The Cincinnati Bengals were unable to stop their losing streak as they dropped their third straight game, 44-38, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. It was a disheartening performance from a team whose playoff hopes were basically hanging in the balance.
Unfortunately, it now looks like the Bengals are headed for a second consecutive season without a postseason appearance. But even though they ended up with a loss against the Steelers, there were still some positive individual performances from Bengals players in the game that we should acknowledge.
Highest-graded Bengals from Week 13 loss to Steelers
As he has throughout the season, star quarterback Joe Burrow led the way for the Bengals against the Steelers. He threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns against Pittsburgh and finished the game with a quarterback rating of 112.7. As a result of his productive play, Burrow was Cincinnati's highest-graded player from the game, according to Pro Football Focus.
Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was the team's second-highest graded player from the contest. Taylor-Britt recorded seven total tackles against Pittsburgh. He also turned an interception into a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the contest.
Offensive players make up the rest of the top five list. Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas was Cincinnati's third-highest graded player followed by fellow receiver Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki.
Iosivas had three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in the game, while Higgins had five catches for 69 yards and a TD. Gesicki added five catches for 53 yards.
The highest-graded Bengals in Week 13 vs the Steelers:
— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) December 2, 2024
🥇 Joe Burrow - 87.8
🥈 Cam Taylor-Britt - 78.4
🥉 Andrei Iosivas - 71.7
🏅 Tee Higgins - 69.5
🏅 Mike Gesicki - 69.0
(min. 25 snaps) pic.twitter.com/O9eHrxp4Nm
Unfortunately, the positive performances of those five players wasn't enough to propel Cincinnati to a much-needed win. Instead, they fell to 4-8 on the season and killed their own playoff hopes in the process.
The season isn't over though, as the Bengals still have five regular season games remaining. They'll be back in action in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.