A Firefight in the Jungle By Jared Brevak
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a sloppy game in Cincinnati on Thursday night, a result that felt both familiar and frustrating. Offensively they flashed, Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes and, despite two interceptions (one clearly on him), the passing game looked crisp at times. All three tight ends were in the mix, which mattered; Pat Freiermuth re-emerged as a reliable target and Darnell Washington continues to show he’s more than just size, carving out a role as a red‑zone threat. Young receiver Roman Wilson also made a few encouraging plays, and for stretches the offense held its own against a strong unit.
If the offense offered reasons for optimism, the defense delivered the opposite. A unit built and paid to be disruptive produced almost nothing: no turnovers and only two sacks against a 40‑year‑old quarterback who offered very little mobility. Mike Tomlin’s pregame suggestion to avoid constant blitzing is understandable in principle, but you can’t treat a near‑immobile veteran like a mobile signal‑caller and then fail to generate pressure. The Steelers largely abandoned their defensive identity; pressures were inconsistent, adjustments were scarce, and the pass defense looked flat. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins repeatedly won one‑on‑one matchups and consistently beat coverage, while Darius Slay and the secondary were picked apart more than once. It felt, at times, like the defense expected Cincinnati to be flat and overmatched — a dangerous misread, because the Bengals’ offense, for all its flaws, is loaded with playmakers.
What stood out in the loss was predictability. Every time Joe Flacco was in shotgun it felt obvious where the ball was going, and Pittsburgh rarely disguised coverages or dialed up creative pressure. That laziness in adjustment compounded missed assignments and allowed big plays to grow into momentum swings. When a defense doesn’t create turnovers or get after the quarterback, it gives the offense no margin for error; when your offense scores four touchdowns, you hope that will be enough, but only if the defense can make plays to flip the field.
Still, there were positives the Steelers can build on. Rodgers’ ability to connect for four TDs shows the offense can function at a high level when its parts are clicking. Seeing Freiermuth answer the bell after a quiet stretch was a welcome sight; he looked determined not to be forgotten and made a statement when called upon. Washington’s development is another encouraging subplot, and the little contributions from younger pieces like Wilson help deepen the receiving corps.
This kind of defeat, though maddening, fits a pattern Steelers fans have learned to accept: a team capable of excellent football that occasionally loses to squads it should handle. It’s not solely Mike Tomlin; this has been a franchise quirk stretching back through eras. The good news is Pittsburgh sits 4‑2 and still holds a respectable position in the AFC North. The schedule gets tougher from here, and Green Bay comes to town Sunday night in a matchup that will reveal more about this team’s trajectory.
I don’t think the sky is falling after one painful loss. If the Steelers drop the Green Bay game, the tone of the conversation changes, but until then the sensible course is to expect corrections. This team has shown it can bounce back before, and between a productive offense and a coaching staff that knows how to adjust, there’s reason to believe they will respond. For now, the loss stings, the defense must learn from its mistakes, and everyone waits to see whether the Steelers will return to form against the Packers.
(photo courtesy of NFL.com)