PITTSBURGH -- As soon as you think you've got the NFL figured out, a game like the Steelers' 30-27 win over the Bengals happens and serves as a quick reminder of how quickly things can change in this league. After scoring just one touchdown in its first two games, Pittsburgh's offense at times looked like the "Greatest Show on Turf" reincarnated. Against what was the NFL's eighth-ranked scoring defense, the Steelers scored touchdowns on their first two drives, tacked on a field goal on their third drive, and had three more scoring drives in the second half.
The Steelers received nearly 300 passing yards and three touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers and 127 rushing yards by Jaylen Warren, who played through a shoulder injury. The Steelers' offense showed major signs of life on Sunday, but don't start making plans for a parade just yet. "Listen, I know [there's going to be] overreactions when we put up three points and look like dog you know what and then we had a nice game today," Rodgers said afterward.
"We put up over 400 yards and 30 points. It could have been a lot more. But every week is a different week, different challenge, different opponent, different defense.
We've got to be critical of some things. There's a lot of things to clean up. We had some drops, had some [missed assignments], but I thought it was a tighter week for us mentally as far as execution-wise." As Rodgers alluded to, Pittsburgh's offense left some meat on the bone.
DK Metcalf caught a touchdown pass, but he also committed two holding penalties, the later wiping out an 87-yard run by Warren. The Steelers had to settle a field goal early in the fourth quarter after their special teams recovered a muffed punt on the Bengals' 14-yard line. On their final drive, the Steelers again had to settle for a field goal (Pittsburgh was just 1 of 3 in the red zone) after having first-and-goal on the Bengals' 6-yard line.
This isn't the time, however, to be hypercritical of an offense that performed light years better on Sunday than they had the previous two weeks. Instead, let's take a look at how the Steelers' offense was also to break through against a formidable opponent. Pittsburgh reconstructed the right side of their offensive line on Sunday.
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