2021 Steelers Season Recall: Pittsburgh gives up another 41 in ugly loss at Cincinnati
Steel City Underground presents our 2021 Steelers Recall: a look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.
A week earlier the Pittsburgh Steelers were given no chance against the Los Angeles Chargers, as numerous defensive players were ruled out before the game took place.
While that side of the ball ultimately failed them, giving up 41 points, Ben Roethlisberger and the offense were able to keep the game competitive and even took a late fourth-quarter lead.
Heading on the road to Cincinnati for an AFC North matchup with the Bengals wasn’t what the doctor ordered to fix the Steelers’ ailments either, with the defense giving up just as many points while Ben Roethlisberger’s magic wore off entirely.
The defense made the Bengals work for their opening drive, as it took ten plays and 71 yards for Joe Burrow with an eight-yard touchdown scramble. But things would instantly unravel for the Steelers’ offense, as Big Ben threw an interception three plays into Pittsburgh’s opening drive.
The defense still held, however, as Cincinnati couldn’t capitalize from the Pittsburgh five-yard line. Chris Wormley would sack Burrow for a 12-yard loss, as the Bengals settled for a field goal.
Chris Boswell would add his own on an eight-play, 53-yard drive that would result in the Steelers’ only points until deep in the fourth quarter.
The rest would be downhill from here.
The Steelers’ offensive drive chart would wind up as follows:
- Interception
- Field Goal
- Punt
- Punt
- Interception
- End of Half
- Punt
- Fumble
- Punt
- Punt
- Touchdown
- End of Game
Conversely, the Bengals chart looks much more appealing and tells the rest of the story:
- Touchdown
- Field Goal
- Touchdown
- Touchdown
- Interception
- Punt
- Field Goal
- Touchdown
- Punt
- Punt
Somewhere in there is a “yikes” too, as Roethlisberger went from hero to zero. He hopped on a plane last second after being cleared from COVID protocols against LA, only to see this bus trip to Cincy blow up in his face.
The Steelers legend had one of his worst outings of the season, completing 58.5% of his 41 passes for 282 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. He would also fumble twice during the game, finishing with a 65.4% QB rating.
Najee Harris also struggled to get into rhythm, with 8 carries for 23 yards. He couldn’t even help the passing game this Sunday, with only 3 catches for 14 yards.
Diontae Johnson was targeted 14 times in the game, catching 9 of those balls for a team-high 95 yards. Chase Claypool caught 3 of 8 targets for 82, but both receives were left without a touchdown.
The lone Steelers TD came with 3:05 remaining in the game when Roethsliberger found rookie TE Pat Freiermuth on a 15-yard connection that defied logic, as he grabbed his sixth touchdown catch on the season in double coverage while remaining in bounds with control of the ball.
Overall, the Steelers defense gave up 25 first downs and 370 yards of offense: 198 of that on the ground with 165 yards by Joe Mixon alone.
Burrow only attempted 24 passes, completing all but four of those, including a dizzying touchdown connection with Tee Higgins, who made short work of CB James Pierre. Pierre, who was earlier a camp phenom throughout the preseason, was permanently relegated to the bench following this matchup, as Higgins poster-ized him for 114 yards on six receptions.
The Steelers would fall to 5-5-1 on the season by a final score of 41-10. Their playoff hopes, all but a distant blur now, with a tie to the previously winless Lions, and not one, but two 41-point outings in the following weeks slowing down even their most ardent supporters.
Next up would be their first encounter, and a must-win, with another division rival: the Baltimore Ravens.
