Winners and Losers From the Cincinnati Bengals' Win Over the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bengals improved to 6-4 on the season.

Blake Jewell | Nov 20, 2022

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Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals struggled early, but fought back for a big divisional win on the road against the Steelers on Sunday. Here are our winners and losers:

Winners

Samaje Perine

The Bengals No. 2 running back had an impressive performance against the Steelers. He started off with an early touchdown and with Joe Mixon leaving the game with a concussion, he continued to be effective as a receiver out of the backfield. Perine finished the game with a franchise record three receiving touchdowns and 52 receiving yards, while also adding 30 yards on the ground.

Germaine Pratt

Pratt was everywhere against the Steelers. He finished the game with eight total tackles, and had two big plays stopping the Steelers in the backfield. Pratt continues to prove he’s an underrated linebacker and the Bengals should look at getting him extended after this season.

Drue Chrisman

It feels safe to say that Chrisman has won the punting job for the Bengals. His first two punts pinned the Steelers back deep and he had another solid punt from his own end zone. Kevin Huber is a Bengals legend, but with Chrisman having more power, it’s time to make the switch.

Tee Higgins

In what could be the last game before star receiver Ja’Marr Chase makes his return, Higgins stepped up in a big way against Pittsburgh. He finished the game with nine receptions for 148 yards and was pretty much unstoppable when targeted. Even with Chase coming back, Higgins will still have plenty of chances to add to his season totals.

Joe Burrow

Aside from two freak interceptions, Burrow was impressive from start to finish. He finished with 355 yards and four touchdowns, securing the big divisional win on the road against a tough Steelers defense. He started the season slow, but he’s looked completely dialed in the last several weeks.

Trenton Irwin

With Chase out, Trenton Irwin stepped up to make a few plays on Sunday. He scored his first career touchdown and added 42 yards on three receptions.

Losers

Eli Apple

Chidobe Awuzie is out for the season after an ACL injury and Apple has moved up to the Bengals top cornerback. He struggled to cover Steelers wide receiver George Pickens on Sunday and showed the Bengals could use some help at cornerback. Apple is a fine second corner, but it doesn’t appear he’s capable of being a top guy.

Jessie Bates

Bates had his worst game in recent memory against the Steelers, struggling both in coverage and as a tackler. He played better as the game went on, but Bates is playing for a contract and up to this point, he hasn’t proven to be worthy of a massive deal. After drafting Dax Hill in the first round, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Bates this offseason.

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