Burrow dissects Steelers Defense
by Bo Marchionte
Published January 5th, 2025, 12:39 AM
Pittsburgh, PA – Saturday night football at Acrisure Stadium served as a critical juncture for the Steelers, with AFC North implications hanging in the balance. Despite entering the game with slim divisional hopes after the Ravens clinched the North earlier in the day, Pittsburgh aimed to restore momentum and keep their playoff aspirations alive.
“We certainly had our opportunities to win the game, but we didn’t,” Mike Tomlin said after the Steelers fourth consecutive game. “We’ve got to own that. Not enough routine playmaking.”
The lack of playmaking brought out plenty of boos from the crowd as the game endured and the offended failed to show a pulse. Their last signs of life was against the Bengals when the Steelers uncharacteristically scored 44 points.
The Bengals, winners of four straight, came into the cold Pittsburgh night with firepower and confidence. Joe Burrow was flawless on Cincinnati’s opening drive, completing all six passes for 64 yards, including a laser to Ja’Marr Chase for his 17th touchdown of the season. The Bengals, ranked sixth in scoring offense, made an early statement, jumping to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
The Steelers’ offense sputtered in the opening frame, managing just 28 yards to Cincinnati’s 110. However, Pittsburgh showed resilience. A holding penalty on Bengals defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt in the end zone set up a Najee Harris touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 10-7 midway through the second quarter.
“Again, we weren’t doing enough to possess the ball, so you can talk about passing attempts, rushing attempts, they had the ball for I don’t know how many minutes; we didn’t,” Tomlin said.
“It’s all a culmination of not winning enough possession downs and possessing the ball, and they did. So, we are going to be short whatever way you cut it.”
The turning point came late in the half. Rookie Beanie Bishop capitalized on a tipped ball by linebacker Patrick Queen, intercepting Burrow and swinging momentum to Pittsburgh. Despite clock management concerns on the ensuing drive, Pittsburgh couldn’t capitalize. The Bengals added a field goal in the closing seconds of the half, leading 13-7 as both teams sought warmth in the locker room.
The second half saw Pittsburgh’s defense step up, stifling Cincinnati’s rhythm. Bishop’s interception and the improved play of Minkah Fitzpatrick energized the Steelers, keeping the game within reach.
The Bengals leaned on the foot of Cade York who connected on four field goals in handing the Bengals a hard-fought 19-17 victory.
The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 10-7. Despite the disappointment, the Steelers saw flashes of brilliance from young players like Bishop and possibly the final game for Harris in Pittsburgh as a Steeler.
Tomlin was asked about the clean slate given to the Steelers since the playoffs begin next week.
“I don’t know that you go clean slate,” Tomlin said. “You better learn from these lessons, you know what I mean? We’re a mentally tough group. It’s okay to learn from these lessons and remember the things that created this. Nothing mystical about it. That’s going to be my mentality and I’m going to relate that to the guys as we move into next week.”
As the AFC North continues to heat up, the Steelers face another division foe next week, needing a win and some scoreboard watching to keep their season alive. For now, Saturday’s battle served as a reminder of the razor-thin margins in one of football’s most competitive divisions.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
