Instant analysis from Bengals’ upset win vs. Steelers in Week 3

The Cincinnati Bengals hadn’t defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field since 2015.

That changed Sunday during Cincinnati’s 24-10 upset fueled by X Ja’Marr Chase touchdowns from Joe Burrow and another strong defensive performance from an elite-looking unit.

Here’s everything to know right after the game went final.

Quick Hits

— A sign of things to come? Burrow worked magic on an early third-down scramble after an offensive line collapse, only to have all his effort negated by a holding penalty.

— Special teams was a disaster early. Very bad punt coverage followed up by Darius Phillips ruining great field position on his own during a punt return. Not what you expect to see from a unit headed up by an elite mind like Darrin Simmons.

— Joe Burrow’s first pick was a disaster of a throw into multiple defenders. Tyler Boyd just couldn’t go up high enough to get it. Throw is better for a Tee Higgins or Auden Tate.

— Boyd made good on the next drive though, going for a 17-yard score.

— Logan Wilson keeps trending toward elite status after pressure up front helps him pull off a wicked interception in the opening quarter.

— Zac Taylor play-calling issues came up big again in the second quarter. Up 7-0 and after a huge run by Joe Mixon, the play-calling got messy. This sums it up best:

— A Perine run went nowhere, Burrow got sacked and instead of extending the lead, the Bengals gave the ball back. Pittsburgh went down the field and scored to make it 7-7 at halftime.

— Not to worry — Ja’Marr Chase torched the Steelers for a touchdown for his third touchdown in as many pro games.

— Bengals added a field goal right after halftime. Play-calling was much improved, especially with the use of Chris Evans as a receiver.

— That drive got capped off by another touchdown for Chase. Burrow had plenty of time to wait for him to get open thanks to some strong blocking up front.

— From there, cruise control, as Pittsburgh went so far as to even kick a field goal while down 24-7 after a nine-minute drive. The Bengals were totally content to let Big Ben attempt to push the ball down the field because, to be blunt, he hasn’t looked great.

Key Stat

9-of-18: We could throw out some fun offensive stats here, but the Bengals’ defense limiting the Steelers to this mark on third down, was a big deal. Just a dominant performance. It was a much worse mark before some meaningless third downs late in the game while the clock bled.

Game Ball

Ja’Marr Chase: Who else? A wicked extension for his first touchdown and working his way open on the second has him living up to every single expectation fans had of him after he was the fifth-overall pick.

Top Takeaway

Passing of the torch: This was a huge moment for the Zac Taylor era. The Steelers have been on a massive downward trend and were missing an elite defender. The Bengals think they’re on the rise with all the pieces finally in place. And really? It showed on the field. The Bengals bullied the Steelers in both trenches and besides some spotty play-calling here and there, the offense cruised once it found a rhythm.

List

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