PITTSBURGH _ If all you saw was the last play of the Bengals' 30-27 loss here Sunday to the Steelers, that's all you needed to see.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who kept his team in it the whole day, had the ball punched out of his hands as he dropped back to from pass from the Pittsburgh 38 with 44 seconds left.
"It hurts," said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who saw his team lose for the first time all year in six preseason and regular-season games. "Because you feel like we have every opportunity to win it and we didn't do it."
The Bengals committed two special team' gaffes in the second half after they had forced the Steeles to punt. Defensive end Cedric Johnson’s roughing the punter penalty when they were leading, 20-17, in the third quarter, and wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams’ fumbled punt when they were leading, 27-24, with 10:52 left in the game, translated to 10 points.
The turnovers revived quarterback Aaron Rodgers' offense, and he hit tight end Darnell Washington on a 47-yard run-and catch, and running back Jaylen Warren followed it up with a 26-yard run on the way to Chris Boswell's winning 33-yard field goal with 2:15 left.
"All three phases share in that," Taylor said. "We had a chance to score on offense, had a chance to get a stop on defense, and we had a couple of plays on special teams that we didn't make."
Seamless Joe
Burrow played especially well. He hit his first 14 passes, 18-of-21 by halftime, and finished with three touchdowns on 28-of-37 for 282 yards and the highest passer rating of his career against Pittsburgh.
And they were going for a touchdown with 44 seconds left.
"We were trying to take a shot into the end zone," Burrow said. "We were in field-goal range, so we're trying not to take a sack. I was just trying to get the ball out."
It looked like he was trying to fling the ball, but a split-second before he could, the ball was punched out.
"I was trying to pass the ball," Burrow said of a play confirmed on the field.
"Not good enough … We have to play more sound football than that to beat a team like that."
Slants and Screens
It looked like Jordan Battle’s interception with 1:40 left in the first half and the Bengals trailing, 17-10, would be the play of the game in a Bengals win. With Rodgers within eight yards of a field goal, his pass bounced of the hands of wide receiver Roman Wilson hands into Battle's hands for the Bengals' first interception of the season.
With Rodgers still screaming at Wilson, Burrow launched a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins, who made a remarkable grab while sitting down with 34 seconds left in the half to tie the game. When the Bengals received the second-half kickoff and tacked on Evan McPherson’s 20th straight field goal, they had doubled up for a 20-17 lead.
"You have to make that play if you want to win games like this," Battle said ."It's good to get momentum like that, but we gave up too many explosives and didn't get enough guys on the ground." …
Safety Bryan Cook came out early with an ankle injury, but had to go back in on the last drive when Kyle Dugger got hurt on Warren's run ….
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.
