The Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive following a 19-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Cincinnati will now need help from the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to earn the final spot available for drafted teams in the AFC. On Sunday, the Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Dolphins will face the New York Jets.
The Bengals (9-8) finished the season with five straight wins after starting the campaign with a 4-8 record.
Quarterback Joe Burrow (37 for 46, 277 yards, one touchdown, one interception) and the Bengals drove down the field on the game’s first possession to score seven points, with Ja’Marr Chase (10 catches, 96 yards) for a 12-yard touchdown.
Burrow briefly left the game midway through the third quarter after suffering a sack and falling helmet-first onto the field. Two Steelers, Nick Herbig and Cam Heyward, both landed on Burrow. Pieces of the Acrisure Stadium turf lodged in the top of his helmet, and he lay on the ground for several moments in pain as the Bengals’ medical team arrived on the field. Burrow entered the blue medical tent briefly but joined his teammates on the sideline and took the field on Cincinnati’s next series.
Cincinnati was without Canadian running back Chase Brown, who tried to test his injured ankle during warmups but was unable to participate in the game. In his place, Khalil Herbert ran 19 times for 67 yards. The team lost wide receiver Tee Higgins to an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, and his absence was felt when the Bengals struggled to move the ball down the stretch.
Kicker Cade York, however, got the Bengals on the board in important moments by making all four of his field goal attempts.
For their part, the match was without stakes for the Steelers who no longer had hope of winning their division after the victory of the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the day.
Still, the Steelers fell apart again. For Pittsburgh this is the fourth consecutive game in which they have never managed to take a lead. The Steelers had a chance late in the game to clinch the victory with a field goal, but their streak ended before reaching midfield and the Bengals held on when Pat Freiermuth fumbled a pass in the fourth essay. That sums up the last month for the Steelers.
The Steelers are in contention for the playoffs. But they will have to face the Baltimore Ravens next week if the Los Angeles Chargers win on Sunday. The Steelers will face the Houston Texans if the Chargers lose to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Overall, quarterback Russell Wilson is 6-6 since taking over the Steelers offense. Before him, Justin Fields had put Pittsburgh in a good position by winning four of his five starts.
