No sense doing a real markup of this performance. The Cincinnati defense was better than the Steelers offense in every aspect of the game. Seven of the Steelers’ 11 drives only lasted one series, including their only two possessions in the 4th quarter.
Roethlisberger probably played his worst game of the season. Even though he threw the ball 40 times, he only gained 171 yards and threw an interception. He just seemed generally off all game long. I’m not too worried about him, though. It’s only one game and it was pretty clear from the outset that the entire offensive unit was out of sync.
The Bengals played the Steelers offense very aggressively, which seems to be a recurring theme when the Steelers offense lays down a stinker. Teams that sit back in a zone — especially in the 4th quarter — have been picked apart with ease by Roethlisberger. But the teams that attack, like the Eagles last season and now the Bengals, have just overpowered the Steelers offense line and shut down the offense.
I expect the offense to bounce back well against the lowly Cheifs but defense coordinators would be wise to copy the aggressive attack the Bengals employed last Sunday.
