Was the Monday night thrashing more about Steelers improvement or the Bengals ineptitude?

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to manhandle the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 4, and while they notched their first win of the 2019 season, there are still questions surrounding the team.

For fans of the black-and-gold, they want to know whether this offense turning to a gimmick like the Wildcat is a sign of things to come, or mere desperation on the part of offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner? Does the offensive coaching staff actually trust Mason Rudolph to win a game? What about the offensive line? Although they didn’t allow a sack, the push up the middle has been mediocre at best.

Then there is the flip side of the coin. The Bengals.

The 0-4 Bengals are a team in transition with rookie coach Zach Taylor at the helm. They had long been viewed as bottom feeders of the AFC North, and they seem to be living up to that billing after the first quarter of the season.

But was the 27-3 win more about the ineptitude of the Bengals than anything else? After all, the Cincinnati offensive line allowed 8 sacks of Andy Dalton and 12 QB hits. Those numbers are ridiculous, but then again the Steelers have to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

I’m not suggesting the Steelers need to apologize for their win over a sub-par team, something which hasn’t been a guarantee under Mike Tomlin, but it does beg the question of whether the Week 4 win was more about the Steelers turning the corner, or just how bad the Bengals are this year?

Let us know what you think by voting in the poll below, and be sure to explain your answer in the comment section below!