The Pittsburgh Steelers just snatched a 30-27 shootout win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, completely flipping the script after a seriously listless Week 2 performance. After getting straight-up humbled by the New England Patriots last week, Pittsburgh came out swinging, proving they can absolutely respond to a gut-punch loss. It was an offensive explosion that absolutely nobody saw coming against a legitimately solid Bengals defense. Was it perfect? Nah, but it was a night and day difference from the offensive unit’s multi-level failures seven days prior.
This Team’s Got Grit, For Real
Talk about stepping up when it counts! After that ugly Week 2 defeat against the Patriots, everyone, myself included, was wondering how this team would respond under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. Well, they answered. McCarthy said it himself after the game, “Resiliency is critical to any type of success, whether it’s playing one division game or overcoming a loss last week. Momentum is a huge part of our game. It’s a hard-working football team. … Once you get through the first of everything as a team, there’s usually bumps that you go through, so, they’ve stayed the course.” He’s not wrong. That Patriots loss was abnormally bad, but hey, it’s early in the McCarthy era, and bumps in the road are expected with a new coach, especially the first since 2007. The ride’s been rocky through three games, but they showed the poise not to let one disaster unravel their season. Still figuring this team out, for real, but improvement like this week’s? That’s the best kind of problem you could ask for right now.
The O-Line Just Got Electric
Remember last week? Pittsburgh’s offensive front got absolutely mauled by the Patriots’ defensive line. Not a single starter had a good game. This week? Against an improved Cincinnati front led by all-world nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, the Steelers’ offensive line was straight up dominant in both the run and pass game. Are you kidding me? They averaged an impressive six yards a pop on the ground, and Aaron Rodgers only got sacked twice,once on a blitz pickup snafu and another on an extended play. This turnaround didn’t happen by magic, though. They made a HUGE change, swapping out right tackle Dylan Cook and right guard Spencer Anderson for first-round rookie Max Iheanachor and veteran backup Brock Hoffman. Iheanachor, dude, he had a lights-out debut. His easy athleticism was on full display in his mirroring. This line flipped the script, and it made all the difference.
What’s next for this team? That’s the question we all need answered. After showing such a massive jump in performance, especially on the offensive line, the big thing to watch is if they can keep that momentum rolling. It’s still early in the season, and consistency is the name of the game. Let’s see if this O-line, and the team’s offense, can build on this wild Week 3 bounce-back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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