Steelers Take Down Bengals on Monday Night

It was all Pittsburgh on Monday night as they pounded on the Cincinnati Bengals to claim their first victory of the season.

Offensive Rhythm

The Bengals jumped out to an early lead with a first-quarter field goal, but that would be the only points they get on the night. Led by Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh scored 27 straight points to finally get in the win column.

Rudolph came out slinging the ball. He finished 24 of 28 (85.7%) to go along with 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns. James Conner had his best game of the season, tallying over 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Head Coach Mike Tomlin had this to say about his team’s performance:

FINAL: @steelers win at home on #MNF! #HereWeGo #CINvsPIT

(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/ENhOgymKVz

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2019

Defensive Prowess

The Steelers had their way with the Bengals on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati was held to just three points while Pittsburgh recorded eight sacks. In addition, running back Joe Mixon was held in check and quarterback Andy Dalton struggled mightily.

Dalton and the Bengals had trouble moving the ball almost the entire night as they were smothered by Pittsburgh’s defense. Cameron Heyward led the way for the Steelers with two-and-a-half sacks and recently acquired defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick got some more reps with his new team. Tomlin was pleased with how his team performed as a whole in the win.

First Year Woes

Zac Taylor is still searching for his first win as an NFL coach. It’ll be difficult to pick up that win if he can’t figure out the offense. Taylor came into Cincinnati as an offensive-minded guy. However, those results have yet to be seen. Even so, he still thinks this team can turn it around.

The eight sacks on Dalton were the most he has taken in one game throughout his career. He didn’t have much to work with as A.J. Green is still out with an ankle injury. The team’s leading receiver, John Ross III, was knocked out in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.

Andy Dalton was sacked a career-high 8 times. It's tied for the Steelers' most in a game over the last 15 seasons. pic.twitter.com/EdpNZG7y5h

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 1, 2019

Up Next

Both teams are home for their week five matchups. The Bengals host the Arizona Cardinals as both teams look to pick up their first win on the season. Pittsburgh welcomes the division rival Baltimore Ravens, who are coming off their second straight loss. Both of those games kick off at 1 p.m. this Sunday.