Cincinnati Bengals: Studs and Duds from 27-3 loss at Pittsburgh

The Cincinnati Bengals lost a fourth straight game to open the 2019 NFL season. They were defeated 27-3 by their AFC North rival, Pittsburgh Steelers.

It was an ugly performance turned in by the Cincinnati Bengals in the Monday night prime-time slot. The Pittsburgh Steelers relegated the Bengals to the cellar of the AFC North, kept them winless, and all but put them on the clock for a top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. It also drained whatever hopes, slim as they were, from a solid and inspiring Week 1 loss in Seattle.

And so it goes in the Queen City. Fans, who were hoping against the logic of what the eye test tells you, can only grasp at the short straw moving forward. The Bengals are bad, and on Monday Night Football with the entire world watching, they showed why the turnaround in Cincinnati will be a long one.

Against the Steelers, Andy Dalton struggled. A bad offensive line yielded Pittsburgh eight sacks. While the unit as a whole underwhelmed, Zac Taylor has yet to find a way to protect the quarterback position. That said, Dalton also sealed the fact that his struggles against the Steelers are what they are. His 171 passing yards did nothing to advance the Bengals scoring opportunities, which was a bright spot heading into Week 4.

At 0-4, it’s fair to say the 2019 season isn’t quite dead… yet. But life support is nearing and a priest should be standing by to offer last rites. It was a bad performance in Pittsburgh, and by the looks of things, it may not get a whole lot better.