WRs. Whether Porter plays, the Steelers need to limit the Bengals’ top offensive weapons in Chase and Higgins.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan signed Jamel Dean because he is a cornerback who specialized in man coverage, and this might be the week for him to prove he can do that job.
The Steelers need to plan a rotation to double Chase and Higgins, switching safety help against each receiver to keep Burrow guessing about where his 1-on-1 opportunity might be. Match that with an effective blitz plan — and a run defense that forces third-and-long scenarios — and you might have a recipe to slow the Bengals.
The bottom line
The Steelers have neutralized the Bengals’ advantages at quarterback and receiver before, but often it’s been because of their ability to muck up the game in the trenches. Now, the Bengals have improved both their offensive and defensive lines and the Steelers have struggled with theirs.
Mafe and Lawrence lead a pass rush that has registered 38 pressures so far (third most in the NFL) and eight sacks (tied for the most). The Steelers’ offensive line must deliver and limit that group for Rodgers to stand a chance Sunday.
Carter’s call
Bengals 31, Steelers 13
First Published: September 27, 2026, 1:00 a.m.