Steelers Get Bad News About Controversial Officiating Crew For Clash With Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 of the 2026 season, and this will be the team's second home game of the year. Cincinnati enters the contest with a record of 2-0 and they currently sit all alone atop the AFC North, so it will be very important for the Steelers to get a win on Sunday in order to keep pace within the division. If the Steelers fall to 1-2 this early in the season there is a real chance that the streak of non-losing seasons in Pittsburgh comes to an end as the second half of the schedule is absolutely brutal.

The Steelers have looked fairly sloppy through the first two weeks of the 2026 season. The offense has not been able to get anything going and it has completely held the team back. The defense on the other hand has been great as the unit has allowed just 13 points per game, which is a recipe for success as long as the offense can get things going.

The offense has been inefficient and has been shooting itself in the foot. There have been lapses in protection on a few of Aaron Rodgers' dropbacks, he has had some errant throws, and there have been some notable drops from DK Metcalf. The running game has also struggled to pick up any steam. Penalties have been a problem for the offense as well, with Metcalf notably having two offensive pass interferences called on him in Week 1. There is a chance the yellow flags may continue to be an issue offensively as the Steelers and Bengals were assigned Clay Martin's group for their Week 3 clash.

Martin's unit has always been known to be sticklers when it comes to holding calls on the offense. The group threw the flag 50 times during the 2025 season for offensive holding, and through two weeks in 2026 the unit had called the penalty 10 times for a total of 99 yards. The other two penalties that the unit calls the most between the whistles are defensive pass interferences and defensive holding, which typically both go against members of the secondary.

The penalties going against the secondary are concerning for the Steelers. It's not even because the Steelers are necessarily prone to committing these penalties, it has more to do with who is going to be running routes for Cincinnati. The Bengals have the best wide receiver duo in the NFL with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and they are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Joe Burrow. He is going to take shots down the field, which is where these penalties on the secondary can come into play.

Steelers' Offensive Line Needs To Take A Step Forward In Week 3

The offensive line for Pittsburgh has been heavily criticized through two games, and it seems like nearly each member of the starting five has regressed in some way. The protection has not been what it needs to be for Rodgers, and the running lines have been closed up with ease. One area the group hasn't struggled in too much is penalties. There has been just one holding call on the unit through two contests, but with the pressure that is facing the group when it comes to protecting Rodgers, fans might see more yellow flags fly in the offensive backfield. 

Martin could have his fingertips all over this game if his crew calls it how it normally does. The Steelers offense will already be facing an uphill battle going against a Bengals defense that has seen a lot of success so far in 2026.

What do you think about Martin's officiating tendencies heading into this Week 3 matchup? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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