Wk 3 · 2026

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers — Sun, Sep 27

Sun, Sep 27 · Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA · CBS FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.

Cincinnati Bengals

AFC North · 3-2

1:00pET

CIN -3.5 · total 42.5 DraftKings opened +1.5 · 2 toward CIN

Ratings differential PIT by 0.3

Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC North · 3-2

What is at stake

An AFC North game. These two play each other twice a season, home and away, and when the AFC North finishes level it is the head-to-head result and then the division record that separate them — before any of the rest. Division standings.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 1.7 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have been through a draft and a free-agency window since.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Bengals: +1.2#14

Efficiency margin

Steelers: -0.1#15

Bengals: +2.3#8

Offense

Steelers: -0.7#17

Bengals: -1.0#21

Defense

Steelers: +0.6#11

Bengals: 24.4

Points / game

Steelers: 23.4

Bengals: 28.9

Points allowed / game

Steelers: 22.8

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats

The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.

Bengals form

W 31-24at MIAL 17-22vs JAXL 27-30at PITW 20-6at HOUW 33-27vs TB

2026 season

Steelers form

W 34-22vs INDL 24-27at CLEW 30-27vs CINL 3-20at NEW 20-13vs ATL

2026 season

Bengals this season

Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Against the spread2-2-1 · 50% (5 games)

Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Steelers this season

Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 10

Opponent	Bengals	Steelers
Buccaneers NFC	vs W 33-27 preview	at Wk 6 · scheduled preview
Texans AFC	at W 20-6 preview	vs Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Jaguars AFC	vs L 17-22 preview	at Wk 14 · scheduled preview
Ravens AFC	at Wk 7 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview
Titans AFC	vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview	at Wk 17 · scheduled preview
Falcons NFC	N Wk 9 · scheduled preview	vs W 20-13 preview
Saints NFC	vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview	N Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Browns AFC	at Wk 13 · scheduled preview	at L 24-27 preview
Panthers NFC	at Wk 15 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 16 · scheduled preview
Colts AFC	at Wk 16 · scheduled preview	vs W 34-22 preview

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Steelers leads 30–12 · Steelers has won the last 2

42 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 6.0 points toward Steelers

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2026	2026-09-27	Bengals 27 — 30 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2025	2025-11-16	Bengals 12 — 34 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2025	2025-10-16	Steelers 31 — 33 Bengals	at CIN	Bengals
2024	2025-01-04	Bengals 19 — 17 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2024	2024-12-01	Steelers 44 — 38 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2023	2023-12-23	Bengals 11 — 34 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2023	2023-11-26	Steelers 16 — 10 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2022	2022-11-20	Bengals 37 — 30 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2022	2022-09-11	Steelers 23 — 20 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2021	2021-11-28	Steelers 10 — 41 Bengals	at CIN	Bengals
2021	2021-09-26	Bengals 24 — 10 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2020	2020-12-21	Steelers 17 — 27 Bengals	at CIN	Bengals
2020	2020-11-15	Bengals 10 — 36 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2019	2019-11-24	Steelers 16 — 10 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2019	2019-09-30	Bengals 3 — 27 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2018	2018-12-30	Bengals 13 — 16 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2018	2018-10-14	Steelers 28 — 21 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2017	2017-12-04	Steelers 23 — 20 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2017	2017-10-22	Bengals 14 — 29 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2016	2016-12-18	Steelers 24 — 20 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2016	2016-09-18	Bengals 16 — 24 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2015	2016-01-09	Steelers 18 — 16 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers playoffs
2015	2015-12-13	Steelers 33 — 20 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2015	2015-11-01	Bengals 16 — 10 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2014	2014-12-28	Bengals 17 — 27 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2014	2014-12-07	Steelers 42 — 21 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2013	2013-12-15	Bengals 20 — 30 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2013	2013-09-16	Steelers 10 — 20 Bengals	at CIN	Bengals
2012	2012-12-23	Bengals 13 — 10 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2012	2012-10-21	Steelers 24 — 17 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2011	2011-12-04	Bengals 7 — 35 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2011	2011-11-13	Steelers 24 — 17 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2010	2010-12-12	Bengals 7 — 23 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2010	2010-11-08	Steelers 27 — 21 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2009	2009-11-15	Bengals 18 — 12 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals
2009	2009-09-27	Steelers 20 — 23 Bengals	at CIN	Bengals
2008	2008-11-20	Bengals 10 — 27 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2008	2008-10-19	Steelers 38 — 10 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2007	2007-12-02	Bengals 10 — 24 Steelers	at PIT	Steelers
2007	2007-10-28	Steelers 24 — 13 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2006	2006-12-31	Steelers 23 — 17 Bengals	at CIN	Steelers
2006	2006-09-24	Bengals 28 — 20 Steelers	at PIT	Bengals

Bengals leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Joe Burrow QB #9	112/157, 1171 YDS, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing	Chase Brown RB #30	58 CAR, 207 YDS, 1 TD
	Samaje Perine RB #34	13 CAR, 42 YDS
	Joe Burrow QB #9	11 CAR, 38 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving	Tee Higgins WR #5	25 REC, 401 YDS, 1 TD
	Ja'Marr Chase WR #1	21 REC, 212 YDS, 3 TD
	Mike Gesicki TE #88	11 REC, 155 YDS, 3 TD
	Dohnte Meyers WR #81	11 REC, 129 YDS

Defense

Tackles	Demetrius Knight Jr. LB #44	34
	Barrett Carter LB #49	30
	Jordan Battle S #27	27
Sacks	Dexter Lawrence II DT #97	3
	Jonathan Allen DT #93	2
	Boye Mafe DE #53	2
Interceptions	Jordan Battle S #27	1

full roster and per-player history

Steelers leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Aaron Rodgers QB #8	88/153, 999 YDS, 7 TD, 4 INT
	Cameron Johnston P #19	0/1, 0 YDS
Rushing	Jaylen Warren RB #30	55 CAR, 309 YDS
	Rico Dowdle RB #13	15 CAR, 37 YDS
	Travis Homer RB #21	5 CAR, 15 YDS
Receiving	DK Metcalf WR #4	16 REC, 213 YDS, 1 TD
	Roman Wilson WR #14	14 REC, 188 YDS, 2 TD
	Jaylen Warren RB #30	13 REC, 143 YDS
	Pat Freiermuth TE #88	14 REC, 125 YDS, 2 TD

Defense

Tackles	Payton Wilson LB #41	36
	Patrick Queen LB #6	28
	Jaquan Brisker S #3	27
Sacks	T.J. Watt LB #90	4.5
	Alex Highsmith LB #56	3
	Derrick Harmon DT #99	1.5
Interceptions	T.J. Watt LB #90	1
	Patrick Queen LB #6	1
	Jaquan Brisker S #3	1

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.