PITTSBURGH — The Cincinnati Bengals played without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and lost starting running back Joe Mixon in the first half, but they still had Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, and that was more than enough to pull away from the Steelers for a 37-30 win at Acrisure Stadium.
Higgins had an absurd nine catches for 148 yards on 13 targets as the Steelers tried nearly every defensive back in Mike Tomlin’s arsenal, but were unable to limit him.
It was other Bengals that found the end zone, as Mixon’s understudy, Samaje Perine, scored on two first-half touchdowns and a game-sealer in the fourth quarter. Practice squad call-up Trenton Irwin, helping to replace Chase, caught Burrow’s third throwing touchdown in the second half.
In the first half, the Steelers offense kept pace. After Perine’s first touchdown, the Steelers went right back down the field and answered with a 19-yard scamper by Najee Harris, hurdling a Cincinnati defender to get to the pylon.
The Steelers defense stepped up with an interception of Burrow by Levi Wallace and the Steelers got a Matthew Wright field goal as time expired in the first half to go into the break ahead, 20-17.
But in the second half, the Steelers offense fell apart. They started third quarter with the ball and went three and out while gaining one yard. Their second drive, they went three and out for six yards. On their third drive, they went three and out and lost three yards.
After another interception, this one on an absurd play by T.J. Watt to leap over his lineman and snare a Burrow pass, they once again went three plays and out and settled for a 34-yard Wright field goal.
That put the Steelers within one at 24-23, but they got no closer. The Steelers finished the third quarter without a first down. On their first drive that crossed into the fourth quarter, they advanced to the Cincinnati 39, then Kenny Pickett was sacked and they were forced to punt.
After another defensive stop, the Steelers again got the ball in Cincinnati territory, but took back-to-back penalties and punted from the Bengals side of the 50 again.
Then the dam burst. Burrow got big plays to Tyler Boyd and Irwin and Perine scored his third from six-yards out to go up two scores.
The Steelers got a late-game second score from Harris, but had clearly been defeated.
Burrow finished 24 of 39 for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Only his two interceptions slowed down the Cincinnati offensive attack.
Pickett was 25 of 42 for 265 yards and one score. He did not turn the ball over for a second consecutive game. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was his favorite target, with eight catches for 79 yards. George Pickens caught four or 83. Harris rushed 20 times for 90 yards and two scores.
The Steelers, now 3-7, will have one extra day to lick their wounds before traveling to Indianapolis for their Week 12 game against the Colts on Monday Night Football.