CINCINNATI BENGALS
(Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 p.m. at Acriscure Stadium and Sunday, Nov. 15, 8:20 p.m. at Paycor Stadium)
Series (including playoffs): Steelers 72-41
Last meeting: Steelers 34, Bengals 12 (2025 at Pittsburgh)
Coaching: HC: Zac Taylor; OC: Dan Pitcher; DC: Al Golden; STC: Darrin Simmons
2025: 6-11, third in AFC North Division (17th total offense; 31st total defense)
The NFL's No. 1 passing offense in 2024 took a big blow in the second game of 2025 when quarterback Joe Burrow suffered ligament damage in his left big toe. Surgery for turf toe caused Burrow to miss nine games, during which the Bengals went 1-8. The lone win occurred on a Thursday night against the visiting Steelers, when the Bengals rallied for a 33-31 win on a 36-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining. The Steelers won the second meeting a month later, 34-12. Burrow returned a game later, a win at Baltimore, and guided the Bengals to a 3-3 finish. The Bengals were 5-3 with Burrow as the starter.
The Bengals defense also suffered a critical blow when 2024 NFL sack king Trey Hendrickson suffered a hip/pelvis injury and finished 2025 with only 4 sacks in seven games. The Bengals went on to finish next-to-last in overall defense, forcing an overhaul of their front.
Key returnees
* QB Burrow missed more than half of 2025 but he was still named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his six-year career.
* QB Joe Flacco was acquired from the Browns on Oct. 7 last year and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his 18-year career. Flacco returns for his 19th season as a 41-year-old backup.
* WR Ja'Marr Chase was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his five-year NFL career. Chase was targeted an NFL-high 185 times and he finished third in the NFL with 125 receptions. He was fourth with 1,412 receiving yards. In the first meeting against the Steelers last season, Chase set franchise and Steelers opponents records with 16 receptions (161 yards, 1 touchdown).
* WR Tee Higgins joins Chase as the other half of the Bengals' dynamic receiving duo. In making his first Pro Bowl in six NFL seasons, Higgins caught 59 passes for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns.
Key losses
* DE/OLB Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, but a training-camp holdout led to a slow start in 2025, and injury cost him the second half of the season. Hendrickson signed a four-year deal with the Ravens in free agency. He'll turn 32 in December.
* FS Geno Stone was brought in to replace Jessie Bates III two years ago, and Stone played well in 2024. But his 20% missed-tackle rate last season was the highest on a defense that led the NFL in missed tackles. He signed a one-year deal with the Bills.
* DE Joseph Ossai received more playing time last season due to Hendrickson's injury and made a career-high 9 tackles for loss. The 26-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Jets the first week of free agency.
Offseason additions
* DT Dexter Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle whom the Bengals acquired from the Giants for the 10th pick of the 2026 draft (OT Francis Mauigoa). The 340-pound Lawrence had averaged 5 sacks per each of his previous five seasons until compiling a career-low 0.5 sacks in 17 games last season. The Giants were 31st in overall run defense last season and finished last in allowing 5.3 yards per rush.
* DE/OLB Boye Mafe was signed away from the champion Seahawks the first week of free agency. In 17 games (4 starts) last season, Mafe had a career-low 2 sacks. The Seahawks' second-round pick in 2022 is part of the Bengals' attempt to replace Hendrickson on the edge.
* DT Jonathan Allen signed a two-year contract in free agency to help Lawrence along the new Bengals defensive front. A two-time Pro Bowler with the Commanders, the 300-pound Allen started 17 games last season for the Vikings and matched his career high with 68 tackles. He also had 3.5 sacks. The 31-year-old is entering his 10th NFL season.
* FS Bryan Cook signed a three-year contract in free agency to replace Stone on the back end. A starter the last two seasons for the Chiefs, Cook made 163 tackles in 34 starts. The fifth-year pro has 3 career interceptions.
Days 1 & 2 draft picks
Round 2: DE/OLB Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, is penciled in behind Myles Murphy on the Bengals' left side, but will also receive work along with Mafe and last year's top pick, Shemar Stewart, in replacing Hendrickson on the right side. Howell is a 253-pounder with 4.59 40 speed. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year with 11.5 sacks.
Round 3: DB Tacario Davis, Washington, is a 6-foot-4 cornerback who could eventually end up at free safety. He made 29 starts the last three seasons (two seasons at Arizona) with 3 interceptions.
Familiar face
Kyle Dugger stepped into an emergency injury situation when the Steelers traded for him last October. Dugger was thrust into the lineup against the Colts, and two weeks later returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown against the Bengals. Dugger started the final 10 games (including the playoffs) for the Steelers before signing a one-year contract with the Bengals in free agency. He's currently their second-team strong safety behind Jordan Battle.
Matching up with the Steelers
The two games last season illustrate the difference between winning and losing against the Bengals. In the first meeting,, the Steelers tried to play more man coverage against the Bengals' outstanding pass-catchers. But Flacco threw for 342 yards, of which 257 went to Chase and Higgins. Next Gen Stats had Chase's 16 receptions divided in half against man and zone coverage.
In the second meeting, James Pierre replaced cornerback Darius Slay Jr. and the Steelers used more double coverage to hold the Chase-Higgins combo to 6 receptions for 93 yards and a single touchdown. The Steelers also, defensively, used more of their three-outside linebacker package the second game, and middle rusher Nick Herbig pressured Flacco into serving up the play of the game, a 73-yard interception return by Dugger for a touchdown.
