CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The bye week did nothing to fix the Bengals defense, and it may have made it worse.

In their first game coming off their bye week, the Bengals allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to roll up 520 yards of total offense as they fell 44-38 on Sunday before a crowd announced at 66,112 in Paycor Stadium.

The Bengals fell to 4-8, while Pittsburgh improved to 9-3.

After this game, the Bengals were 0-7 for the 2024 season against teams with a winning record. It also marked the fourth game the Bengals lost this season when they scored at least 31 points and second game they lost when they scored 38 points.

The Bengals finished the game with 25 first downs and 375 yards total offense.

Burrow completed 28 of 38 passes for 309 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 112.7.

The Bengals rushed for 93 yards on 15 carries.

Pittsburgh finished the game with 28 first downs.

Russell Wilson completed 29 of 38 passes for 414 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 126.4.

The Steelers rushed for 110 yards on 26 carries.

Pittsburgh led 27-21 at halftime and drove to the Bengals 13 on the first drive of the second half after a 36-yard pass from Wilson to wide receiver George Pickens, who was then called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the ball back to the Bengals 28. The Steelers were forced to settle for a 42-yard field goal attempt by Chris Boswell, but it was blocked by Joseph Ossai with 11:28 to play in the third quarter.

The Bengals followed with a drive to the Pittsburgh 11 where Burrow was sacked for a nine-yard loss on 3rd-and-6. Evan McPherson made a 38-yard field goal to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 27-24 with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh answered with a six-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Wilson throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth that increased the Steelers lead to 34-24 with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh put the game away when linebacker Nick Herbig stripped Burrow of the ball as he was attempting to pass and linebacker Payton Wilson scooped it up and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown that increased the Steelers lead to 41-24 with 11:06 remaining in the game.

The Bengals responded quickly as they moved 70 yards in seven plays and pulled within 41-31 on a one-yard TD pass from Burrow to Tee Higgins with 8:39 left in the game.

Pittsburgh put together a time-consuming drive and got as close as the Bengals 3, before getting a 30-yard field goal by Boswell with 3:53 remaining that increased the Steelers lead to 44-31.

The Bengals cut the lead to 44-38 when Burrow hit Andrei Iosivas with a three-yard touchdown pass with 2:39 left. Pittsburgh recovered the Bengals onside kick attempt.

After the Bengals went three-and-out on the first possession of the game it was the defense that got them on the board first.

On Pittsburgh’s fourth play of its first possession facing 3rd-and-3 from its own 45, Wilson tried to hit Pickens on a short slant. Pickens was pushed to the ground by cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt coming off the line of scrimmage and Taylor-Britt intercepted the pass and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead with 11:49 left in the first quarter.

The Steelers answered with a seven-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass on a screen from Wilson to Pickens that tied the score at 7-7 with 7:41 left in the first quarter.

The Bengals proceeded to put together a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Chase Brown scoring from a yard out to give them a 14-7 lead with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter. The TD came after Brown ripped off runs of 13 and then 40 yards that moved the ball to the Steelers 1.

Pittsburgh came back with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that carried into the second quarter and tied the score at 14-14 when Wilson hit wide receiver Calvin Austin with a 23-yard touchdown pass with 14:56 left until halftime.

That made it the Bengals turn to score again as they moved 70 yards in nine plays and finished it off with a four-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase to put them back in front 21-14 with 9:52 to play in the first half.

The drive was aided by two penalties on Steelers defensive back Joey Porter Jr., including a 17-yard pass interference penalty in the end zone.

The Steelers once again responded with a touchdown drive of their own that covered 68 yards in only five plays and ended with a 10-yard touchdown by Najee Harris that tied the score at 21-21 with 7:19 remaining in the first half.

Burrow fumbled on the next drive when hit from behind by T.J. Watt and Preston Smith recovered for the Steelers and returned it one yard to the Pittsburgh 39.

The Steelers then drove to the Bengals 32, but had to settle for a 50-yard field goal by Boswell to give Pittsburgh a 24-21 lead with 3:31 to play in the first half.

After the Bengals punted, Pittsburgh drove to their 16 where Boswell then kicked a 34-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give the Steelers a 27-21 lead,

The Bengals finished the first half with 12 first downs and 181 yards total offense.

Burrow completed 12 of 15 passes for 100 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 116.7 in the half.

The Bengals rushed for 83 yards on 10 carries in the half.

Pittsburgh finished the first half with 18 first downs and 310 yards total offense.

Wilson completed 21 of 27 passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 115.6 in the half.

The Steelers rushed for 53 yards on nine carries.

NOTEWORTHY: Cody Ford started at left guard in place of Cordell Volson. … Jordan Battle started at safety in place of Vonn Bell. …. Akeem Davis Gaither started at linebacker for injured Logan Wilson.

INACTIVES: Here are the players that each team placed on the inactive list 90 minutes prior to kickoff in order to get down to the 48-player game-day roster limit:

Bengals: WR Charlie Jones (groin); WR Trenton Irwin; LB Logan Wilson (knee); TE Tanner McLachlan; DT Sheldon Rankins (illness)Steelers: QB Kyle Allen; WR Scotty Miller; RB Jonathan Ward; LB Alex Highsmith; G Max Scharping