The Pittsburgh Steelers got back on the right track on Sunday as the group took down the Cincinnati Bengals to move to 2-1 on the year. The win puts Pittsburgh on top of the AFC North for the time being, with another important in-division game coming in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. There wasn't a ton of optimism with the Steelers going into the matchup with the Bengals, who entered the day with a record of 2-0. The offense had been a problem for the Steelers through the first two weeks of the season, but the unit stepped up Sunday by scoring 30 points.
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Steelers' Mike McCarthy greets Mike Vrabel before a road game against the Patriots in 2026.
The defense had been carrying the Steelers so far in 2026. Players like TJ Watt and Cam Heyward had been great in each of the first two games, but that wasn't really the case against Cincinnati. The Bengals have a high-powered offense, and the Steelers defense was tested. It was known that the offense for Pittsburgh was going to have to show some signs of life in order for the team to have a chance, and the group did.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media following the win, and he shared that he had a goal for his group to score 31 points because he figured the Bengals would be able to score.
"A point that was made during the week and throughout preparation was that we felt we would have to score points to win this game." McCarthy said. "I wrote down 31 in my notes going in, as far as a target. That's the last time I'm going to say something like that, because that was stupid for that to come out of my mouth. I just knew that I felt that we needed to score points."
McCarthy told the media that he had the 31-point mark in his mind as a goal, and he immediately regretted it. He probably felt silly for basically admitting that he thought his defense wouldn't be able to slow down the Bengals' offense enough to carry the team to a win; or he felt like he gave away too much when it comes to his mindset while preparing for games. Either way, he regretted saying it right away, even though it doesn't seem like that big a deal.
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Steelers Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham stands with Head Coach Mike McCarthy during rookie minicamp in 2026.
The defense for Pittsburgh had been one of the best in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. The group was forcing turnovers and getting to the quarterback at a high rate, and that didn't really happen against Cincinnati. Pittsburgh was only able to get to Joe Burrow once, although it was the biggest play of the game as the quarterback fumbled and the Steelers recovered.
This allowed the Steelers to just kneel out the rest of the clock and seal the win. The stars on the defense were relatively quiet in the win, but the group will look to get back on track against the Browns on Thursday Night Football.
Steelers' Offense Needs To Carry Momentum Forward
It is fair to be somewhat concerned about the defense after this game, but it is also important to note that the Bengals offense could and should be one of the best in the league. The group has a dynamic running back, great receivers, and one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
The defense was going to be tested, but that shouldn't be the focus. The focus should be that the offense for Pittsburgh has finally put up a good performance, and Aaron Rodgers looked great in the win. If he can play like that every week, the Steelers should have a chance to beat anyone in the NFL. The defense for Cleveland isn't bad, so it will be interesting to see if the offense for Pittsburgh can carry this momentum forward.
What do you think about this mistake from McCarthy while speaking with the media? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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