Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers advanced to 6-4 on the 2025 season with Sunday’s 22-point win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals. As always, there are plenty of takeaways to be had.
If the Steelers had lost to the Bengals, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. They’d still be at the top of their division and in the mix in the AFC playoff picture.
But there’s a big difference between being 5-5 versus being two games ahead of .500 at 6-4, which Pittsburgh advanced to following the win.
The Steelers’ have maintained their division lead over Baltimore. And with a difficult final stretch of the season upcoming — Bears, Bills, Ravens, Dolphins, Lions, Browns, Ravens — Pittsburgh needs to capitalize on every game against a lower-tier opponent.
Plus, in a sport all about momentum, Sunday’s game was a big one. There’s plenty to nitpick on tape, but the final score is what matters the most. The Steelers pulled away in the second half to enjoy a blowout win against a divisional rival. And they did that coming off the heels of their most demoralizing loss of the season.
As I’ve written probably a thousand times this year, this Steelers team has been far too up and down in 2025 to draw major conclusions from a big win or loss. But Sunday’s game had the right result at the right time for Pittsburgh. There are still countless things to work on, but 6-4 is a good place to be in a competitive AFC.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith deserves some credit. His gameplan, with plenty of tosses and short, perimeter passes, tested the Bengals’ depleted edge rusher depth and rookie linebacker duo. The result? A laughable amount of yards after catch: 228, to be exact, per Next Gen Stats.
Pittsburgh also saw success on the weighty downs, converting seven of 13 third downs and its only fourth-down attempt (thanks to a questionable spot, but still).
It was enough to win — even when subtracting the Steeler defense’s two touchdowns, Pittsburgh still outscored Cincinnati, largely thanks to an 81-yard receiving day from running back Kenneth Gainwell and another 67 from the otherworldly talents of Darnell Washington.
However, Pittsburgh only managed to score 20 points offensively on a Cincinnati defense that’s been the worst in the league by far this season.
Before his injury, Aaron Rodgers was a disappointing watch. He and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf continue to struggle to develop chemistry downfield, with Rodgers missing the big receiver on a deep corner route in the second quarter. The veteran quarterback was once again uncomfortable behind the line of scrimmage and quick to move in the pocket.
The all-22 will be important to this week, as it looks like Rodgers’ pass catchers weren’t getting open, either. Per Next Gen Stats, Rodgers was taking an average 3.49 seconds to throw against the Bengals, the longest of any game since...
