After dropping three of their last four, the Pittsburgh Steelers got back into the win column with a 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
It wasn’t the prettiest or crispest of wins, but it was desperately needed in more ways than one. With Baltimore (predictably) climbing out of their 1-5 hole to now sit at .500, a win for the Steelers help them keep their narrow lead over the AFC North for the time being.
But this was also good just for the psyche in Pittsburgh. After another embarrassing loss in primetime last week out against the Los Angeles Chargers, a loss to the Bengals would have sent this fanbase into a tailspin.
Instead, even if just for a moment, there’s something to build off of. Cincinnati was a team the Steelers certainly should have beat, but they still have to go out and actually do it.
They did. Now, onto a few other thoughts I have on this game.
1: Game-Manager Mason
Alright, let’s start with the obvious. Back when the Steelers first signed Rodgers to a deal, it was important that the Steelers had a backup quarterback they were confident in.
Aside from protecting him with an offensive line full of All Pros, counting on a 41-year-old quarterback to stay healthy for all 17 games this season was unrealistic. He’s just more fragile and less mobile than he used to be, as anyone would be at this stage of their career.
On Sunday, that contingency went into effect. Rodgers suffered what appeared to be a wrist injury late in the first half after taking a hit in the backfield. He immediately reached for his non-throwing wrist and after the team’s last drive of the first half, went into the locker room to be evaluated. He did not return.
But Rudolph deserves some credit. The crowd was behind him as he marched out onto the field for the start of the third quarter. The offense operated just fine with him at the helm, exactly what you would hope for from your backup quarterback.
In his half of action, Rudolph went 12-of-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown pass. By comparison, Rodgers went 9-of-15 for 116 yards and a touchdown. Both scoring passes went to Kenneth Gainwell, who I’ll talk more about later.
I was a little surprised by how often the Steelers had Rudolph throw the ball. Jaylen Warren missing a few snaps while he was shaking off an injury probably played a part in that, but Rudolph was effective and getting rid of the ball quickly and finding the check down option when he needed to.
That efficiency and ability to not hold onto the ball too long was something that the Steelers were missing from Rodgers on Sunday. Honestly, Rudolph looked better in this one. No, I do not think that the Steelers have some sort of quarterback controversy on their hands, and assuming Rodgers is healthy for next week, that’s still who should start.
But it’s comforting to know that Rudolph can come in and run some plays.
2: Kenneth Gainwell, The…Wide Receiver?
It was a great day for the two featured running backs of the Steelers. Jaylen Warren put together 62 yards on just ten carries for an impressive 6.2 average. Had Warren not been forced to miss some offensive snaps in the third quarter, he probably would have taken a few more carries.
Gainwell, meanwhile, took nine carries and only gained 24 yards. That’s not great, but what was great was his work in the passing game. Gainwell was the team’s leading receiver on Sunday, racking up a career-high 81 receiving yards on seven catches.
Gainwell was frequently the check down option for Rudolph, giving the backup quarterback easy completions when a longer, more risky pass wasn’t meant to be. Gainwell also had his first career multi-touchdown game through the air, catching a scoring pass from both Rodgers and Rudolph.
I’ve liked what Gainwell has brought to the Steelers all season, but I especially liked him today. Sure, you have to take offensive performances against the Bengals with a grain of salt, but it was still a great game from him nonetheless.
With the Steelers making no moves to add to the wide receiver room, they’re going to need someone different to step up every week and moonlight as a WR2 alongside DK Metcalf.
On Sunday, that was Gainwell.
3: Give Kyle Dugger His Flowers
Can we just take a second and appreciate Kyle Dugger? The safety who had fallen out of favor with New England’s defensive schemes and new coaching staff, led by Mike Vrabel, arrived in Pittsburgh ahead of the Steelers’ clash with Indianapolis.
He was almost completely unnoticeable in that game, and I mean that as the highest compliment. For a guy who had maybe 72 hours to get acclimated to his new team, new system, and new surroundings, he never looked out of place.
Last week, he combined for five total tackles and a tackle for loss. It was a decent day for Dugger in what was a generally awful night for the Steelers out west in Los Angeles.
This week, however, he made his biggest impact yet. Late in the third quarter, with the Steelers clinging to a narrow 13-9 lead, Dugger took matters into his own hands. He read Joe Flacco’s pass easily and picked it off, returning it 73 yards for the touchdown.
Given how he was cast off from New England, and his acquisition cost was merely a sixth for seventh round pick swap, it was understandable to
4: But Save Some Flowers For James Pierre!
From one underrated defensive player to another, I think it’s time we give cornerback James Pierre some appreciation as well.
Pierre, now in his sixth year in the NFL, has patiently worked as a backup and depth cornerback over his pro career. He’s proven to be a fine secondary option for the Steelers, and when his team has needed him, he can step up into a starting role.
Right now, we’re seeing Pierre starting in place of the absent Darius Slay, who missed Sunday’s game with a concussion. I don’t think the Steelers could have asked for a better performance from him.
One of his best coverage plays came early in the second quarter, when he matched up perfectly with Ja’Marr Chase, timing his jump perfectly to break up the pass.
The defense did a pretty great job of limiting Cincinnati’s weapons all day. Chase finished third on the team with just 30 yards on three catches. Noah Fant had five catches for 36 yards from the tight end spot. Even holding Tee Higgins to three catches, 63 yards, and a touchdown feels like a success. Pierre played a big role in that.
Late in the game, with the Steelers comfortably in control, Pierre recovered a Bengals fumble and ran it in for the scoop-and-score, furthering their lead.
He also nearly had an interception on Cincinnati’s final drive but landing just out of bounds as he came down.
This was his best game of the season, but it’s a continuation of what he has done all year. It feels like maybe he’s finally blossoming into a legitimate starting option at corner.
5: Zac Taylor’s Odd Decisions
Look, I know it doesn’t really matter now. Head coach Zac Taylor and his Bengals were soundly defeated at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. But, I did find some of his decisions in this game pretty peculiar. In particular, a choice he made rather early in the game.
After the Steelers scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, Cincinnati responded with a first-drive touchdown of their own. But on the ensuing extra point, Pittsburgh’s Yahya Black was called for a personal foul. The Bengals opted to take the penalty on the try, and go for two. They didn’t get it, and instead of tying the game early, trailed by one.
By the dying minutes of the game, that missing extra point or two didn’t matter for Cincinnati. But man, it did feel like the Bengals were chasing that one point for a while. Instead of kicking a game-tying field goal early in the third, it was 10-9 Steelers. Instead of making it a seven-point game later in that quarter, it was an eight-point deficit.
I don’t know if that had any real impact on what the Bengals did or how they played later on, but it loomed large for quite a while. When it comes to stuff like that, it’s just my opinion that you shouldn’t go for two unless you have to do it. They didn’t have to there.
If the Bengals lost by a much smaller margin, perhaps that’s a decision we talk much more about. And for a long time, it felt like that missing point could play a major role in the game.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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