The Cincinnati Bengals had a lot to prove when they arrived to the Steel City for a date with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a team that has beat up on Cincy in recent years and they weren’t healthy entering this one, so the Bengals had to take advantage.
Here are our takeaways from the win.
Offensive line looked good
Let’s start off by saying this — Yes, the Steelers had injuries along their defensive front. We’ll also say this though — The Bengals’ o-line had been dreadful entering this matchup, so they deserve credit for performing well.
This is especially impressive when you consider that Xavier Su’a-Filo wasn’t starting at right guard, paving the way for second-round rookie Jackson Carman to make his first-ever NFL start. Carman looked good and very well could hold onto the job all season as a result.
Joe Burrow made it through the game unscathed and we saw just how good Joey Amazing can be when he has ample time to throw the ball. Speaking of…
Joe Burrow with a top-notch performance
Last week was rough for Burrow, who threw three picks on three straight passes. Burrow shook off the rust, however, and let the ball fly. Having good protection upfront helped, of course and the former first overall pick finished his day with three touchdown passes to just one pick and no sacks.
This is the guy Bengals fans expected to see when he went number one overall.
Defense might be for real
The Steelers’ offense isn’t good but this isn’t the first impressive performance we’ve seen from Cincinnati’s defense this year. They made Ben Roethlisberger’s life hell on Sunday, sacking him four times while picking him off twice.
Big Ben has notoriously torched the Bengals in the past but not this time. This group looks really effin’ good.
Logan Wilson is a mad man
We all expected this to be a breakout year for Logan Wilson and boy has he been on fire or what? The former third-round pick has three interceptions through three games with two of them coming against the Steelers on Sunday.
Wilson is the leader of this defense and we’re seeing why. Dude’s a maniac.
Ja’Marr Chase with another monster game
After grabbing a touchdown in each of his first two games, Ja’Marr Chase doubled his touchdown total on Sunday with a pair of scores from his old LSU quarterback, giving him four on the year. Chase finished the game with three catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns. He’s looking like a guy who deserved to go fifth overall.
This was a big win for our Bengals, as they’re now 1-0 in the AFC North and 2-1 overall, tying them with the Browns and Ravens for the lead in the division. Pittsburgh is now in the basement and you just HATE to see that (sarcasm).
Also, shoutout to the Steelers fans booing their team. That was fun to witness.