At the center of this football epic was Ja’Marr Chase, who etched his name into the annals of NFL history with a franchise-record 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. On a night when every yard was a battle and every catch felt monumental, Chase surpassed 6,000 career receiving yards, becoming just the fifth-fastest player in league history to reach that mark. His partnership with newly arrived quarterback Joe Flacco was the stuff of legend—Flacco, in only his second week in stripes, looked like a man reborn, slinging 342 yards and three touchdowns, orchestrating seven scoring drives, and showing the icy composure that has haunted the Steelers for years.
The drama began with Pittsburgh racing out to a 10-0 lead behind Aaron Rodgers and his new favorite target, tight end Pat Freiermuth, who would finish with 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns. But turnovers would spell doom for the Steelers. Safety Jordan Battle and corner DJ Turner II both intercepted Rodgers in the first half, turning the tide and setting up a Bengals onslaught. The Bengals, who had gone 30 straight first-half possessions without a touchdown, suddenly struck twice—first with Chase outmuscling Jalen Ramsey for a score, then with Tee Higgins racing in for another touchdown after a pinpoint Flacco slant.
Cincinnati’s much-maligned ground game found new life as Chase Brown broke loose for 108 yards, including runs of 28 and 37 yards that electrified the home crowd and kept the Steelers’ defense off balance. The Bengals would finish with 142 rushing yards—a season high—countering Pittsburgh’s own 147 on the ground, in a game that defied both teams’ statistical tendencies.
The fourth quarter unfolded like a Greek tragedy for the Steelers. After Rodgers hit Freiermuth for a jaw-dropping 68-yard touchdown to retake the lead with just over two minutes left, it seemed Pittsburgh had finally slammed the door. But the Bengals, undaunted, answered with surgical precision. Flacco found Higgins for a 28-yard strike, setting up kicker Evan McPherson to deliver his fourth field goal of the night—a 36-yarder with seven seconds remaining that sent the crowd of 66,569 into delirium.
It was a night of milestones and shattered records: Chase joined legends Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as the only receivers with 6,000+ yards and 50+ touchdowns in their first five seasons. Flacco, the oldest QB in Bengals history to win his home debut, moved up to 15th on the all-time passing list. And Cincinnati, left for dead after four straight losses, suddenly sits just 1.5 games back in the AFC North, holding the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh.
The postgame scene was one of jubilation and catharsis. “I’m really proud of our guys. We’ve sat in this locker room for the last four weeks and talked about it. The guys are putting in the right work. They’re about the right stuff,” coach Zac Taylor said. Flacco, grinning like a man half his age, reflected, “Man, it’s a lot of fun. This is what we do it for, games like that. It came down to the wire.” For the Steelers, tough questions loom as they prepare for a treacherous stretch against the Packers and Colts. For the Bengals, the future suddenly glows with possibility. With Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase rewriting the script, Cincinnati has rediscovered its swagger—and the rest of the AFC North is officially on notice. Relive the unforgettable moments and see all the game action in the Steelers vs Bengals Game Action | GAME PHOTOS and catch highlights on NFL.com.