Bengals Players Adamant Team Recovered Joe Burrow's Final Drive Fumble

Cincinnati was driving to score.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) fumbles the ball as he scrambles from Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (22) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. The Bengals fell to 2-1 on the season with a 30-27 loss on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cincinnati fell on Sunday in a familiar manner this decade.

The Bengals are now 6-51 when trailing after the third quarter under Zac Taylor. A number dropped after today's 30-27 loss to Pittsburgh by our Jay Morrison.

The right side has ballooned a few different ways, but today's was a particular twist given how well Joe Burrow had played. He fumbled the ball with less than a minute left, and Cincinnati lost its case in the pile.

Burrow Pile

Sep 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) pressures Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Still, Erick All and Tanner Hudson claim they got the ball with full possession first. In the end, Burrow can't fumble the ball in that spot.

"For what it’s worth, Erick All and Tanner Hudson are adamant that All recovered the Burrow fumble in the final minute. All said the Steelers player was just lying on the ball and it was All who secured it. The Bengals didn’t get the call," FOX19's Joe Danneman posted on X.

Zac Taylor discussed it all after the AFC North loss.

"I thought it was a good drive until, obviously, that play that ended the game," Taylor said postgame. "But I thought we were having some momentum there and had a chance. We were, I think, right at the 38. Trying to go score and win, not trying to kick the field goal. We would have if we'd had to, but we were trying to go win the game right there."

It's a result, Burrow, and the team will just move on from it.

"Yeah, trying to take a shot at the end zone. Trying not to take the sack, trying to get the ball out, fumbled it," Burrow said about the final play before expanding on the mistakes later. "Self-inflicted. Like last week with the penalties, we just can't shoot ourselves in the foot like that. You can't win in this league when you do that. It's really hard. It's really hard. We could have overcome it, but it's really hard to win like that."

Cincinnati has improved its roster, but it's still not a dominant group when the turnover dial flips against them. Penalties and live balls like today make it hard to win, but things can get back on track for the Bengals with a home AFC win next week against the Jaguars.

Check out the final play pile below:

JOE BURROW FUMBLES@steelers HAVE IT

BALL GAME pic.twitter.com/EP52Vo91Wf

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 27, 2026

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