In most games during the previous 18 seasons, the Steelers enjoyed a significant advantage at the sport's most important position. Hall of Famer-to-be Ben Roethlisberger almost always was better than the opponent's quarterback. That edge can't be overestimated.
Sunday afternoon, the Steelers experienced the other side of that.
Joe Burrow vs. Kenny Pickett hardly made for a fair fight.
Burrow was superb as he usually is, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 37-30 win at Acrisure Stadium. He threw for 355 yards and four touchdowns and finished with a 104.1 passer rating that would have been much higher if not for an interception by Levi Wallace on a tipped ball and a spectacular interception by T.J. Watt.
"[Burrow] is always comfortable," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. "The whole world could be falling down around him. He's special."
Pickett, meanwhile, continued to learn the lessons of an NFL rookie the hard way. It's not that he didn't do some good things against the Bengals. He threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens, the Steelers' longest touchdown play of the season. He would have had another 49-yard touchdown pass to Pickens if Pickens hadn't dropped the ball late in the game before Najee Harris completed that drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Pickett's offense put 30 points on the board for the first time this season.
But in the "weighty moments," as Mike Tomlin likes to call big plays at big times, Burrow excelled. Pickett did not.
"Our defense did a great job of giving us a chance to win the game and we didn't come through in the second half," Pickett said. "That's on us. We've got to get it fixed."
Twice, the Steelers had a chance to take the lead and failed each time.
The first time came in the third quarter after Watt leaped at the line of scrimmage and pulled down Burrow's pass at the Bengals 21, a play that left Burrow marveling:
"Man, that guy. ... I've never seen plays like that made before by a defensive lineman."
The Steelers couldn't do anything with Watt's interception. Pickett threw high for Zach Gentry into triple coverage on first down and then low to Diontae Johnson on third down. The Steelers settled for Matthew Wright's 34-yard field goal that cut the Bengals' lead to 24-23.
The second time happened early in the fourth quarter after the Steelers, down 27-23, took possession at the Cincinnati 47. A holding penalty on Pat Freiermuth and an ineligible man downfield penalty on J.C. Hassenauer after a botched handoff between Pickett and Harris ended the drive.
That's when Burrow took over and put the game out of reach.
Starting at his 7, Burrow led an 8-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that pushed the Bengals' lead to 34-23. There was a 27-yard pass to Tyler Boyd, a 32-yard pass to Trenton Irwin, another 15-yard pass to Boyd and, finally, a 6-yard touchdown pass to back Samaje Perine, his third touchdown catch of the game.
"We got the ball at midfield. We don't produce points," Tomlin said. "Pinned them back and they go the length of the field. That's a significant swing."
After the game, the Steelers heaped praise on Burrow, who earlier led 79- and 92-yard touchdown drives. On the 92-yard drive, he was 7 for 7 for 79 yards with four of his completions going to Tee Higgins for 55 yards. Higgins finished with nine catches for 148 yards.
This was nothing new for Burrow, who led the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season in his second NFL season. He has thrown for 20 touchdowns and four interceptions in the past nine games since his four-interception game in the opener against the Steelers. On Sunday, he became the third-fastest quarterback in league history to reach 10,000 passing yards, doing it in his 36th regular season game.
"Yeah, something that I'm proud of," Burrow said. "I think that shows the kind of player I've been since I've been here."
Burrow's performance was even more remarkable because he was without his top receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, and lost his top back, Joe Mixon, in the second quarter with a concussion.
"He's a talented guy," Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said of Burrow. "There's not much he can't do. There's no throws that he can't make. He's good up top in the mind game, the IQ game. You can't confuse him too much. And he has a lot of talent around him."
Burrow made it a point to praise Pickett, both on the field after the game and with the media in his postgame briefing.
"I thought he did great today," Burrow said. "He's got some young guys around him that he can build chemistry with. I told him that after the game, continue to build off of this one."
Pickett appreciated Burrow's message but indicated it wasn't necessary even with the Steelers at 3-7, just 1-4 in games he has started and finished.
"Fine," Pickett said when asked about his mental state. "My confidence level has not wavered. I'm extremely competitive and I hate to lose. It doesn't feel good sitting up here after a loss, that's for sure."
This one was predictable.
Pickett might reach Burrow's level one day, but he's got a long way to go.
The Steelers should be so lucky for Pickett to become Burrow-level good.
