After scoring just 16 points in the first two weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense erupted for 411 yards in a 30-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers began the game with the ball and a new-look offensive line. Out were Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook and in came Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor. The Steelers offense looked terrific out of the gate and made it clear that Sunday would be the Jaylen Warren show. The dual-threat back caught a 30-yard pass on the first play of the game. Four plays later, Aaron Rodgers launched a 38-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Cincinnati would answer back with an 11-play drive that ended with a Ja’Marr Chase touchdown.
The Steelers, though, showed this would be a shootout early, as they responded with an 11-play touchdown drive of their own with Rodgers connecting with Ben Skowronek on a beautiful play design. The Steelers’ receiver came in motion and ran through the B gap as if he was going to lead block on a run. Instead, it was a play action pass and Rodgers hit Skowronek for a 23-yard touchdown.
Rodgers had himself a vintage performance, going 19-of-34 for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His third touchdown pass came in the third quarter, as DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman ran overlapping crossers that caused a collision between a pair of Bengals defenders and left Metcalf wide open.
The two plays that ended up deciding the game both came on Steelers punts. Cam Johnston was hit in the knee in the third quarter, which causes a roughing the kicker to be called. The Steelers kept the ball, which resulted in the Metcalf touchdown. Then, in the fourth quarter after the Bengals had taken a 27-24 lead, a muffed punt recovered by Skowronek set up the Steelers for a game-tying field goal. Pittsburgh’s defense held the Bengals to a three-and out, and the offense then drove 77 yards in eight plays to take a 30-27 lead on a Chris Boswell field goal.
That still left Joe Burrow and the Bengals with just over two minutes to put together a potential game-winning drive - Derrick Harmon had other plans, though. On first down inside Steelers territory, the rising star defensive linemen busted through the Bengals’ offensive line, sacked Burrow, and forced a fumble that was recovered by Sebastian Joseph-Day, sealing the win and a 2-1 start for the Steelers.
As mentioned earlier, the Steelers leaned on Jaylen Warren, who finished the day with 127 yards on the ground and 49 yards receiving. Pittsburgh’s ground game finally came to life, finishing the day with 138 yards after totaling less than 100 through the first two weeks. The offense as a whole nearly doubled its season total, overcoming a slow start in Weeks 1 and 2.
The Steelers will now take their 2-1 record into Week 4, where they will kickoff the week on Thursday night on the road against the fellow 2-1 Cleveland Browns with a chance to take sole possession of the division lead.
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* [Pittsburgh Steelers analysis](/pittsburgh-steelers-analysis)
* [Pittsburgh Steelers Game Information](/pittsburgh-steelers-game-information)