We’ll avoid the obvious Rudolph jokes from the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game and say congratulations to the Steelers for cooling off the recently-hot Bengals, who looked to be rallying even after losing quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Steelers got the job done on Saturday and defeated the Bengals by the somewhat-odd score of 34-11 (Rudolph hits Pickens for 2 long touchdowns, Steelers end 3-game skid with 34-11 win over Bengals), stopped a three-game losing streak, and did both behind the return to the lineup of thought-to-be-done quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Rudolph and George Pickens connected for two huge – and we mean huge – touchdowns, one for an 86-yarder and another a 66- yarder in the win. It was Rudolph’s first start since 2021, and Pickens’ best game ever. He only had four catches, but made the most of it: four for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph completed 17-of-27 passes for 290 yards and the two scores.
Burrow’s replacement, former University of Washington standout Jake Browning, had been red-hot in recent weeks, and did throw for 335 yards on Saturday, but he also threw three interceptions in the loss.
Both teams are now 8-7. The worse news for Cincinnati: they have to go to Kansas City next Sunday. Pittsburgh has to go to Seattle next Sunday.
