George Pickens goes off for 195 yards and two TDs, Steelers beat Bengals 34-11
This was the George Pickens game.
After taking some heavy criticism both externally and internally over the course of the week, Pickens was a star on Saturday as the Steelers beat the Bengals 34-11.
Pickens got the Steelers going with an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the team’s second play from scrimmage. Then he had a long catch to set up a field goal late in the second quarter. And he helped put the game away in the second half with a 66-yard touchdown.
While Pickens had just four catches on the day, he finished with a career-high 195 yards to help pace Pittsburgh’s offense.
He was catching passes from quarterback Mason Rudolph, who made his first start since 2021 with Kenny Pickett still dealing with an ankle injury and Mitch Trubisky ineffective. Rudolph finished 17-of-27 passing for 290 yards with a par of touchdowns — good for a 124.0 passer rating. Running back Najee Harris led with 19 carries for 78 yards with a TD.
Bengals quarterback Jake Browning was able to move the ball but made some critical errors for three interceptions. The first two in the first half led to Pittsburgh touchdowns. The third came in the fourth quarter and resulted in a field goal to give Pittsburgh 34 points.
Browning finished 28-of-42 for 335 yards with a touchdown along with three picks. Tee Higgins led with five catches for 140 yards, scoring an 80-yard touchdown early in the third quarter.
Already leading the league with 16.0 sacks, edge rusher T.J. Watt finished with a sack, four QB hits, a pass defensed, and a forced fumble.
Pittsburgh finished with 397 yards, 16 first downs, and was 7-of-14 in third-down efficiency.
The Bengals’ loss is good news for many of the other teams in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card spot — particularly the 8-6 Bills, who will play the Chargers on Saturday night on Peacock.
Now at 8-7, Cincinnati’s postseason chances have taken a significant hit, particularly because the loss came to an AFC opponent. The Bengals will play the Chiefs and Browns to end the season.
The Steelers effectively kept themselves in the hunt for a wild card spot with the win, improving their record to 8-7 and stopping a three-game losing streak. Pittsburgh will be at Seattle and at Baltimore over the next two weeks.
