Rodgers, Warren, and the Steelers overpower Bengals to stay perfect at 6-0

CINCINNATI - The Pittsburgh Steelers rolled to 45-24 over the Cincinnati Bengals, moving to 6-0 while Cincinnati slid to 3-4 with a fourth straight loss.

Fast start, quicker answers

Pittsburgh set the tone immediately as Jaylen Warren slashed in for a 12-yard touchdown to open the scoring at 9:13 of the first quarter. Cincinnati responded when Joe Burrow uncorked a 59-yard strike to
Ja'Marr Chase at 5:53, igniting Paycor Stadium. Unfazed, Aaron Rodgers finished a crisp response drive with a 6-yard dart to D.K. Metcalf with 1:49 left, sending Pittsburgh to the quarter break up 14-7."We wanted to dictate terms early," Rodgers said. "Our line protected, Jaylen ran hard, and we stayed on schedule."

Second-quarter swing: red-zone power and a scoop-and-score

Burrow pulled the Bengals within 21-17 on an 8:24 second-quarter toss to rookie Chase Brown, but Pittsburgh controlled the rest of the half with short-yardage muscle and a sudden defensive strike. Warren bulled in from two yards out at 3:15, and after an Evan McPherson field goal trimmed it to 28-20, the Steelers answered twice in the final 20 seconds: a 1-yard plunge (Warren's second rushing TD of the quarter) and a 20-yard scoop-and-score by linebacker Cole Holcomb to make it 35-17 at halftime."That ball popped out and I just saw green," Holcomb said, grinning. "Once I picked it up, the end zone felt like it kept getting closer."

Closing the door

Any third-quarter suspense disappeared when Warren notched his third rushing score on a goal-line hammer with 6:02 remaining in the period. Chris Boswell added a 40-yarder early in the fourth before Brown's late 12-yard TD reception gave the Bengals a final spark."We didn't match their situational execution," Burrow said. "Explosives were there, but they were better on third down and in the red zone."

What the numbers say

Pittsburgh converted 7 of 10 on third down and scored touchdowns on five of six red-zone trips, piling up 477 total yards including 309 through the air. Cincinnati produced 398 offensive yards but managed just 39 on the ground and finished 2-for-5 in the red zone.

"Complementary football," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Offense finished, defense created a takeaway, and special teams were clean. That's winning football."

Player spotlights

• Warren: three rushing TDs, the tone-setter on the opening series and two more before halftime.
• Rodgers: efficient command with two first-half TD drives capped by his strike to Metcalf.
• Burrow to Chase: the connection landed two explosive plays, including the 59-yard first-quarter touchdown.

Up Next

The Steelers return home in Week 8 to host the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals are back at Paycor in Week 8 for a matchup with the New York Jets.