The Cincinnati Bengals had an opportunity to force overtime in the final minute of Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. However, head coach Zac Taylor and the offense kept their foot on the gas in an attempt to win the game in regulation before a disastrous turnover ended their comeback hopes.
Joe Burrow and Co. trailed by three with less than a minute left on the clock. The Bengals reached Pittsburgh’s 38-yard line and were in field goal range for Evan McPherson.
But with 53 seconds left, Steelers’ Derrick Harmon beat his block and strip-sacked Joe Burrow. Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered the fumble, handing Cincinnati its first loss of the season.
Taylor opened up about the play that sealed the Bengals’ defeat while talking to the reporters after the game.
“I thought it was a good drive until, obviously, that play ended the game,” Taylor said. “But I thought we were having some momentum there and had a chance.”
“We were, I think, right at the 38. Trying to go score and win, not trying to kick the field goal. We would have if we’d had to, but we were trying to go win the game right there.”
Taylor added that the team just couldn’t close out the game despite having multiple opportunities in the fourth quarter.
Zac Taylor Regrets Missed Opportunities Across All Three Phases
The Week 3 loss to the Steelers was a tough pill to swallow for the Bengals coach. Rather than blaming the offense, Taylor pointed to mistakes across all three units.
“It hurts,” Taylor said. “Because you feel like we have every opportunity to win it, and we didn’t do it. All three phases share in that. We had a chance to score on offense, had a chance to get a stop on defense, and we had a couple of plays on special teams that we didn’t make.”
On special teams, Cedric Johnson was flagged for roughing the punter in the third quarter with Cincinnati leading 20-17. Pittsburgh scored a touchdown on the drive. Early in the fourth quarter, Ke’Shawn Williams muffed a punt at Cincinnati’s 14-yard line with the Bengals ahead 27-24. Pittsburgh recovered and kicked a 36-yard field goal.
The defense also had coverage issues. Jordan Battle bit on Ben Skowronek’s inside-out move, allowing a 23-yard touchdown. Later, DJ Turner II and Daxton Hill collided in the end zone, leaving DK Metcalf open for another touchdown.
On Pittsburgh’s final scoring drive, the Steelers gained 14, 47, and 26 yards while Kyle Dugger was limited by a leg injury.
