Quick Hits: Bengals Defenseless, Surrender 518 Yards in 44-38 Loss To Steelers

CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow has no answers and the Bengals have no defense.

That was again the story Sunday as the the franchise quarterback did all he could to keep the Bengals in a game that their defense somehow managed to let a struggling offense catch fire and put up 37 of Pittsburgh’s 44 points on the day in a 44-38 win over the Bengals.

Russell Wilson completed 29-of-38 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns to lead the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers to a 44-38 shootout win over the Bengals Sunday before 66,112 at Paycor Stadium.

The 414 passing yards were the second-most in Wilson’s career. Wilson completed passes to 10 different receivers for the Steelers (9-3), who bounced back from a loss ten days earlier in Cleveland and ensured a non-losing season for a 21st consecutive season.

The two teams combined for 82 points, the most in any NFL game this season and breaking the previous mark between the two AFC North rivals of 80 in a 49-31 Pittsburgh win in Cincinnati in 1995.

It was the second time the Bengals scored 38 points in a game at home, only to lose the game. They fell 41-38 in overtime on Oct. 6 to Baltimore. It was the fourth time this season the Bengals scored at least 33 points in a game and lost.

The Bengals have road games the next two weeks at Dallas (Monday, Dec. 9) and Tennessee before returning to play Cleveland and Denver at home before finishing the season at Pittsburgh the first weekend after New Year’s Day.

After Pittsburgh recovered the onside kick, Justin Fields clinched the game with a third-down run that allowed Pittsburgh to run out the final 90 seconds.

Burrow completed 28-of-38 for 309 yards and three touchdowns for the Bengals (4-8). But Burrow was strip-sacked twice, including one that led to a 21-yard scoop-and-score from Payton Wilson in the fourth quarter. He also threw an interception for Cincinnati, which dropped its third straight game.

“I’m going to keep plugging along day-to-day,” Burrow said. “There are still a lot of reps to improve your game and put great stuff on tape. That’s what I’m focused on, keep trying to make plays, get the ball to my guys in space and let them go make plays.”

The first of two meetings between the bitter AFC North rivals had a nasty tone early on with Burrow taking a nasty spill on the first play from scrimmage. He was spiked and suffered a minor cut but stayed in the game and didn’t miss a snap.

Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III was leveled by Cincinnati linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither on a defensive pass interference on Pittsburgh’s first drive. Austin, who caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, later left with a head injury and did not return.

Two plays after Davis-Gaither’s big hit, Pickens stumbled out of his break and embattled Cincinnati cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt assisted his fall to the turf with a shove. Taylor-Britt remained standing and caught the pass and returned it 51 yards for Cincinnati’s first defensive score in 23 games.

The Bengals had three different seven-point leads in the first half but Pittsburgh fought back each time. Burrow was strip-sacked by T.J. Watt with five minutes left in the second quarter and recovered by Preston Smith.

The Steelers ran roughshod over the Bengals hapless defense in the first half, led by Russell Wilson’s 257 yards passing on 21-of-27 passing, with two touchdowns.

The Steelers were on the brink of making it a two-score game to open the second half when Wilson completed passes of 18 yards to MyCole Pruitt and 36 yards to George Pickens. But after the play to Pickens, taking the ball to the Cincinnati 13, Pickens was called for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game.

Pickens wasn’t ejected but Joseph Ossai blocked a 42-yard Chris Boswell field goal attempt that led to Cincinnati taking over and marching down the field for an Evan McPherson 38-yard field goal and a 27-24 Pittsburgh lead. But the Steelers answered when Wilson found a wide open Pat Freiermuth for a 25-yard touchdown and a 34-24 Pittsburgh lead.