The Cincinnati Bengals suffered their first loss of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, falling 30-27 in a game they had every chance to win. Joe Burrow still delivered 282 yards and three touchdowns, while Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both produced strong performances.

However, costly mistakes ultimately overshadowed an offense that struggled to create enough explosive plays.

Cincinnati scored on five of its first six offensive possessions, but the attack rarely looked capable of completely taking control. The Bengals repeatedly moved the football without consistently producing the chunk plays needed to put Pittsburgh away. Burrow’s late fumble then ended Cincinnati’s final opportunity to respond.

Burrow addressed that issue during his latest press conference, highlighting a problem that extends beyond one disappointing afternoon.

“We've been running it good. We can be a lot better. We've been efficient, not explosive, and we need to try something to find those explosive plays. Just like we do in the pass game.”

That is an important distinction for Cincinnati. The offense is moving the chains and creating opportunities, but Burrow clearly wants more game-changing plays from both the rushing and passing attacks. If the Bengals can add that explosiveness, their offense could become considerably more dangerous.

Joe Burrow Has Already Shown He Can Carry Cincinnati

Burrow has started 2026 strongly, completing 70.9% of his passes for 743 yards, six touchdowns and one interception through three games. He has also produced 11 completions of at least 20 yards, showing that the big-play ability is already there.

The problem is making those explosive moments more consistent. Cincinnati cannot afford to rely on Burrow constantly producing perfect football while the offense settles for efficiency.

That makes Burrow’s call for change particularly significant. The Bengals already have the quarterback and weapons to create explosive plays. Now, they need to find the formula that brings those plays out more often.

Written by

Joseph Nithin