After a Cinderella run to Super Bowl 56 last year, the Bengals entered this NFL season with incredibly high expectations. With a chilling superstar quarterback at the helm like Joe Burrow, many see the reigning AFC champion as a bona fide heavyweight and a team that could very well make it to the Big Game.
On Sunday against the Steelers (+6.5), their conference title defense couldn’t have gotten to a worse start. Cincinnati was on its first possession of the year as Burrow threw his first pass. A pass that Pittsburgh’s Minkah Fitzpatrick promptly jumped in front of and took to the house the other way for the first turnover and touchdown of the season:
Minkah Fitzpatrick PICK 6️⃣!!#Steelers #HereWeGo
🎥: @NFL
— BetFTW (@Bet_ForTheWin) September 11, 2022
First touchdown of the day: Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who picks off Joe Burrow and takes it to the house.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 11, 2022
Oh man, that has to be demoralizing. Regardless of the decision or the throw, it certainly isn’t how the Bengals wanted to start their season against a divisional rival.
NFL fans had so many thoughts about Burrow throwing a pick-six on his first pass of the year
Bengals fans think Burrow is better than Josh Allen 🤣 https://t.co/cvkps45O8G
— gscool89 (@gscool89) September 11, 2022
100% on Burrow. Stared down his receiver… Fitzpatrick knew exactly where that ball was going and jumped the route. https://t.co/tVHOQbutwU
— Will Upton (@wupton) September 11, 2022
WOW. Minkah Fitzpatrick with the pick-6 … even though the Bengals mostly picked up the Steelers' pass rush. Joe Burrow just made an awful decision.
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) September 11, 2022
Minkah been cold😮💨 https://t.co/fqyT6hAhfm
— 𝓚𝓲𝓶. (@KimMauii) September 11, 2022
Hahahahahah https://t.co/7FKxG0CYPB
— Restore the Roar 🦁 (@DETROlTLions313) September 11, 2022
👀👀👀👀👀👀 https://t.co/NbVX7Em1Z1
— Katelyn Brower (@KatelynBrower_) September 11, 2022
That wasn’t even an impressive play by minkah that was just an AWFUL read by burrow https://t.co/6cVeESTz2a
— Barrett (@barrett_b10) September 11, 2022
Still view the Steelers defense as one of the three best units in the league that can help get this team to the playoffs despite questions at QB. Minkah worth every penny https://t.co/tytSr2HcJi
— Zac Krull (@ZacKrull_) September 11, 2022
LSU will never escape Alabama https://t.co/bNBq8Pxvct
— Jerry Jr. (@JBreezyII) September 11, 2022
Best safety in the league *send tweet* https://t.co/27c5Qw0IfO
— Nick Jakel (@nickjakel13) September 11, 2022
