The Steelers didn’t appear to be worried facing the former AFC champions in the first half of their season opener. The offense had trouble getting things rolling, but their defense looked to be in mid-season form. They tallied four sacks, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.
Steelers Defense on Display in 1st Quarter
Pittsburgh safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, got things going immediately with a pick six only two minutes into the game to make it 7-0 Steelers.
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The Bengals first score came off of a rocket of a kick from Evan McPherson from 59 yards out.
Later on, Joe Burrow stepped up in the pocket and was hit by Alex Highsmith. Defensive lineman, Cam Heyward, pulled it down for what would be ruled a fumble recovery.
Pittsburgh ended up making it a 10-3 game with a 20-yard field goal from Chris Boswell.
Suffocation Still Evident in 2nd Quarter
The second quarter saw a lot of the same; the Steelers defense suffocating the Bengals. Last year’s defensive player of the year, TJ Watt, jumped the passing lane at the line of scrimmage for an interception.
Watt’s interception led to a one yard receiving touchdown for Najee Harris from Mitch Trubisky.
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Later in the quarter, cornerback, Cameron Sutton, picked Burrow off yet again. Burrow just couldn’t seem to figure it out against the tenacious Pittsburgh defense early on.
The last score came with 14 seconds left in the half with another McPherson field goal this time from 26 yards out.
As the second half starts, we will have to see if Burrow and the Bengals offense can figure out the Steelers defense. If not, it will be impossible for Cincinnati to come back in this game. Although, the Steelers will have to figure out their offense as well. Cincinnati’s defense only allowed 31 yards on the ground, with over half of them coming on an 18-yard rush by Chase Claypool.
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