Pittsburgh Steelers vs Bengals Match Player Stats: The Full Player Stats Story

These two teams played each other twice in the 2025 NFL season. And honestly? Both games were something else entirely.

The first meeting in Cincinnati on October 16 was a late-night thriller on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals won it 33–31 with a field goal as time expired. Eleven seconds on the clock. The Steelers had just taken the lead with a 68-yard touchdown pass. Then Cincinnati answered with a kick of their own. Just like that, the joy flipped.

The second meeting at Pittsburgh on November 16 was a completely different kind of game. The Steelers won 34–12 — a dominant, sometimes ugly dismantling that felt like payback delivered cold.

Let’s go through both games carefully, side by side, so you understand not just the scores but what actually happened on the field.

Key Facts

Category	Game 1 (Oct 16 — CIN wins 33–31)	Game 2 (Nov 16 — PIT wins 34–12)
Location	Cincinnati (CIN home)	Pittsburgh (PIT home)
Broadcast	Thursday Night Football	Sunday afternoon
Final Score	CIN 33, PIT 31	PIT 34, CIN 12
PIT QB	Aaron Rodgers	Aaron Rodgers / Matt Rudolph
CIN QB	Joe Flacco	Joe Flacco
PIT Total Yards	396	343
CIN Total Yards	470	297
PIT Passing TDs	4	2
CIN Passing TDs	3	1
PIT Turnovers	2 (2 INTs)	0
CIN Turnovers	0	2 (1 INT, 1 fumble)
PIT Passer Rating	103.7	112.7
CIN Passer Rating	108.6	68.6
Possession (PIT)	25:28	30:05
Decisive Moment	McPherson 36-yd FG with :11 left	Dugger pick-six off Flacco in Q3
Series Split	One win each in 2025	—

Game 1: Thursday Night Football — Cincinnati Wins 33–31

How the Scoring Unfolded

Pittsburgh actually started this game looking sharp.

Aaron Rodgers found a receiver on a 10-yard catch-and-run and the Steelers were up 7–0 just four minutes in. It felt like a statement. It didn’t last.

Cincinnati slowly woke up in the second quarter. Joe Flacco connected with Ja’Marr Chase for a score, then hit Tee Higgins on a 29-yard touchdown. The Bengals added a field goal right before halftime to go up 17–10. Just like that, the entire mood of the game had shifted.

Pittsburgh clawed back in the third quarter. Rodgers found Pat Freiermuth on a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 20–17. Then the fourth quarter became one of those games you don’t want to stop watching.

Cincinnati’s Nick Fant caught a short pass for a touchdown early in the fourth, pushing it to 27–17. Pittsburgh answered twice. Back-to-back scores. Suddenly the Steelers led 31–30 with just over two minutes left.

Then Evan McPherson walked onto the field, 36 yards from glory, with eleven seconds on the clock. He kicked it clean through the uprights. 33–31 Bengals.

Pittsburgh got the ball back but there was no time. Game over.

See also “New York Jets vs Bengals Match Player Stats: The Full Story Behind One of the Season’s Wildest Wins“

Pittsburgh’s Offensive Numbers — Game 1

Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 34 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. That’s a 103.7 passer rating — solid numbers for a quarterback who gave up two picks in a losing effort.

Four touchdown passes on the night is genuinely impressive. But those two interceptions were costly. They swung field position and momentum at moments when the Steelers needed to hold on.

Pittsburgh’s receivers caught 23 balls. The longest play of the night was a 68-yard touchdown reception — that was the catch that put the Steelers ahead late. That single play kept Pittsburgh in the game. It’s the kind of play that makes you stand up in your living room.

On the ground, the Steelers ran 20 times for 147 yards. That’s an average of 7.35 yards per carry — very good. They had 5 broken tackles on rushing plays and moved the ball well when they committed to running. With only 54 total offensive plays compared to Cincinnati’s 72, Pittsburgh actually had a higher average gain per play — 7.3 yards versus Cincinnati’s 6.5.

Cincinnati’s Offensive Numbers — Game 1

Joe Flacco was efficient and careful all night. He completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. His passer rating was 108.6 — excellent.

Flacco’s biggest individual connection was with his receivers in the middle of the field. The 29-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins in the second quarter was a precision throw. Ja’Marr Chase caught one as well.

Cincinnati’s ground game complemented the passing well. 23 carries, 142 yards, with a longest run of 37 yards. The Bengals moved the ball efficiently on the ground without relying on it too heavily.

In total yardage, Cincinnati had 470 yards to Pittsburgh’s 396. The Bengals controlled possession — over 34 minutes compared to Pittsburgh’s 25. That’s a significant edge. When you control the ball for nearly nine more minutes than your opponent, you wear them down.

The Special Teams Moment That Decided Everything

Evan McPherson was 4 for 4 on field goals, including kicks from 49, 45, 39, and 23 yards. His final kick — the 36-yarder with 11 seconds left — was the one that mattered most. If you’re a Cincinnati fan, you love this man.

Chris Boswell hit his only field goal attempt for Pittsburgh as well — 41 yards, good.

Game 2: Pittsburgh at Home — Steelers Win 34–12

The Tone Was Different From the Start

This game had a completely different energy. Pittsburgh looked more controlled from the opening drive.

Aaron Rodgers connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass on the first scoring play of the game. Cincinnati answered with a touchdown of their own — Tee Higgins caught a 28-yard pass from Flacco. But Pittsburgh blocked the two-point conversion attempt, which meant Cincinnati trailed 7–6 instead of tying it.

That detail mattered. It set the psychological tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Pittsburgh added a field goal in the second quarter and led 10–6 at halftime. It wasn’t a blowout yet. But the Bengals were struggling to find consistent rhythm.

The Play That Broke This Game Open

Late in the third quarter, Joe Flacco threw a pass over the middle. T.J. Watt got his hands on it. Kevin Dugger picked it up and ran it back 73 yards for a pick-six.

That was the turning point. Instead of Cincinnati potentially scoring to tie the game, Pittsburgh had suddenly gone up 20–9. The momentum just… left Cincinnati and didn’t come back.

Pittsburgh scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. One was a short passing touchdown. The other was remarkable — Flacco threw a short completion, the receiver fumbled under pressure from Pittsburgh’s defense, and a Steeler picked it up and returned it for a touchdown.

That’s two defensive scores in one game. That tells you everything about how different this game felt from the first one.

Pittsburgh’s Numbers — Game 2

Aaron Rodgers started and had a strong night. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. His passer rating was 112.7 — his best number across both games.

Matt Rudolph also played and threw a 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to help close it out.

Pittsburgh ran the ball 28 times for 111 yards. A longest run of 35 yards. The ground game wasn’t explosive but it was steady. They controlled the clock and mixed their play calls well — 30 minutes of possession.

The defensive stat that stands out most is the Pittsburgh defense holding Cincinnati to a 68.6 passer rating. That’s a significant drop from Flacco’s 108.6 in Game 1. Eight passes defended. A pick-six. A forced fumble returned for a score. The Pittsburgh defense came to play.

Cincinnati’s Numbers — Game 2

This was a rough night for Joe Flacco. He completed only 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards — a 57.5% completion rate and just one passing touchdown. He was intercepted once and the team lost a fumble. Two turnovers in a game where every mistake got punished.

Cincinnati rushed 22 times for 105 yards. The longest run was 35 yards. Their ground game wasn’t bad, but they could never get into a groove when they needed momentum.

In total, Cincinnati put up 297 yards. That’s 173 fewer yards than Game 1. Pittsburgh’s defense tightened everything up. The Bengals had only 17 first downs. They were stifled.

Quarterback Head-to-Head Across Both Games

Aaron Rodgers was the most consistent playmaker in this series. Across both games, he showed he could hurt Cincinnati through the air — four touchdown passes in the first game, two more in the second. He was turnover-prone in Game 1 (two interceptions) but clean in Game 2.

Joe Flacco showed two completely opposite versions of himself. In Game 1 he was sharp and disciplined — 108.6 rating, no turnovers, three scores. In Game 2 he was under pressure all night, made poor decisions, and the Pittsburgh defense made him pay.

What the Kickers Contributed

Over two games, both kickers mattered enormously.

Evan McPherson went 4 for 4 in the first game — his final kick won it. In Game 2, he hit both of his attempts (43 and 48 yards) but Cincinnati only scored 12 total points. McPherson was dependable; the rest of the team wasn’t.

Chris Boswell was perfect across both games as well. In Game 1, his single field goal was good. In Game 2, he converted two field goals and all his extra points in a comfortable Pittsburgh victory.

The Turnover Story

In Game 1, Pittsburgh turned the ball over twice (both interceptions of Rodgers). Cincinnati turned it over zero times. That directly contributed to the Bengals winning a close game.

In Game 2, Pittsburgh turned it over zero times. Cincinnati turned it over twice. That directly contributed to Pittsburgh winning a dominant game.

In a series like this, where both rosters are talented and evenly matched, turnovers are the difference. The winning team is the one that keeps the ball safe. That was true both times.

Penalties and Discipline

Pittsburgh was penalized 7 times for 59 yards in Game 1 and 8 times for 76 yards in Game 2. They aren’t a particularly clean team from a penalty standpoint.

Cincinnati had 4 penalties for 35 yards in Game 1. In Game 2, they were called 8 times for 67 yards. The penalty counts were similar in the second game. But Cincinnati’s turnovers were the more damaging mistakes.

What These Two Games Mean for the Rivalry

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have built something real over recent seasons. This isn’t just geography. It’s a genuine rivalry with competitive games, big moments, and outcomes that matter.

The 2025 series ended one game apiece. Pittsburgh gets their revenge after the heartbreaker in Cincinnati. Cincinnati can point to the Thursday night thriller they won in a stadium full of noise.

Both defenses showed they can compete at a high level. Both quarterbacks showed they can win when their teams play clean. And both kickers proved they can handle the big moments.

FAQs

1. What was the final score of the first Steelers vs Bengals game in 2025?

Cincinnati won 33–31. Evan McPherson hit a 36-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to seal it.

2. What was the final score of the second game?

Pittsburgh won 34–12 at home on November 16, 2025.

3. Who was the Pittsburgh quarterback in both games?

Aaron Rodgers started both. Matt Rudolph also played in the second game and threw a touchdown.

4. Who was the Cincinnati quarterback?

Joe Flacco started and played in both games.

5. How did Aaron Rodgers perform across both games?

Very different from game to game. In Game 1, he threw four touchdowns but also two interceptions with a 103.7 rating. In Game 2, he was cleaner — two touchdowns, zero picks, a 112.7 rating.

6. How did Joe Flacco perform?

Game 1 was excellent — 108.6 rating, three touchdowns, zero turnovers. Game 2 was poor — 68.6 rating, one touchdown, one interception, and his team lost a fumble too.

7. Which player had the biggest individual play across both games?

Pat Freiermuth’s 68-yard touchdown catch in Game 1 temporarily gave Pittsburgh the lead. Kevin Dugger’s 73-yard pick-six in Game 2 broke the game wide open for Pittsburgh.

8. How did the kickers perform?

Both were excellent. Evan McPherson was 4 for 4 in Game 1, including the game-winner. Chris Boswell was perfect in both games. In a tie game or close contest, these two are the kind of kickers who decide outcomes.

9. Who won the turnover battle in each game?

Cincinnati won it in Game 1 (0 turnovers to Pittsburgh’s 2). Pittsburgh won it in Game 2 (0 turnovers to Cincinnati’s 2). The team with fewer turnovers won both games.

10. How was the rushing game for both teams?

Both teams ran the ball reasonably well in both games. Pittsburgh averaged over 7 yards per carry in Game 1. Cincinnati ran for 142 yards in Game 1 and 105 in Game 2. Neither team dominated on the ground but both used it to complement their passing.

11. Which team had more total yards in each game?

Cincinnati had the edge in Game 1 — 470 yards to Pittsburgh’s 396. Pittsburgh had the edge in Game 2 — 343 yards to Cincinnati’s 297.

12. Were there any defensive touchdowns?

Yes — two in Game 2. Kevin Dugger returned an interception 73 yards for a Pittsburgh touchdown. Pittsburgh also returned a fumble 34 yards for another score after the defense forced it.

13. Who controlled the ball more in each game?

Cincinnati held it over 34 minutes in Game 1. In Game 2 both teams were almost even — Pittsburgh had 30:05, Cincinnati had 29:55.

14. What split did the 2025 series finish with?

One win each. Pittsburgh won the home game; Cincinnati won the away game on Thursday Night Football.

15. What was the most dramatic moment in the series?

McPherson’s game-winning field goal with 11 seconds left in Game 1. Pittsburgh had just taken the lead on a long touchdown. Then Cincinnati responded immediately. That kind of back-and-forth energy is what makes this rivalry worth watching.

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