The Cincinnati Bengals took down the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 24-10 and did so at Heinz Field, which made the victory that much more impressive.
It’s hard not to wake up this morning with a big smile on our faces because this game went about as perfectly as fans could have hoped. The offense played well, the defense looked like a top-10 unit, and most importantly, the offensive line held their own and kept Joe Burrow upright.
Let’s dive in deeper and discuss what we learned in the Bengals’ 24-10 victory against a Steelers organization that has had Cincy’s number.
Offensive Line can play well
Prior to this game, the Bengals o-line had surrendered nine sacks on Joe Burrow and fans were horrified about what this Steelers defense could do to them this weekend. It’s worth noting that T.J. Watt wasn’t active for this game but even still, the Steelers D-line has always been a force to be reckoned with.
On Sunday, however, the Steelers’ streak of consecutive sacks came to an end, as they failed to get home to Burrow. This was a huge deal for Cincinnati because it was proof that this offensive line could be a solid unit and keep Burrow clean.
Jackson Carman made his first NFL start at right guard and looked good. He’ll likely continue to get the nod there even if Xavier Su’a-Filo is healthy enough to return in the future.
When you have a quarterback like Joe Burrow, the most important thing is to protect him and the Bengals proved today that they can do just that.
Defense might be a top-10 unit
The Bengals put a lot of work into their defense this offseason and it’s paid dividends. They signed Trey Hendrickson to a large contract, brought in guys like Larry Ogunjobi, Chidobe Awuzie, and Mike Hilton, and extended Sam Hubbard.
As mentioned, it’s paid off. The Bengals defense looks to be for real through three games and it’s made it possible for Cincy to get off to this 2-1 start and sit tied for first place in the division.
In this game, the defense put constant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, sacking him four times and picking him off twice. Big Ben isn’t the quarterback he used to be but he’s been able to tear the Cincy secondary to shreds in recent years. He wasn’t able to do that as easily this week, as they made him uncomfortable throughout.
Logan Wilson has transformed into the game-changing linebacker this franchise needs, Sam Hubbard finally had a massive game, Larry Ogunjobi continues to be a menace upfront, and with Trae Waynes set to return next week, this defense could be one of the best in the league. That’s not something any of us expected to be the case three weeks into the year.
Joe Burrow doesn’t have to put up mind-blowing stats
This team can only go as far as Burrow can take them but it shouldn’t always fall on his shoulders. This week, he didn’t have to do everything and only threw for 172 yards off of 14 completions. The three touchdowns were crucial, however, and showed that Burrow can win games without having to put up crazy numbers.
This also shows us what Burrow can do with protection upfront. He looked every bit the part of the number one overall pick and this is the guy Cincy needs to see every week.
Division doesn’t look all that daunting
This might be a stupid statement to make but the Browns and Ravens have not looked like scary teams through the first three weeks of the season. Baltimore could very well be 0-3 right now if it weren’t for Kansas City collapsing and Justin Tucker’s big leg lifting them to victory.
The Browns also haven’t impressed that much, barely beating a bad Texans team and taking a bit to get it going against the Bears. Both the Browns and Ravens were the favorites to win the division but are people still afraid of them at this point?
I know we’re just three weeks into the season and teams get hot after the halfway point but Bengals fans have to be feeling better about their chances to compete in the division. They handed it to the Steelers and they should be able to compete against the Browns and Ravens when those games come up on the schedule.
This was an impressive win for Cincinnati and it’s hard not to be excited about what this team could do in the coming weeks.