PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers scored more points in the first half than they did in all but four of their games this season on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium as Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 34-11.
The Steelers first touchdown, the longest passing TD since 2018 (Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster at Denver), as on the second Steelers play of the game, an 86-yard pass from Mason Rudolph to George Pickens. The second-yard receiver took a slant and went the rest of the 72 yards for a 7-0 lead.
Following a Patrick Peterson interception in the end zone, his 37th most by any active player, Steelers needed 10 plays to drive 80 yards to take a 14-0 lead. Rudolph hit on passing plays of 12, 18 and 14 yards. The touchdown on an inside handful to receiver Calvin Austin as he went the final seven yards, helped by a pancake block by running back Jaylen Warren.
The third TD came after safety Eric Rowe, in his first game with the Steelers activated off the practice squad, intercepted a Jake Browning pass and returned it to the Bengals 14-yard line.
Rudolph ran into the heart of the Cincinnati defense on third-and-six, getting hit hard, but not before gaining seven yards. Najee Harris would score on a three-yard run on the next play.
It was the most points the Steelers scored in a first half since October 25, 2020, at Tennessee. Roethlisberger threw two touchdowns to Diontae Johnson in that first half.
Rudolph threw for 193 yards, Pickens had three catches for 129 yards, Harris ran for 47 yards as the defense forced a pair of turnovers and another forced fumble.