Bengals-Steelers Rest Disparity Could Be Even More Problematic Than First Thought

A lot has been made about the rest disparity that will be in play Sunday night when the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off their international game in Madrid, play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers, fresh of their bye.

This will be the sixth game in which one team is returning from an international game and the other a bye, and the teams returning for their off week are 5-0.

But that’s only part of the history working against the Bengals this week.

That’s because the Steelers are on one of the best post-bye runs in NFL history with a nine-game winning streak.

Bengals Facing Steelers Team That Is on Historic Post-Bye Run

Sep 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws during the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last time Pittsburgh lost a game after its bye week was 2016, when it fell 21-14 at Baltimore as 3.5-point favorites.

The nine-game, post-bye run is the second longest active winning streak in the league and the third longest since the NFL began using bye weeks in 1990.

The Buffalo Bills own the longest active streak at 12 in a row after knocking off the Ravens 36-10 following their Week 7 bye this year.

The NFL record is 13 in a row, set by the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2011 (there were two bye weeks in 1993).

During the Steelers’ current nine-game streak, four of the wins have come on the road, including two of the last three.

And four of the last five have come with Pittsburgh as the underdog.

Here is the list (with point spread):

2025: Week 6 vs Cleveland, W 23-9 (-6)

2024: Week 10 at Washington, W 28-27 (+2.5)

2023: Week 7 at LA Rams, W 24-17 (+3)

2022: Week 10 vs. New Orleans, W 20-10 (+1)

2021: Week 8 at Cleveland, W 15-10 (+4.5)

2020: Week 5 vs. Philadelphia, W 38-29 (-7.5)

2019: Week 8 vs. Miami, W 27-14 (-14)

2018: Week 8 vs. Cleveland, W 33-18 (-8.5)

2017: Week 10 at Indianapolis, W 20-17 (-10.5)

The Steelers are 25-12 all-time in the week after a bye. That .676 winning percentage is tied for fifth best in the league behind the Ravens (22-8, .733), Eagles (27-10, .730), Broncos (27-10, .730) and Bills (27-11, .711).

The Bengals have been the Steelers' opponent after a bye six times, but the most recent was way back in 2008, with the Steelers winning that game 38-10 in Cincinnati.

From 1990-98, the Steelers came out of their bye to face the Bengals five times, with Cincinnati winning three of those contests.

The Bengals are 12-26 after a bye for a .346 winning percentage that ranks last in the league. But they have won four of their most recent six, including the Week 7 game at Baltimore this year.

The other teams in the bottom five of post-bye winning percentages are the Raiders (13-24, .351), Browns (12-20, .375), Seahawks (14-23, .378) and Jets (15-22, .405).

Under Zac Taylor, the Bengals are 4-4 in the week after the bye.

Surprisingly, the Taylor-led Bengals have only played three games in which the opponent was coming off a bye, and they are 1-2 in those contests.

They lost 27-18 at Green Bay last year, won 17-13 vs. Seattle in 2023 and lost 19-17 to the Giants in 2020.

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