The Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday 30-27.
QB Joe Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. WR Ja'Marr Chase led the offense with nine receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, while WR Tee Higgins added six catches for 90 yards and a score.
The Bengals trailed 17-10 late in the first half before S Jordan Battle intercepted a tipped pass to set Cincinnati up in scoring position. Burrow hit Higgins for a circus-catch touchdown to tie the score at 17 going into the half.
K Evan McPherson continued his strong start to 2026, hitting both field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder.
Burrow found TE Mike Gesicki for a fourth-down touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Bengals a 27-24 lead.
NOTES
Gesicki's Fourth-Down TD Gives Bengals Fourth-Quarter Lead
Zac Taylor elected to go for it on fourth-and-two at the Pittsburgh 25-yard line early in the fourth quarter, and his decision was rewarded with Burrow finding a wide-open Mike Gesicki for a touchdown to take a 27-24 lead. Burrow threw his third touchdown of the afternoon on the play, while Gesicki registered his second scoring reception of the season and 26th of his career.
Burrow, who made his 80th career regular-season start Sunday, improved his touchdown pass total to 163. That marks the fourth-most passing touchdowns in a player's first 80 starts in NFL history, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (192), Dan Marino (181) and Aaron Rodgers (177).
Battle's Pick Sets Up Highlight Tee-D
Jordan Battle flipped the game's momentum late in the second quarter with his first interception of the season, a pick on a tipped pass near midfield. The play set up Cincinnati's offense at its own 47-yard line, and Burrow capitalized by leading a five-play drive ending in a 28-yard touchdown pass to Higgins.
The interception was the first of the season for the Bengals, and the seventh of Battle's career. Cincinnati has five takeaways through three games, tied for the second-most in the NFL with Las Vegas.
Higgins, who was falling down but still managed to corral the ball on the in the front corner of the end zone, registered his first touchdown catch of the season. He now has 46 career scoring receptions, which are seven shy of Isaac Curtis (53) for the fifth-most in Bengals history.
Joe to Ja'Marr Gets Bengals on Board
The Bengals' offense responded to Pittsburgh's opening touchdown with an 11-play, 73-yard drive capped off by a three-yard scoring pass from Burrow to Chase. Burrow went a perfect seven-for-seven for 60 yards on the drive, with a 23-yard completion to receiver Dohnte Meyers on third down near midfield.
Chase logged his third touchdown reception of the season and 157th of his career on the play.
Money Mac Drills 50-Yarder
Evan McPherson closed the gap to 14-10 early in the second quarter with a 50-yard field goal, finishing off a nine-play, 31-yard drive for Cincinnati. It marked McPherson's 34th career made field goal from 50+ yards, which are the most in Bengals history and the fifth-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2021.
McPherson later converted a 38-yard field goal to give the Bengals their first lead of the afternoon, 20-17, early in the third quarter. He now has made 20 consecutive field goals without a miss dating back to Week 11 of last season, which is the second-longest streak in team history behind 21 straight field goals by Shayne Graham in 2007.
Burrow Starts 14-for-14
Burrow completed his first 14 passing attempts before a deep shot to Chase fell incomplete in the second quarter. It marked the second-most passing attempts without an incompletion to begin a game in his career, one shy of a 15-for-15 start against Las Vegas in Week 9 of the 2024 season.
Burrow finished the first half 18 of 21 for 152 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 128.6 passer rating.
Extra Points
- Sunday marked the 13th time Chase and Higgins each had a receiving touchdown in the same game, and the third instance against Pittsburgh. They also did so versus the Steelers in Week 13 of 2024 and Week 7 of 2025.
- Higgins has nine receptions of 25+ yards in his career against Pittsburgh, the most by any player in NFL history versus the Steelers. He surpassed A.J. Green and former Titans/Ravens/Jets/Texans receiver Derrick Mason, who both had eight catches of 25+ yards in matchups against Pittsburgh.
QUOTES
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Check out the best game photos from Bengals-Steelers Week 3 game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Tee Higgins catches a touchdown during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates a first down during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
RB Samaje Perine returns a kick during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
QB Joe Burrow throws a pass during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
The Bengals defense during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Dohnte Meyer runs after the catch during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
The Bengals offense huddles during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase, left, dives into the end zone for a touchdown as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. tries to defend during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
WR Ja'Marr Chase runs after the catch during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
QB Joe Burrow hands the ball off to RB Chase Brown during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
K Evan McPherson during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Tee Higgins catches a touchdown during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WRs Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase celebrate a touchdown during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
S Jordan Battle intercepts a pass during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
S Jordan Battle celebrates an interception during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
LB Barrett Carter breaks up a pass during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Ke'Shawn Williams returns a kick during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
QB Joe Burrow celebrates a first down run during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Ja'Marr Chase runs after the catch during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates a first down during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
S PJ Jules celebrates a play during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
K Evan McPherson makes a field goal during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Ja'Marr Chase during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
WR Tee Higgins celebrates a first down during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
QB Joe Burrow celebrates a pass during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
TEs Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson celebrate Gesicki's touchdown during Week 3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
