Steelers record first win of 2019 vs Bengals on MNF

The Steelers let all the stops out against the Bengals in prime time. The kryptonite the Steelers were exposed to the previous three weeks were crushed in a balanced attack against Cincinnati.

After a scoreless first quarter from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the grumbles in Heinz Field were felt. Rookie Diontae Johnson put the ball on the turf and it led to the Bengals drawing first blood with a field goal. Despite not putting points on the board until quarter number two, the offense sustained a couple of drives.

The first quarter saw a four-minute drive end in a turnover on downs. The Steelers at that point kept the ball rolling and executed behind an uptempo attack.

Mason Rudolph didn’t have to do anything flashy; he only had to take what the defense was giving him. Believe it or not, it worked to near perfection. Rudolph finished the night 24 of 28 passing, 229 yards, and another pair of touchdowns.

Through the first half, Rudolph only had one incompletion as he led the offense to a season-tying amount of points in the first half with 10. Not only was his performance solid, but the running back duo of Conner and Samuels was excellent.

Jaylen Samuels was used early and often in this game, as opposed to last week. It paid off as he recorded 18 touches for 83 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals oftentimes did not have an answer for the wildcat formation. Samuels feasted with pop passes and keepers. Not only was he a threat in the wildcat, but he made a few plays in the passing game – picking up multiple drives continuing first downs.

The offense did exactly what it needed to do: execute, sustain drives, and put points on the board. This, of course, helped the defense put together a fantastic performance.

The defense took advantage of not being on the field for over 70 plays, as they looked fresh, fast, and physical. It was what you would expect against a bad Bengals offense.

Andy Dalton was hurried, harassed, and smacked around consistently. There was nowhere for the ‘Red Rifle’ to hide as he was sacked 8 times and hit a total of 12 times on 45 dropbacks.

The Steelers defense, for the first time, held a team under 200 yards of offense, 2.7 yards per play, and not a single touchdown. The only points for the Bengals came off the Johnson fumble deep in Steelers territory.

A lot of folks will say the Steelers simply beat up a bad team. To that I say, isn’t that what they’re supposed to do? Through three weeks they hung in there in two of three games vs good teams. They dominated a bad team.

Things are looking up for the Steelers after this win, but they will have a big test against a tough Baltimore Ravens team rolling into Heinz Field in six days. We’ll recap the win and preview the Ravens game on this week’s Steel City Down South Podcast. A solid win, however, gives some hope for the remainder of the 2019 season.

Here we go Steelers!