Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) fumbles after being hit by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (99) during an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
Matt Durisko – FR171781 AP
The Cincinnati Bengals had a chance to put together a game-winning drive in the final two minutes or at least tie it up in field goal range, but Joe Burrow lost the ball trying to flip a pass as he took a sack, and that ended it.
Pittsburgh recovered to seal a 30-27 win Sunday, Sept. 27, at Acrisure Stadium, handing Cincinnati its first loss of the season in the AFC North opener for both teams.
A sloppy performance overall doomed the Bengals, but they had reached the Steelers’ 38-yard line with a fresh set of downs with 53 seconds left when Derrick Harmon blew past Dalton Risner to sack Burrow.
Here are five takeaways from the loss:
Ball security an issue
Burrow’s sack fumble was exactly the kind of mistake the Bengals have been talking about eliminating since the offense struggled to finish games last year because of turnovers.
However, the momentum had already shifted in the Steelers’ favor earlier in the fourth quarter when Ke’Shawn Williams muffed a punt after the defense made a stop to protect a 27-24 lead. Four plays later, Pittsburgh tied the game on Chris Boswell’s 36-yard field goal, and the Bengals then went three-and-out, setting up the Steelers’ go-ahead field-goal drive.
Burrow and company appeared poised to overcome that, though, when Ja’Marr Chase caught a 13-yard pass on third down to get into Evan McPherson field goal range. Harmon’s sack was the first of the game allowed by Cincinnati, and Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered the fumble, though Erick All Jr. told reporters he had the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) fumbles after being hit by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (99) during an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
Matt Durisko – FR171781 AP
Pittsburgh’s offense found life
Pittsburgh’s offense was off to a slow start this season, but got going against Cincinnati’s defense, which surrendered 411 yards.
It was the most points and yards allowed by the Bengals this season.
Aaron Rodgers completed 19 of 34 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, and Jay Warren ran 17 times for 127 yards. Warren had been questionable with a shoulder injury but did not look impacted Sunday. Cincinnati held its first two opponents under 100 yards rushing.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) rushes during an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
Matt Durisko – FR171781 AP
Defense buckled down late
After Burrow found Mike Gesicki in the end zone on a 25-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter, the defense stepped up to try to hold the lead. The Bengals forced the punt on the ensuing drive, which led to the muff on the return, and despite setting up in the red zone, the Steelers had to settle for a field goal after Dexter Lawrence’s first solo sack on third down.
Pittsburgh cruised down the field the next possession, but Lawrence came up with another crucial stop, sacking Rodgers on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line, and the Steelers again were limited to a field goal. Those ended up being the final points of the game.
The Bengals didn’t have any other sacks, but they did have eight quarterback hits.
Offensive line played clean
A week after a slew of mistakes by the Bengals offensive line, the unit played a much cleaner game Saturday — until Risner gave up the sack at the end. That was the lone sack by the Steelers’ defense, which had a total of six quarterback hits, according to ESPN.
Burrow finished with 292 yards passing and three touchdowns to Chase, Higgins and Gesicki. Chase had nine catches for 98 yards, while Higgins added six receptions for 90 yards.
Ted Karras and Amarius Mims were each called for a false start in a hostile environment, and Mims had an illegal formation penalty, but otherwise it was a much better showing.
Wrong kind of complementary football
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in his postgame press conference that all three phases had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter and failed to do so. It was the opposite of what the team did last week at Houston.
Although the defense limited Pittsburgh to a pair of field goals that period, a long drive set up the game-winning points after a holding penalty bailed out the Bengals, negating an 87-yard run on the first play of that series. The special teams turnover was the turning point.
Taylor said the offense was trying for a game-winning touchdown on the final drive and was in a good position to do it before the fumble.
Now the Bengals look to bounce back in Week 4 at home against Jacksonville.
Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims (71) walks off the field after an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
Matt Durisko – FR171781 AP