PITTSBURGH — The Bengals played their worst when it mattered most.
Mason Rudolph threw touchdown passes of 86 and 66 yards to George Pickens to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-11 rout of the visiting Bengals Saturday before 66,646 Terrible Towel crazies who were chanting Rudolph’s name for most of the fourth quarter.
The Steelers (8-7) intercepted Bengals quarterback Jake Browning three times and converted them into touchdown runs by Najee Harris and Calvin Austin III to help snap a three-game losing streak.
Four weeks after piling up 421 yards against the Cincinnati defense, the Steelers again got healthy against the Bengals, going for 397 Saturday.
The Bengals (8-7) fell behind 24-0 in the first half and could never recover as their three-game winning streak came to an end. Cincinnati fell to 0-5 in AFC North play this season.
Browning, who was starting his fifth game in place of the injured Joe Burrow, completed 28-of-42 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown.
Rudolph, making his first NFL start since a 16-16 tie vs. Detroit on Nov. 14, 2021, got off to a hot start.
Rudolph threw a simple slant to George Pickens at the Pittsburgh 20. Cornerback DJ Turner II fell behind Pickens and safety Dax Hill over-pursued and slipped to the turf, allowing Pickens to race untouched for an 86-yard touchdown.
86-YARD TOUCHDOWN ‼️
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSnfvVk pic.twitter.com/d9oUDFFNIv
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 23, 2023
The Bengals appeared poised to answer when Jake Browning completed passes of 23 and 12 yards to Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas, respectively.
With the Bengals down to the Pittsburgh 16 facing third-and-9, Browning threw an ill-advised pass into the end zone instead of throwing the ball away and preserving the field goal chance. The pass was intercepted by Patrick Peterson.
“They kicked our ass and I made some dumb decisions with the ball in my hand and I’ve got to do better,” Browning said.
“They kicked our ass and I made some dumb decisions with the ball in my hand and I’ve got to do better” Jake Browning pic.twitter.com/iK23J0yCUY
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) December 24, 2023
The Steelers took the ball and marched right down the field again, driving 80 yards in 10 plays, scoring their second touchdown when Calvin Austin III ran seven yards off left tackle for a 14-0 lead.
Pittsburgh capitalized on another Cincinnati turnover as Eric Rowe picked off Browning at the Cincinnati 39 and returned it to the 24. Four plays later, Najee Harris went in from three yards for a 21-0.
The Bengals offense showed signs of life when they marched down the field and had first-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 14. But after a nine-yard gain, the Steelers held fast and stopped Cincinnati when Browning, following a timeout, threw incomplete for Tee Higgins in the end zone on fourth-and-inches.
The Steelers capped their first half with a 50-yard Chris Boswell field goal at the gun to take a 24-0 lead. The Steelers gained 263 yards in the first half in Rudolph’s 2023 debut.
The Bengals played the game without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who missed the game with a right shoulder injury.
The Steelers were also shorthanded several regulars, including starting safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and Damontae Kazee (suspended) and starting quarterback Kenny Pickett (ankle).
