It took a month but the Pittsburgh Steelers have finally put a notch in the win column. The Steelers invited division rival Cincinnati into Heinz Field and then took the Bengals behind the woodshed en route to a 27-3 win.
What went right this week? Well first off it was the Bengals. They had been woeful all season and their futility continued on both sides of the football. Additionally, Steelers’ quarterback Mason Rudolph settled into a scheme hand-built by offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner to maximize success for Rudolph and the offense.
And they did it by using their two-headed rushing attack of Jaylen Samuels and James Conner. Pittsburgh even dusted off the wildcat and did their part to manufacture a run game when traditional runs weren’t working.
On defense it was the first complete game this group has played all season and it showed. Eight sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery highlighted a smothering performance. We understand the Bengals aren’t an offensive powerhouse but the Bengals did come into the game third in the league in passing yards.
The win pushes the Steelers record to 1-3 but only a game behind the lead in the AFC North. This season might be on life support but it’s not dead yet.
