Aaron Rodgers dismantled Cincinnati’s elite unit as injuries to key starters left the secondary vulnerable, stalling a fierce pass rush and forcing a late Joe Burrow turnover.
There’s a reason they say to throw out the record books in a rivalry game. Trends are useless, and setting expectations based on prior games is a meaningless exercise.
That was exactly the case in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon as the Steelers hosted their AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati, a team that has relied on its defense so far this season, gave up 30 points, 411 yards, and 292 passing yards to veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a 30-27 loss. It was only the second time Rodgers has surpassed 290 passing yards in a game since Dec. 15, 2024.
Cincinnati’s usually dangerous pass rush posted just two sacks, both by Dexter Lawrence late in the game, which gave the Bengals' offense a chance to tie or take the lead until Joe Burrow’s fumble ended the game.
Injuries definitely played a role, and that suggests Bryan Cook is an extremely important player for Cincinnati’s defense. He left the game in the first half and returned late. Kyle Dugger struggled late, especially missing a tackle on Jaylen Warren. Luckily for Dugger, Warren was tackled by the turf monster, preventing him from walking into the end zone. In coverage, Dugger was the highest-rated Bengals player per PFF with a 74.3, allowing no receptions on one target in 25 coverage snaps.
Cornerback Jalen Davis also left the game in the second half with a hamstring issue and did not return. He was beaten badly on the first touchdown of the day, when Rodgers lobbed a deep ball to Roman Wilson for an easy score.
Whether both players, especially Cook, miss time will be a big storyline to follow. Ever since getting to Cincinnati, Cook has been a leader, and he showed in the first two weeks how big of a difference he can make at the safety position after taking the place of Geno Stone, who struggled in a Bengals uniform.
The defensive line posted just 15 pressures per Pro Football Focus, down from the 41 they had against the Houston Texans, making many believe they could have one of the best pass rush units in the NFL. Rookie Cashius Howell led the way with four pressures, and Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Myles Murphy were the only Bengals players to post multiple pressures.
Cincinnati’s linebackers struggled in pass coverage, allowing six receptions on seven targets and giving up 116 total yards.
The Bengals will face a bounce-back challenge next week as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who sit 2-1 after rolling the New England Patriots 35-6 on Sunday.
