Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Match Player Stats (Nov 16, 2025)

Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 34 to 12 at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025. Kenneth Gainwell caught seven passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns while Mason Rudolph completed 12 of 16 attempts for 127 yards after replacing injured Aaron Rodgers at halftime. Complete Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals match player stats shows Pittsburgh dominated across all phases, with the defense scoring twice in the second half.

Pittsburgh improved to 6 and 4 while maintaining first place in the AFC North. Cincinnati dropped to 3 and 7 as Kyle Dugger returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown and James Pierre scored on a 34 yard fumble return in front of 66,132 fans.

Quarterback Battle

The passing stats showed contrasting fortunes for both teams’ signal callers.

Steelers Signal Callers

Rodgers started efficiently before a left wrist injury ended his day at halftime. Rodgers, 41, threw to tight end Darnell Washington for a 31 yard gain on Pittsburgh’s final drive of the second quarter, leading to Chris Boswell’s 25 yard field goal. He also scrambled for eight yards on third and four to extend the same possession.

T.J. Watt hit Rodgers twice during that final drive of the half, both drawing roughing the passer penalties. Rodgers was listed as questionable to return but stayed in the locker room. Coach Mike Tomlin said Rodgers would undergo further testing Monday.

Rudolph took over in the third quarter and completed 75 percent of his passes while protecting the football. His five yard touchdown pass to Gainwell with 3:40 remaining made it 27 to 12.

“We talked in the locker room, and he said, ‘hey, you’re going,'” Rudolph said of Rodgers.

Rudolph’s comfort in Pittsburgh’s system showed immediately. On third and 11 from the Steelers 36, he found Roman Wilson for 17 yards. On third and 17, he hit Washington for exactly 17 yards after the tight end got past safety Geno Stone.

Bengals Passing Attack

Flacco posted his worst performance since joining Cincinnati. Flacco, 40, completed just 57.5 percent of his throws for his lowest yardage total in five starts with the Bengals. His 28 yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins in the first quarter marked his only scoring throw.

Watt’s pressure continued throughout. Early in the game, Watt hit Flacco and drew a roughing penalty for driving the quarterback’s shoulder into the turf. That same shoulder has an AC joint injury that limits Flacco to one practice per week. Late in the third quarter, Watt collapsed the pocket again and forced the errant throw that Dugger intercepted.

“I was trying to wrap it around that guy,” Flacco said of the interception. “Kind of saw him sitting there and felt like there was a lot of room in the middle of the field trying to wrap Tee in there. I thought there was room in there, and kind of got bumped and couldn’t get the ball where I wanted it.”

Wind conditions affected both quarterbacks. Game time weather recorded 17 mph winds with gusts reaching higher. Flacco said postgame he’d never seen wind like that in Pittsburgh, though he claimed it wasn’t a major factor. Both quarterbacks completed under 60 percent of passes, well below their season averages, suggesting conditions had more impact than either admitted.

Ground Game Breakdown

Rushing stats favored the Bengals in efficiency with time of possession nearly even.

Pittsburgh Rush Attack

Warren averaged 6.2 yards per carry despite suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter. Warren’s explosiveness showed early on the opening drive when he ran for 35 yards on a cutback to the Cincinnati 12, setting up Rodgers’ first touchdown pass.

Warren’s ankle injury shifted more work to Gainwell as the game progressed. Warren’s second half workload decreased, with Gainwell getting the bulk of touches despite averaging less than three yards per attempt.

“I value him as a football player first,” Tomlin said of Gainwell. “We saw a lot of that, man, on his Philadelphia tape. He’s good in a lot of areas, including special teams.”

Cincinnati Running Backs

Brown came within one yard of his fourth straight 100 yard rushing game. Brown totaled 127 yards from scrimmage, carrying the offensive production for Cincinnati. His 35 yard burst on the first play of the second half led to Evan McPherson’s 43 yard field goal that cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 10 to 9.

Brown also caught six passes for 28 yards, serving as Flacco’s checkdown when coverage took away downfield options.

Pass Catching Leaders

Pittsburgh receivers outperformed Cincinnati’s pass catchers.

Steelers Receivers

Gainwell posted career highs across the board. Sunday’s performance marked new personal bests, with 81 yards on seven receptions while reaching the end zone twice. The 105 total yards from scrimmage represented his best game as a Steeler.

Gainwell’s biggest catch came on first and 23 in the fourth quarter. After a penalty pushed Pittsburgh back, Rudolph threw a screen pass to Gainwell, who turned it into a 28 yard gain. Two plays later, Rudolph connected with him for the five yard touchdown that made it 27 to 12.

Washington delivered his best NFL performance. Washington used his 6-7, 300-pound frame against defenders. On his 31 yard reception in the second quarter, Washington caught a short pass from Rodgers over the middle, then knocked linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. to the ground. Washington ran over two more defenders before being brought down.

Metcalf had eight targets but posted five catches for 49 yards. Production declined for Metcalf after early season success, totaling just 96 yards over the past three games.

Bengals Pass Catchers

Higgins extended his touchdown streak to four games with a 28 yard catch in the first quarter. Higgins beat linebacker Jack Sawyer in coverage and caught Flacco’s pass in front of safety Jalen Ramsey.

Chase recorded three catches for 30 yards on 10 targets after catching 16 passes for 161 yards in Week 7. Pittsburgh deployed two high safeties more frequently, a stark change from the single high look they showed in Cincinnati.

“They probably had a couple guys on him more often than they did in the first game,” Flacco said. “We knew they were going to make adjustments and come in here and play better than they did the first time we played them.”

Pittsburgh acquired Dugger from New England on October 30, two weeks after their first meeting with Cincinnati. His addition allowed Pittsburgh to shift Ramsey from cornerback to safety, giving them more flexibility in coverage. Two high safety coverage prevented Chase from getting single coverage downfield, forcing Flacco to check down to running backs and tight ends.

Chase’s frustration escalated in the fourth quarter. He got into an altercation with Ramsey, with both players drawing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. On the next play, they re-engaged after the whistle. Ramsey claimed Chase spit on him, which Chase denied. Video showed spittle coming from Chase’s mouth while he and Ramsey were facemask to facemask, hitting the top of Ramsey’s jersey.

Ramsey threw a punch and got ejected. The officials didn’t see anything warranting Chase’s removal. Referee Bill Vinovich said his crew did not see “anything that rose to that level at all” regarding the spitting allegation.

“He didn’t like some of the words I told him,” Chase said. “We’ve been going back and forth the whole time.”

Ramsey’s penalty gave Cincinnati the ball at the Pittsburgh 29. Instead of capitalizing, the Bengals moved backward over the next eight plays before settling for McPherson’s 48 yard field goal.

Defensive Performances

Defensive stats highlighted Pittsburgh’s game-changing plays and Cincinnati’s missed tackle issues.

Steelers Defense

Patrick Queen had 10 tackles from his linebacker position after signing with Pittsburgh in the offseason. He tracked down ball carriers throughout the afternoon.

Dugger shifted the game’s direction. Cincinnati trailed just 13 to 9 and had driven to the Pittsburgh 35. Facing third and nine with under a minute left in the third quarter, Flacco dropped back. Herbig and Watt rushed from opposite edges, collapsing the pocket. Watt got his hand on Flacco from the middle, forcing an off balance throw toward Higgins.

Dugger read the route perfectly, stepping in front at the 26 yard line. He caught the ball cleanly and returned it untouched to the end zone, a 73 yard interception return that made it 20 to 9 with 37 seconds left in the third.

“He’s a veteran player that’s a been there, done that guy,” Tomlin said. “That’s why we coveted him at the trade deadline.”

Pierre added the final score. With 3:34 remaining and Cincinnati trailing 27 to 12, Flacco hit Fant on a short route. Echols forced a fumble and Pierre scooped it at the 34 yard line, returning it for a touchdown to make it 34 to 12.

Pierre started in place of Darius Slay, who entered concussion protocol during the week. He had six tackles, two passes defensed, and the fumble recovery touchdown.

“He’s grown throughout the years,” Tomlin said of Pierre. “There’s a veteran high level of consistency that we’re seeing right now.”

Herbig recorded Pittsburgh’s only sack, dropping Flacco for seven yards in the fourth quarter.

Bengals Defense

Burks tied Stone for the team lead with nine tackles. He played 37 snaps, his second most of the season, matching time with rookie Demetrius Knight Jr. next to Barrett Carter. Burks played more after Cam Taylor-Britt left in the first half with a left foot injury. Cincinnati shuffled their rotation to compensate.

Myles Murphy posted career highs with seven tackles and a sack of Rodgers in the second quarter. The 2023 first round pick from Clemson now has 2.5 sacks through 10 games.

Taylor-Britt didn’t return after his first half injury. Taylor-Britt was on crutches in the locker room postgame.

Cincinnati also lost edge rusher Cam Sample to an oblique injury before halftime. Sample played just nine snaps, pushing Cedric Johnson into a career high 29 snaps. Trey Hendrickson missed his second straight game with a hip injury.

Cincinnati held Pittsburgh to 13 points through three quarters before the collapse. They forced four punts in the first half and kept the Steelers’ rushing attack to four yards per carry. Missed tackles on third down conversions stopped them from getting key stops.

“It was one of the better games they played,” Taylor said of his defense. “They gave us those opportunities, only allowing 10 points going into halftime.”

Rudolph converted crucial third downs by dumping passes to running backs who gained yards after contact. On Pittsburgh’s field goal drive in the third quarter, Rudolph faced third and 11 from his 36. He threw to Gainwell on a two yard pass. Linebacker Barrett Carter missed the tackle and Gainwell picked up the first down. On third and 17, Washington caught a short pass and pushed past Stone for the conversion.

Kicking Game

Chris Boswell converted all six attempts for Pittsburgh, hitting from 25 and 30 yards while making all four extra points. Evan McPherson connected from 43 and 48 yards for Cincinnati but never attempted an extra point. The Bengals failed on their two point conversion try after Higgins’ touchdown, with Patrick Queen stopping Chase Brown short of the goal line on a wildcat run.

Turning Points

Game statistics show two defensive scores turned a close contest into a blowout. Pittsburgh led just 13 to 9 when Dugger’s interception return increased the lead to 20 to 9. Cincinnati never recovered.

Herbig’s block on Dugger’s return gave the safety open space downfield. He sealed off a defender, allowing Dugger to score.

Pierre’s fumble recovery touchdown came at 3:22, turning a two score game into a rout. Echols punched the ball from Fant’s grasp on a routine catch, and Pierre was positioned to recover and score.

Pittsburgh converted seven of 13 third downs while Cincinnati went seven of 15. The Steelers forced two turnovers, with both resulting in touchdowns.

“We lose the turnover battle two to nothing. That’s how it’s going to play out,” Taylor said. “They tackled better, they won the turnover battle 2 to 0, and that’s the recipe for success.”

Time of possession split nearly even at 30:05 for Pittsburgh and 29:55 for Cincinnati. The Steelers scored on two of four red zone trips while the Bengals went zero for two inside the 20.

Division Race Impact

Pittsburgh improved to 6 and 4 while staying alone in first place in the AFC North. That win gave them a one game cushion over Baltimore with seven contests remaining. The division race remains tight heading into the final stretch of the season.

Cincinnati fell to 3 and 7, their playoff hopes nearly extinguished. Only two teams in NFL history started 3 and 7 and reached the postseason: the 2020 Washington Football Team and 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars. Both won terrible divisions. The Bengals face a much tougher path with Pittsburgh and Baltimore ahead of them.

Rudolph’s steady performance gave Pittsburgh confidence in their quarterback depth at the most critical position.

“Coming back here, just so much comfortability,” Rudolph said. “It really feels like home.”

For detailed play by play coverage, the complete box score and advanced metrics are available on Pro Football Reference.

Cincinnati’s defensive struggles continued. They’ve allowed 27 or more points in nine straight games, tying the second longest streak in NFL history.

“It’s just a shame the way that we’re kind of not matching each other right now and playing both sides as well as we can at the same time,” Flacco said of the disconnect between offense and defense.

Pittsburgh travels to Chicago in Week 12 to face Caleb Williams and the Bears. Cincinnati hosts New England, winners of eight straight games and sitting at 9 and 2.

Full postgame analysis and quotes from both locker rooms can be found in the official Steelers game recap and Bengals postgame coverage.

This match summary and statistical breakdown from Week 11 highlighted Pittsburgh’s balanced effort. Gainwell’s receiving production, Rudolph’s relief appearance, and the defense’s two touchdowns combined for a decisive victory that strengthened the Steelers’ playoff position.