Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Steelers 23-20 overtime win over the Bengals in Week 1

Knee-jerk reactions are immediate responses to a situation without taking the time to analyze the situation. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do. Especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (or not). So with that being said, I’m going to employ that philosophy here during Week 1 of the NFL Regular Season. Yes!!! Finally into some regular season football!

1st Quarter

• I feel like it's totally official now. The post Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh has begun.
• Steelers will receive the kickoff. Touchback, they will start on the 25.
• Couple of short plays to start will leave the Steelers with their first look at third down. I do like that they're playing hurry up in the offense.
• Steelers come up short and Tomlin is going to start his season off throwing a challenge flag. We know how these usually go.
• As per usual Tomlin fails on a challenge.
• Cameron Heyward makes his presence felt on the very first defensive play. That would be sack number one on the season.
• Minkah with a pick six!!!!!!!!!
• Boswell knocks through the extra point. Steelers 7, Bengals 0.
• I am sitting here still trying to figure out what just happened, but I will take it all day long.
• On third and seven it’s nice to see Robert Spillane getting pulled for an extra 4 yards to give up the first down.
• T.J. Watt knocks the ball up in the air, too bad we couldn't get a Steeler underneath of it.
• Alex Highsmith with the third-down sack!
• Bengals are trying a 59-yard field goal attempt. It's good. Steelers 7, Bengals 3.
• On third down and five, Trubisky throws deep for Boykin, but it's just out of his reach. Haven't seen enough offense yet to form much of an opinion.
• The defense is hitting the running back around the line of scrimmage every play, but still giving up 5 yards. Someone needs to hit him and bring him down where they hit him.
• A Cam Sutton interception is overturned because he interfered with the receiver. That could have been huge.
• The next play is a turnover! Cam Hayward ends up with the football, after Highsmith hits the quarterback.
• Some crazy trickery on that play ends up with Freiermuth inside the 5-yard line.
• Back-to-back runs by Najee get nothing.
• The Steelers cannot punch it in and settle for a Boswell field goal. Steelers 10, Bengals 3.
• The defense is giving up a few yards, we'll see if they can shut it down.
• End of the first quarter. Steelers 10, Bengals 3.

2nd Quarter

• Hey what do you know Spillane can't bring a quarterback down short of the line again either. He is not the guy to have in there on third down.
• Watt! Watt!
• First the play in the backfield, followed by an INT! Three turnovers for the defense!
• Claypool with a nice run. Getting close to field goal territory.
• Zach Gentry with his first catch gets it inside the 10-yard line.
• Wow, how did Claypool catch that?
• Pickens drew the flag on 3rd down.
• Najee Harris with the TD catch!!! Steelers 17, Bengals 3.
• The defense gets the Bengals to a third down, but Burrow was given way too much time to find an open receiver.
• Cam Sutton with an INT! Penalty on Minkah enforced between downs.
• Can you believe the defense has created four first half turnovers?
• Unfortunately the offense goes three and out.
• Bengals have a fourth and 1 and are going to go for it. Can the defense stand strong? No they give up a big run to Mixon, going inside the 5-yard line.
• The defense holds strong inside the five and will force a field goal attempt. It's good. Steelers 17, Bengals 6.
• That's the half, Steelers in the lead 17 to 6.

3rd Quarter

• The defense holds the Bengals to a three and out to start the second half.
• Trubisky dodged the bullet on that one. Could have been a safety.
• Steelers convert the third and two. That gets them out of a little bit of a hole there.
• The Bengals are really pursuing the run hard. That could be taken advantage of potentially.
• After that initial first down the offense looked terrible the next three plays and the Steelers will punt.
• That would have been a nice place to see Harvin boom a punt, but instead it was average and the Bengals will start in Steelers territory.
• I don't like some of these 10 and 11 yard swing passes Cincinnati is being allowed to make to their running backs.
• Right now just not real confident in the look of the defense.
• Watt with the sack!
• But the very next play I am back to not having super confidence in the defense and the Bengals are now inside the five-yard line again.
• Touchdown Cincinnati. I feel like they have now grabbed the momentum.
• Cincinnati going for two trying to cut it to a three-point lead. They get it easily and the score is now Steelers 17 Bengals 14.
• The offense quickly gets themselves to a third down. Any chance of a conversion? Trubisky able to run it for the first down.
• Another quick two plays in the Steelers are looking at third and six again.
• Trubisky runs for the first again, but Dan Moore was called for holding.
• The offense has not shown the ability to move the ball consistently today. Without more big plays by the defense it will be tough for the Steelers to win this game.
• End of the third quarter. Steelers 17, Bengals 14.

4th Quarter

• The defense converges for sack number 6 on the day.
• The defense holds and forces a punt.
• Gunner O. with a nice return of 20 yards in the Cincinnati territory.
• The Steelers inability to pick up any yards on first down has really put them behind the chains all day.
• Steelers after two plays find themselves with another third down. Throw in the fact that Mason Cole is now on the ground hurt and things look worse and worse for the Steelers.
• Quick pitch and catch to Diontae Johnson, and the Steelers convert for a first down. Definitely in field goal range now.
• There are times where the offense just looks totally out of sync and very ugly. Now they have a third and 10.
• Bad snap followed by Trubisky running for his life and it's now 4th and 10.
• Great camera work there as they show none of the field goal attempt by Boswell, but it was good. Steelers 20, Bengals 14.
• After jumping off sides the defense then gives up a big play and I'm sure the Bengals will take the play.
• On 4th and 6th just in the Steelers territory looks like the Bengals will go for it. Can't say that I blame them here.
• Picked off by Witherspoon!
• Finally a run by Najee that nets 10 yards.
• Steelers face a third and four and really could use this conversion. Trubisky turns and throws it to nobody.
• Well, in what I expect to be the theme of a lot of games this year it will come down to the defense being able to stop Cincinnati to give the Steelers a chance.
• The first play doesn't give me much confidence.
• Two plays and the Bengals are already down to the Steelers 30.
• Watt!!!! With a sack on third down. Now there's a late flag? A hold on Cam Sutton?
• Are we going to share the play that was a hold? Of course not because I'm sure it was a phantom call. Okay so it was probably a hold.
• The defense had better gather themselves and stand strong here.
• Bengals are now first in goal inside the one. Doesn't look good for the Steelers.
• Highsmith shaken up.
• It's a 2-minute warning the Steelers have forced a fourth and goal for the Bengals.
• The defense makes the play and the Steelers take over. Now the question is can the offense run out the clock.
• What is this flag I'm seeing now again? Talk about a very late flag coming into play. Okay got to love it, they hit Jamar Chase with an unsportsmanlike.
• Najee is down and in tremendous pain. This is not looking good at all. Luckily he's hopped up. But he was hurting.
• Cincinnati holds onto their time out because of the injury. Follow that up by the Steelers throwing it on second down incomplete and now it is third and 12 in the Bengals still have their two timeouts.
• The Steelers run it on third down makes Cincinnati use one of their last two timeouts and will now punt it away. Still going to rely on the defense to win this game.
• I imagine we'll see soft zone here and allow Cincinnati to move it down close pretty quickly.
• Wow, the Bengals had a guy open for a touchdown and Burrow missed him.
• Cincinnati takes their last time out but are inside the 20-yard line. I said that was going to probably end up as one of those Pepto or Tums games, and I was right.
• Wow, the Steelers were lucky that was ruled out of bounds.
• Watt almost had a sack, but there's a flag on the play I think he was held. Oh never mind they're going to flag T.J. for illegal use of hands to the face.
• To top it all off T.J. has now going to the sidelines, actually the locker room.
• I'd like to have a Cam Hayward sighting right now.
• Now we get another fairly late flag. I'm sure this will go against the Steelers as they're doing everything they can to hand this game to the Bengals.
• Called an unnecessary roughness penalty on Minkah.
• Somehow Minkah knocked that pass loose in the back of the end zone. I thought it was over.
• And what do you know the Bengals score on the last play of the game. As long as they make the extra point game over Steelers lose. The setup there was just too easy. All that time playing seven shots did not look like it was put to good use right there.
• Somehow Minkah Fitzpatrick comes up with a block on the extra point and the score stands Steelers 20, Bengals 20.
• Yes, I did already have my final bullet point done with the Steelers losing this game. I guess I have to keep working now.
• The Steelers get the ball to start overtime but to nobody's surprised they go three and out. Now a field goal can win it for the Bengals.
• On the Bengals first play the Steelers get called for interference.
• Just got the report that T.J. Watt has a pec injury and is out for the game.
• Steelers give up a 14-yard pass and now the Bengals are at midfield, which with their kicker is almost field goal range.
• Another 10 yards on that one and Cincinnati can kick it now whenever they feel like.
• I'd write some more but right now I'm just too ticked that the Steelers are going to lose this one.
• Okay so I already had another bullet point in talking about the Steelers losing it and a high snap caused the kicker to miss.
• A quick three and out by the offense here will probably set Cincinnati up to move it down and win again.
• Somehow Diontae is able to come up with that catch and get his feet down.
• Somehow someway the Steelers still have a chance to win this game if Boswell can knock one through from 55 yards.
• And in fitting fashion, Boswell doinks it off the left upright and now Cincinnati will have another chance. My stomach cannot take any more of this.
• What look to be a sure sack for the Steelers on the first play turns into a Joe Burrow scramble for 10 yards.
• If this is how the games are going to be for the Steelers this year I might have to tell Jeff and Dave they have to find a new writer for the knee-jerk reaction article, as I could not continue to shave years off of my already shortened life.
• Arthur Maulet with the strip sack! The Bengals recovered an advanced the ball, but inside of two minutes only the player who fumbled the ball for the offense can advance it. Fourth and long for the Bengals and they punt it back to the Steelers. I can't make this stuff up. Right now I'm just throwing my hands in the air and say whatever.
• Trubisky almost throws an interception. At this point I think I'd just take a knee or two and run out with the tie.
• Heads up play by Trubisky when the Bengals jumped off sides. There are at least in the territory where Boswell could have a chance.
• Somehow the Steelers are getting to trot Boswell out there again to try to win the game. This time from 53 yards.
• Boswell nails at right down the middle! The Steelers come away with a win on the last play of overtime.
• Final score Steelers 23, Bengals 20.

There you have it, my knee jerks. so I will sit on this for a day analyze it and then to talk about it on The Scho Bro Show. CAN’T WAIT!!!