What We Learned from Cincinnati's 33-31 win over Pittsburgh

By: Sean Davis 10-17-25

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 in a thrilling "Thursday Night Football" matchup, which featured the historic "Icy Hot Bowl" between quarterbacks Joe Flacco (40) and Aaron Rodgers (41).

Here are the key takeaways from the Bengals' Week 7 victory:

Quarterback Performances (The "Icy Hot Bowl")

• Joe Flacco (Bengals): Flacco delivered a "throwback gem" in his home debut for the Bengals. He threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, overcoming a slow 10-0 start by the Steelers. Flacco led the Bengals' offense to scoring drives on seven of their final eight possessions, including the crucial game-winning drive in the final seconds. His performance was praised for his "total control" and "contract killer" demeanor, securing the win and snapping the Steelers' AFC North undefeated streak.

• Aaron Rodgers (Steelers): Rodgers had a strong start but the game turned after a penalty negated a touchdown run. He threw two first-half interceptions but rallied in the second half, leading three touchdown drives, including a 68-yard missile for a go-ahead score. Despite the loss, Rodgers passed Ben Roethlisberger for the fifth-most career passing yards in NFL history (64,222). The Steelers ultimately came up a possession short after a conservative fourth-down punt late in the game.

Game-Deciding Moments and Records

• Ja'Marr Chase's Epic Performance: Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase turned in a historic night, catching a club-record 16 passes on 23 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown. His 16 receptions are tied for the third-most in a single game since 1978. The Steelers defense had no answer for him.

• Clutch Drive: After the Steelers took a late lead, Flacco led the game-winning drive, culminating in a critical catch by Tee Higgins, who intentionally went down before the end zone to set up the final score.

• Bengals Run Game Awakes: The Bengals, who hadn't rushed for more than 85 yards in any previous game this season, surprised the Steelers by generating 142 rushing yards at 6.2 yards per clip, led by running back Chase Brown.

• Steelers' Defensive Struggle: The Steelers' defense had a "forgettable night," marked by 14 missed tackles, loose coverage, and a lack of pass rush, turning in a disappointing performance despite being relatively healthy.

  
  

The final score was Cincinnati 33, Pittsburgh 31. The Bengals improved to 3-4, while the Steelers fell to 4-2.