Bengals vs Steelers: Stats from Week 1 loss that are inexcusable

Cincinnati Bengals fans are still scratching their heads at the confusion that was Week 1. After entering the game as a fairly big favorite, the stripes fell 23-20 in overtime and struggled to seal the deal when given the chance.

With Week 2 on the horizon and as we inch closer to closing the book on Week 1, let's take a look at the stats from the Bengals' Week 1 loss that were simply not acceptable.

All stats courtesy of ESPN

5 turnovers (all from Joe Burrow)

It's hard to win a game when a team loses the turnover battle but it's even more difficult to win a game when the team is significantly losing in the turnover battle.

On his first pass of the 2022 season, Joe Burrow threw a pass into double coverage. The pass was picked off by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who took it to the house to put the Steelers up 7-0 just like that.

Burrow added three more picks throughout the game and also lost a fumble, giving him (and the Bengals) five total turnovers. It was the worst performance fans had seen from Joey Franchise and his turnovers gifted the Steelers 17 points. Take those turnovers away, and Pittsburgh only puts up three points in regulation, giving Cincinnati a blowout win.

We all love Burrow but it's okay to admit that he was a huge reason in why the Bengals lost this game. He's going to turn the ball over because that happens to quarterbacks but he cannot cough up the football five times in a game. That's unacceptable.