Bengals Claw but Steelers Hold Steady in Season Opener at Paycor Stadium

The Cincinnati Bengals, with a 12-4 record, faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, standing at 9-8, in a closely contested season opener. The final score read 23-20 in favor of the visiting team.

The Bengals started strong on their home turf at Paycor Stadium. Despite the loss, several aspects of their game shone through. The offense was active throughout the match with quarterback play yielding 338 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, interceptions proved costly as four were thrown during the game.

Cincinnati's defense applied pressure with five quarterback hits and one sack for a loss of two yards. They also forced five three-and-outs against the Steelers' offense. On special teams, punting was effective; three attempts resulted in an average net yardage of 39 per punt and one landing inside the 20-yard line.

The rushing attack added another dimension to Cincinnati's offensive efforts with a total of 133 yards on ground including a long run of 31 yards out of their total attempts. However, they could not find their way into the end zone via rush plays.

Penalties seemed to be under control for Cincinnati as they only incurred four penalties costing them a total of 27 yards throughout the contest. Their red zone efficiency stood at 40 percent success rate which is an area that might require attention moving forward.

Field goal kicking contributed six points to Cincinnati's scoreline from distances up to an impressive longest made field goal from beyond fifty yards out but missed one attempt which could have been crucial given the tight score margin.

Looking ahead after this nail-biting encounter, fans can catch their next game when Cincinnati Bengals travel to face Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 18th scheduled for kickoff at 4:25 PM Eastern Time broadcasted by CBS network.