Steelers vs. Bengals, Week 15: 1st quarter in-game update

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered Week 15 with an 11-2 record. You shouldn’t hear any complaining from players, coaches or fans with that record, right?

Wrong.

The Steelers have dropped back-to-back games to the Washington Football Team and Buffalo Bills, only averaging 19 points per game during the last four games. Things have been dreadful in Pittsburgh the past two weeks, and the thought isn’t just beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 on Monday Night Football, but doing it in dominating fashion.

Pittsburgh lost the opening coin toss, and the Bengals chose to defer their opening possession to the second half. What took place after was four consecutive series, two by both team, which resulted in a three and out.

On the Steelers’ third possession, with Roethlisberger under center for the first time of the game, the snap was fumbled and recovered by Cincinnati. After Ryan Finley found Tee Higgins for the first first down of the game, the drive was pushed backwards with a T.J. Watt sack on third down. It resulted in an Austin Seibert 34 yard field goal, making the score 3-0 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

The Steelers’ had no answer for the Cincinnati defense, and another three and out gave the ball right back to the Bengals. After a big completion from Finley to A.J. Green, it set up a 55-yard field goal attempt by Seibert which sailed wide right, giving the Steelers’ offense their best field position of the night.

After facing another 3rd and long, a pass caught by JuJu Smith-Schuster was jarred out by Vonn Bell, and recovered by Cincinnati. It was the Steelers’ second turnover of the quarter, and gave the Bengals great field position to end the first quarter.