CincinnatiThe Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Bengals 44-38 as they left Cincinnati. The fact that this game ended in a shootout was, to put it mildly, not shocking, but even the volume of goals scored surprised some. The Bengals hardly ever slowed Pittsburgh down, and Joe Burrow and his skillful weapons were difficult for the Steelers’ best defense to contain.
Who were the victors and losers of this game, though, with the Steelers currently at 9-3?
Russell Wilson won.
In every way, Wilson is the greatest victor. According to the statistics, Wilson broke some kind of record pace, career-high, or streak in this one. Since playing for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, this is his first game with 400 yards. Wilson’s 400-yard and three-touchdown effort is the first since Ben Roethlisberger’s in 2018. There are more statistics like this, but the main point is that Wilson looked resolute and locked in against a Bengals defense that was meant to take away his best weapon, the moonball.
Wilson took advantage of the YAC game by hurting them by a thousand cuts early on by employing throws to the flat and the check down before him. He began tearing balls up the seam and down the field with excitement in the second half as the Bengals began to play up on the check-downs. This was not merely a dump-off game, as Wilson went six of seven with a touchdown on throws of at least 15 air yards.
In summary, Wilson led the Steelers to a 9-3 victory and produced one of the finest quarterbacking performances in recent memory.
Joey Porter Jr. is the loser.
A player is a loser if they receive six penalties in a single game.The team’s most annoying player is Joey Porter Jr. Why? He is rarely called for penalties that are necessary. Yes, the officials made some poor decisions on a couple of the six penalties. Porter stated after the game that he feels like he has a bullseye on his back and that the officials are attempting to change his style of play.
Nonetheless, Porter did incur numerous justifiable sanctions. Porter and these penalties are like going on a weekly roller coaster, but what’s more dubious is that he rarely needs to commit these fouls. Porter has a great opportunity to make plays. This could be greatly resolved if he had faith in his method.
Pat Freiermuth won.
I suppose that for Pat Freiermuth, home is sweet home. Freiermuth caught six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown this season, matching his previous high of almost 65 yards in a game from Cincinnati the previous season. Freiermuth is composed and fluid. He has been more approachable than his output would indicate, and if teams begin to adopt more two-high looks, the Steelers may use him even more.
In addition to making plays in the passing game, Freiermuth’s blocking was a major asset in this one. Freiermuth deserves all the praise because he has performed admirably since agreeing to that enormous contract.
Patrick Queen was the loser.
Patrick Queen had a difficult time with this one. Following weeks of outstanding performances, Queen made a significant setback. Queen’s subpar run fit was the catalyst for Chase Brown’s incredible run in the first quarter. Queen, meanwhile, appeared to be in a bad mood all day. The Steelers’ top linebacker will have many better days, but Queen’s inconsistent play throughout the day will be a big factor when people watch the tape and wonder why the Bengals scored 31 points on defense.
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