Postgame Observations: Bengals' Offense Cools Off in 34-12 Loss to Steelers

CINCINNATI — The Bengals knew they needed to beat the Steelers to keep any realistic chance of making the playoffs alive.

That didn't happen.

The Bengals never led in their 34-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. Cincinnati struggled on offense for most of the game and missed tackles continue to plague a defense that has been the NFL's worst unit over the past six weeks.

The Bengals are 3-7 on the season following the loss. They've lost three-straight games and are 2-1 in the AFC North.

Here are our postgame observations:

Offense Struggles

The Bengals' offense came back to earth on Sunday. Joe Flacco completed 23-of-40 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Tee Higgins led the way with three catches for 63 yards and a 28-yard touchdown. Ja'Marr Chase struggled, finishing with three catches on 10 targets for 30 yards. Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey was ejected for throwing a punch at Chase in the second half. Watch video of that here.

Inconsistent Defense

The Bengals' defense forced three-straight punts in the first half. They held the Steelers to just 10 points in the first half.

Things came unraveled in the second half, as the Steelers scored on three-straight possessions. The Bengals wilted in multiple big moments—especially in space when they could tackle the ball carrier.

Geno Stone had no business missing this tackle. And so to have that kind of effort….
And then to get beat by the same guy later in the game (video in next tweet) is wild pic.twitter.com/QrKv0f8KjV
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) November 16, 2025

Turnovers

The Bengals had two second half turnovers that led to 14 points for the Steelers. First, Flacco threw a pick-six in the third quarter that gave Pittsburgh a 20-9 lead. The Bengals were in scoring range when Kyle Duggar intercepted Flacco's pass to Tee Higgins and returned in 74 yards for the score.

Then, with the Bengals trailing 27-12, Noah Fant fumbled after making a catch in the flat. Steelers cornerback James Pierre picked it up and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

That sealed the win for Pittsburgh and essentially ended any miracle comeback attempt that Flacco and the Bengals were hoping to make.

Up Next

The 3-7 Bengals return home to play the Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. ET.

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