Well, that was rough one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite being favorites in their Thursday Night Football game, Pittsburgh fell to their division rivals Cincinnati Bengals. What was even more concerning, though, was the way that they lost to the Bengals.
Pittsburgh has one of the most expensive defenses in the league, and they've been pretty solid throughout their first five games. Against the Bengals, though, the Steelers' defense got picked apart in the air and on the ground. Wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase (16 REC, 161 yards, 1 TD) and Tee Higgins (6 REC, 96 yards, TD) were the biggest beneficiaries, feasting on the Steelers' secondary.
That being said, the Steelers CBs did try to put up a fight. However, they got penalties on them a little too much for Pittsburgh fans' liking. While fans might be inclined to call out the officiating, Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey would rather focus on playing better.
“We have to play better,” Ramsey told reporters, per Brooke Pryor. “You have receivers that are superstars in the league, you know that they get away with shit like that. It is what it is. Next play. Got to play the game. Got to execute.”
It felt like the Bengals were just playing pitch-and-catch at times with how easy things looked for their wide receivers. Joe Flacco had a grand old time finding Chase and Higgins on slants, and the wide receivers more often than not were able to make a big play after. The Steelers also never adjusted their defense, even after it became clear that the Bengals were going to take the easy slants over and over again.
The Steelers defense's struggles to contain the Bengals was the biggest reason for their loss. Aaron Rodgers was having an excellent day as well, distributing the rock efficiently and leading the offense to a late lead. However, a massive connection from Flacco to Higgins set Cincinnati up for an easy game-winning field goal with just seven seconds left.
The Steelers will now have to reset, as they face another potentially dangerous offense. Rodgers' former team, the Green Bay Packers, are visiting Pittsburgh for their Week 8 contest.
