Steelers report card: Grading Pittsburgh after offensive explosion vs. Bengals

Well, many thought the black and gold would have to score plenty of points to beat the Bengals, and they did just that. Pittsburgh's offense was on fire, and it allowed the team to come back after going down a score early. They never wavered in their efforts and attacked a poor Cincinnati defense. Just because the Bengals defensive group is bad, doesn't mean what the offense did was any less spectacular.

It wasn't a pretty win, especially after the black and gold allowed the Bengals to get within six points fairly quickly towards the end of the game. The Steelers were able to do enough on offense and come up with some big plays on defense to keep this within winning distance. Both teams produced an offensive matchup that surprisingly saw a sputtering Pittsburgh offense find a way to remain consistent.

Steelers offense report card grade: A

There is not enough praise that you could lay out for the Steeler's offense in this game. They were able to go from throwing a questionable pick-six on their first drive to turning things around in a hurry. They scored 44 points, which is the biggest output since 2018. They found success in both halves and remained on the gas pedal rather than slack off when they got to a comfortable lead.

Russell Wilson had one of the best games of his career, which is saying something for a player who is a borderline Hall of Fame talent. The Steelers were able to do enough on the ground, and almost every weapon on offense got involved to some degree. Other than a couple of issues throughout the game, this was a perfect confidence booster for the black and gold's offense moving forward.

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Steelers defense report card grade: C+

Going into the game, it seemed pretty obvious that the Steeler's defense would show signs of struggle in this matchup. Sadly, for those who cheer on the black and gold, the defense was more of a letdown than expected. They allowed 38 points in this game, which would have been a disaster if the offense didn't bail them out. That late-game drive to allow the Bengals to pull within six points was a massive red flag.

They allowed too many points, but that could be taken with a grain of salt. They were able to come up with some impactful turnovers. Two forced fumbles, with one landing the Steelers a touchdown on the return. They also had an interception. Creating those changed the course of this game, especially in the second half. It was still an ugly day for the Steelers defense, but they did enough to win the battle.

Steelers special teams report card grade: B

Not much to report when it comes to the Steelers special teams unit against the Bengals. Chris Boswell remains the story of the show for Pittsburgh. He has been consistent all year and he might be the best kicker in the NFL at the moment. He did miss a field goal in this game, but he was three for four in tries and made all of his extra-point attempts for the Black and Gold.

Corliss Waitman has only punted the football twice over the past two weeks. That is a crazy number to wrap your head around, especially with how poor the offense has been in recent years. Waitman had a solid punt, but that was the little work he had besides holding the ball for Boswell's kicks. Big shoutout to Connor Heyward who recovered the Bengals onside kick attempt.