The Pittsburgh Steelers stole a game from the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 as the group secured a 30-27 win, and this was a game that many fans thought the Steelers would struggle in. That was not the case as the offense finally came alive and erupted for 30 points, which was 14 more than they had scored through the first two games of the season. The offense showed signs of life which provided some optimism moving forward, and the defense stepped up when it mattered the most as the group forced a turnover on the Bengals' final possession of the contest.
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (99) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers' defense allowed its highest point total of the 2026 season, but that is fair considering how potent the Bengals' offense can be while being led by Joe Burrow. It was clear that it was a large part of Cincinnati's game plan to get the ball out fast to mitigate the pass rush of the Steelers, and it worked for most of the game. It all collapsed when the Bengals had to run a two-minute drill and Derrick Harmon was able to get to Burrow for a strip sack to seal the game.
Harmon was the hero of the game for his play on the last drive, and he spoke to Cam Heyward on Not Just Football about how motivated the defensive line was due to Domata Peko.
"Man, he really harped on how he was there for 11 years, and he was going into the last year of his contract, and of course a guy like him, you should renew his contract," Harmon said. "But they didn't want to because he was old and that kind of left a bad taste in his mouth, as it should, because he went on to play another four or five years in the league. He was basically telling us to get this win for him too man, because it means something to him. They did him wrong, and I was happy we were able to do that for him."
Peko was a fourth-round pick of the Bengals back in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he played for the franchise through the 2016 season. He was never quite a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but he was important to the city of Cincinnati and he was viewed as an important piece of that locker room. He was up for a new contract in 2016, but Cincinnati opted to let him hit free agency.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Line Coach Domata Peko during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Peko clearly wanted to spend his entire career with the Bengals, and he wasn't ready to retire after the 2016 season. Cincinnati didn't want to bring him back seemingly due to his age and probably whatever number he was asking for, and he wound up signing with the Denver Broncos. He signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Denver. He then spent a season with the Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals before deciding to retire. The coach is still holding a grudge against his former franchise, and he gets to be on the sideline across from them at least twice a season.
Steelers Hiring Domata Peko Seems To Be A Good Move So Far
The hire of Peko was met with some questions, and that probably stems from the fact that he coached at Colorado during the 2025 season, which wasn't necessarily seen as a serious program. He did spend time on the Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff under Mike McCarthy, which is what brought him to Pittsburgh.
Peko brings some good perspective to a football team as he was a player as recently as six seasons ago. He knows how to coach and motivate his players in today's day and age, which has been helpful so far in the 2026 season.
What do you think about Peko using his past with the Bengals as motivation for his players? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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