The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 6-4 with Sunday’s win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That 37-30 final was a gritty affair in which neither team was able to pull away in the cold. Pittsburgh was just fighting to get closer to .500 and the Bengals had their season on the line after entering the day with an 0-3 mark in the AFC North.
The result was an edge-of-seat game where the Bengals had some key performances from unexpected names while otherwise standing tall in a very tough situation.
Here’s a look at the top takeaways and some in-game notes from the win.
The offensive line is "gelled"
There’s little debate left — the rebuilt offensive line has found its rhythm after the rocky start. Even Cordell Volson was out there holding his own against Cam Heyward most of the time and was seen getting downfield blocking on big running plays. There are some major outliers to point to here and there, but by and large the line looks like a steady unit, if not sometimes a bright spot.
The defense is still asleep, half the time
A defense that struggled against backup or middling quarterbacks all year did so again on Sunday, letting rookie Kenny Pickett dice them up in the first half. To their credit, they tightened up in the second half, but that offense had no business scoring 20-plus. This has been a problem all year and this one unfolded with DJ Reader back on the field. Whatever the defense needs to do to resemble its second-half self for a full four quarters is one of the only things that will put this team in contention again.
Evan McPherson is back
There were understandable concerns about McPherson after missed extra points and field goals to start the season. But he hit on casual attempts in the first half, then nailed a 54-yarder in the third quarter to extend a lead. Whatever he did over the bye week seemed to work.
Drue Chrisman was the right move
As expected, Chrisman got activated and Kevin Huber went on the inactives list after the latter’s terrible start to the year. The difference from the first punt attempt was actually eye-opening. Chrisman pinned the Steelers deep, they muffed, then he impressed again on later attempts. It’s safe to say given the way it helped the field position battle that Chrisman will keep the job.
The depth is strong
The Bengals got huge performances from backup running back Samaje Perine and backup wideout Trenton Irwin. Perine hauled in three high-effort touchdown passes and Irwin caught three passes for 42 yards and a score before being awarded a game ball. That’s a huge showing for both guys when the team needed help.
In-game notes
— The Cincinnati offense went nowhere on its first drive after getting the ball first, a drive hamstrung by a penalty. On the second, they remained committed to the run and at least got a field goal out of the effort.
— Drue Chrisman’s first punt after taking over for Kevin Huber was just a booming one inside the 20, the Steelers muffed it and dearly paid for it in field position. It sure felt like a sign.
— Fans can rest easy — the offensive line is coming together just fine. They showed that well enough on a scoring drive that ended with Samaje Perine in the endzone.
— But fans can’t rest easy about the defense. Seemingly endless chunk gains were permitted throughout the first half, which let a rookie like Kenny Pickett feel confident and keep things moving. So much so, after a Burrow pick, the Steelers managed a field goal just before halftime to take a 20-17 lead into the half.
— To their credit, the defense again came out properly adjusted and the unit put up a trio of three-and-outs to shutter the Steelers offense for much of the third quarter.
— It was Trenton Irwin (who else, right?) who hauled in the touchdown pass from Burrow in the third quarter after more remarkable plays from Tee Higgins.
— Joe Mixon, after a tremendous first half, was ruled out with a head injury.
— No, there isn’t a ton the Bengals can do about T.J. Watt’s interception at the line, something he did in Week 1, too. They can try mixups and different drops, but it’s no exaggeration to call Watt the likely best defender in the league. These things are going to happen, just like Ja’Marr Chase will get his.
— Bengals don’t win this one without some unexpected performances from Samaje Perine and Trenton Irwin. Just a sign of good depth after strong personnel moves.
