Steelers Unstoppable

The Steelers became the 21st team in the Super Bowl era to start 9-0 after posting a 36-10 win over the visiting Bengals on Sunday. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 333 yards with four touchdown passes, propelling Pittsburgh to its 11th straight win over Cincinnati (2-6-1).  

Roethlisberger’s touchdown total on Sunday was his highest in a game since he had five touchdown passes in Pittsburgh’s win over Carolina in Week 10 of the 2018 season. For his career, Roethlisberger is 26-7 against the Bengals and 22-2 against rookie quarterbacks. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked four times while recording his third lowest passing output of the season. Two of those sacks were by T.J. Watt, who led a Steelers’ defense that held the Bengals to an 0-of-13 mark on third down. 

Down 12-0 in the first quarter, the Bengals found pay dirt after Burrow hit fellow rookie Tee Higgins on a two-yard pass on fourth-and-goal. Pittsburgh responded with consecutive scoring drives that included Roethlisberger’s eight-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Roethlisberger threw for 243 yards in the first half, while Diontae Johnson caught six passes for 116 yards in the first half, including his 12-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. 

The Steelers ended any hopes of a Bengals comeback when Roethlisberger’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Claypool capped off a 12-play third quarter scoring drive. In the fourth quarter, a 45-yard punt return by Ray-Ray McCloud set up Claypool’s second touchdown, a five-yard pass from Roethlisberger. Cincinnati closed out the scoring on a Randy Bullock field goal that was set up by safety Shaun Williams’ 39-yard run on a fake punt.