The Pittsburgh Steelers turned a lot of heads following their 30-27 home victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. This comes as the offensive struggles were the biggest issue for new head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff through the first two weeks of the NFL season. It was encouraging for running back Jaylen Warren to get the ground game going with 127 yards rushing in the contest as well. That was key in setting the tone early on for them to start to find a rhythm. There was another position that played exceptionally well that should be given big credit for the victory.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike McCarthy watches the action at Acrisure Stadium during a 2026 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The offensive line played very well in front of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It was a unit that had struggled early on and the biggest reason the offense could not find any traction to put up points through the first two weeks. On Sunday, they turned things around in a big way and now it is getting noticed.
On Tuesday, former Black and Gold quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hosted an episode of his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast to discuss the Week 3 victory. During the episode, he was not hesitant to give a big endorsement to the group for their performance. He mentioned that he was very impressed with how they played this past Sunday.
“Listen, to me that whole right side of the line was new and it was like it showed,” Roethlisberger said. “I didn’t grade it. I didn’t go watch it. I didn’t break it down, but like, I was kind of just keeping my eye on it every once in a while like okay. Man, what I saw was impressive. This is what we’ve been looking for. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”
Sunday's offensive output was exactly what everyone was waiting to see in the Steel City under the offensive-minded McCarthy. In total, they were able to combine for over 400 yards of total offense, with nearly 300 of that through the air and over 130 on the ground. The difference was that the offensive line play was much better against Cincinnati than what it had been the first two weeks of this season.
McCarthy was not shy to discuss the decision to insert rookie offensive lineman Max Iheanachor as well as veteran Brock Hoffman for this game. That decision was one of the keys to the game, as the Black and Gold head coach swallowed his pride by recognizing what he was doing was not working and changing it. The change paid big dividends, especially for Rodgers, who looked very much like the four-time NFL MVP type of quarterback that he is. He was able to put up some big numbers just like he did in the prime of his NFL career because of the protection provided.
Steelers Must Carry Momentum As Divisional Play Continues
The Steelers will need to carry over this momentum on offense in a short week as they get ready to take on the Cleveland Browns Thursday night on the road. It will be a hostile environment, as Cleveland is surprisingly playing the Black and Gold for a temporary spot in first place in the AFC North division. With the way the Pittsburgh defense has performed thus far, they will truly be a big threat in the AFC if the offense figured out some answers this past Sunday.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) pitches to running back Jaylen Warren (30) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
The team will also be looking to buck the trend they have seen in divisional road games on Thursday nights. They have struggled, and especially in Cleveland in these games. However, they have a huge chance given the turnaround on offense thanks to their offensive line to get things right in that department. If Sunday was any indication of where their offense is going, the tone will have to be set up front again.
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