The Pittsburgh Steelers vs Bengals player stats are not for the weak. Final score: 34-12. But that number lies a little. The real story lives in the trenches, the turnovers, and the backup quarterback who refused to lose.
Let me take you inside the Steelers vs Bengals stats 2025, the way a fan remembers it. Not like a robot. Like someone who watched every ugly second.
This was Week 11. AFC North football. Cold wind off the river. A punch thrown. Two defensive touchdowns. And one team that simply quit.
The Steelers vs Bengals November 16, 2025 game stats show a blowout. But the first half felt tight. Then the wheels fell off for Cincinnati.
Here is every meaningful number, every key player, and every moment that mattered.
First Quarter: A Fast Start and an Immediate Answer
Pittsburgh got the ball first. Aaron Rodgers looked like he was 25 again. He hit DK Metcalf for 18 yards. Then George Pickens for 12. Then Kenneth Gainwell scored an 11-yard touchdown. Easy. Too easy.
That drive took 4:47. Eight plays. Seventy-eight yards.
But Cincinnati answered fast. Joe Flacco – starting because Joe Burrow sat with a toe injury – found Tee Higgins for a 28-yard touchdown on the very next drive. The extra point hit the upright. No good.
Score after one quarter: Steelers 7, Bengals 6.
That missed extra point felt small then. It felt enormous later.
The Steelers vs Bengals score and player performance in the first quarter were actually even. Both teams moved the ball. Both scored once. Then the second quarter happened.
Steelers vs Bengals · November 16, 2025
| Statistic | Cincinnati Bengals | Pittsburgh Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Total First Downs | 17 | 22 |
| Total Net Yards | 297 | 343 |
| Rushing Yards (Att) | 105 (22 att) | 111 (28 att) |
| Net Passing Yards | 192 | 232 |
| Gross Passing Yards | 199 | 243 |
| Passing – Comp/Att/Int | 23/40/1 | 21/31/0 |
| Sacks – Yards lost | 1 – 7 | 1 – 11 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 7/15 (46%) | 7/13 (53%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 0/1 (0%) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Time of Possession | 29:55 | 30:05 |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 0/2 TD · 2/2 FG | 2/3 TD · 1/3 FG |
| Turnovers (Fumbles lost / INT) | 2 (1 FL, 1 INT) | 0 |
| Penalties – Yards | 8 – 67 | 8 – 76 |
| Team | Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | Sacked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Joe Flacco | 23/40 | 199 | 1 | 1 | 68.6 | 1 |
| PIT | Aaron Rodgers | 9/15 | 116 | 1 | 0 | 106.5 | 1 |
| PIT | Mason Rudolph | 12/16 | 127 | 1 | 0 | 118.5 | 0 |
| Team | Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Chase Brown | 18 | 99 | 5.5 | 0 | 35 |
| CIN | Trayveon Brooks | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| CIN | Kendall Milton | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 |
| PIT | Kenneth Gainwell | 12 | 48 | 4.0 | 0 | 12 |
| PIT | Jaylen Warren | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 0 | 35 |
| PIT | Kaleb Johnson | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | 0 | 4 |
| Team | Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Noah Fant | 5 | 36 | 7.2 | 0 | 6 |
| CIN | Tee Higgins | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 1 | 8 |
| CIN | Ja’Marr Chase | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
| CIN | Chase Brown | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 0 | 8 |
| PIT | Kenneth Gainwell | 7 | 81 | 11.6 | 2 | 8 |
| PIT | DK Metcalf | 4 | 67 | 16.8 | 0 | 5 |
| PIT | Darnell Washington | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 0 | 8 |
| PIT | George Pickens | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 | 2 |
| Team | Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | INT | FF/FR | Def TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Geno Stone | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CIN | Oren Burks | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CIN | Myles Murphy | 7 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CIN | Jordan Battle | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT | Patrick Queen | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT | Kyle Dugger | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| PIT | James Pierre | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 FR | 1 |
| PIT | Cam Heyward | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT | T.J. Watt | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 QB hit | 0 |
| Quarter | Team | Play description | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (10:12) | PIT | Kenny Gainwell 11 yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (Boswell kick) | 0-7 |
| 1st (5:10) | CIN | Tee Higgins 28 yd pass from Joe Flacco (run failed) | 6-7 |
| 2nd (0:10) | PIT | Chris Boswell 25 yd field goal | 6-10 |
| 3rd (11:53) | CIN | Evan McPherson 43 yd field goal | 9-10 |
| 3rd (4:16) | PIT | Chris Boswell 30 yd field goal | 9-13 |
| 3rd (0:37) | PIT | Kyle Dugger 73 yd interception return (Boswell kick) | 9-20 |
| 4th (9:41) | CIN | Evan McPherson 48 yd field goal | 12-20 |
| 4th (3:40) | PIT | Kenny Gainwell 5 yd pass from Mason Rudolph (Boswell kick) | 12-27 |
| 4th (3:22) | PIT | James Pierre 34 yd fumble return (Boswell kick) | 12-34 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Fumbles (lost) | 1 (Noah Fant) · 1 lost | 0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 (Flacco) | 0 |
| Takeaways forced | 0 | 2 (INT + FR) |
| Punts – Avg | 3 – 57.0 yd | 3 – 44.3 yd |
| Kick return yards | 6 ret, 138 yds (C. Jones) | 3 ret, 64 yds |
| Punt return yards | 1 – 4 yds | 2 – 15 yds |
Second Quarter: The Wheels Start to Squeak
Pittsburgh added a field goal. Chris Boswell from 22 yards. Nothing fancy. Just points.
The Bengals? They got nothing. Flacco threw three incomplete passes on one drive. Then a bad snap killed another drive. Then T.J. Watt hit Flacco’s arm on third down.
Halftime: Steelers 10, Bengals 6.
Here is where the Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers highlights and stats get depressing for Bengals fans. Cincinnati ran 23 plays in the first half. Gained 94 total yards. Converted only 2 of 6 third downs.
Flacco looked old. Not wise old. Just old.
The Steelers vs Bengals quarterback stats 2025 at halftime: Flacco 9/16, 71 yards, 1 TD. Rodgers 8/11, 72 yards, 1 TD. Then Rodgers hurt his left hand on a scramble. He did not return.
Enter Mason Rudolph.
Third Quarter: The Pick-Six That Broke Everything
Rudolph’s first drive: three plays, four yards, punt. Fine. He was cold.
The Bengals took over. Flacco drove them to the Pittsburgh 45. Then the Steelers defensive highlights started rolling.
Kyle Dugger – the safety Pittsburgh traded for at the deadline – stepped in front of a Flacco pass meant for Higgins. He caught it at the 27. Then he ran.
Seventy-three yards later, Dugger was in the end zone. The stadium shook. That made it 17-9 after Boswell’s extra point.
The turnover statistics, Steelers vs Bengals, suddenly had a huge number: one pick-six.
Cincinnati added a field goal later in the quarter. But the damage was done. The red zone efficiency Steelers vs Bengals showed up here – the Bengals got inside the 20 once and settled for three points.
After three quarters: Steelers 20, Bengals 9.
Rudolph found his rhythm on the next drive. He hit Darnell Washington for 14 yards. Then Gainwell for 11. Then Boswell hit another field goal from 29 yards.
Twenty-three to nine. Feels comfortable. But the Bengals still had a pulse.
Fourth Quarter: Two Scores, One Punch, No Hope
The Bengals kicked another field goal. Twenty-three to twelve. Still a two-score game. Still possible.
Then James Pierre happened.
Flacco hit tight end Noah Fant over the middle. Fant caught it. Then Brandin Echols punched the ball loose. Pierre scooped it at the 34-yard line and ran it back.
Touchdown. Thirty-four yards. No one touched him.
That was the Steelers vs Bengals defensive stats breakdown in a single play. Strip. Scoop. Score. Game over.
Rudolph added a five-yard touchdown pass to Gainwell with 3:40 left. That was just salt in the wound.
Final: Steelers 34, Bengals 12.
Now, let me add one more detail. Jalen Ramsey threw a punch at Ja’Marr Chase in the fourth quarter. Both got tangled after a play. Ramsey wound up and connected. Ejected. Gone. Stupid. But also kind of awesome if you love old-school hatred.
The Bengals vs Steelers full player statistics include that ejection. It does not show up in the box score. But it belongs here.
Passing Stats: The Backup Who Saved the Day
Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh)
8 completions, 11 attempts, 72 yards, 1 touchdown. Zero interceptions. Left with a hand injury.
Mason Rudolph (Pittsburgh)
12 completions, 16 attempts, 127 yards, 1 touchdown. Zero interceptions. Zero sacks. Played like a guy with something to prove.
Joe Flacco (Cincinnati)
23 completions, 40 attempts, 199 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. Sacked once. Hit seven times. Looked his age.
The Steelers vs Bengals passing yards comparison is interesting. Cincinnati threw for 199. Pittsburgh threw for 199 combined (72 + 127). Same yards. Very different results.
Why? Because Pittsburgh’s passing game produced two touchdowns and zero picks. Cincinnati produced one touchdown and one catastrophic pick-six.
Joe Burrow’s passing stats vs Steelers don’t exist here because Burrow did not play. But Flacco’s numbers are what they are. Not terrible. Not good enough.
Rushing Stats: One Man Show vs. Committee
Cincinnati Bengals
- Chase Brown: 18 carries, 99 yards, long of 35
- Trayveon Brooks: 1 carry, 5 yards
- Kendall Milton: 2 carries, 2 yards
- Joe Flacco: 1 carry, -1 yard
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kenneth Gainwell: 12 carries, 48 yards, 4.0 average
- Jaylen Warren: 3 carries, 43 yards, 14.3 average
- Kaleb Johnson: 5 carries, 12 yards
- Aaron Rodgers: 2 carries, 2 yards
- Mason Rudolph: 3 kneels, -3 yards
The Steelers vs Bengals rushing yards leaders list starts and ends with Chase Brown. He was the only Bengal who showed up angry. The Bengals’ offensive line performance gave him room. But Cincinnati only ran 22 times because it trailed the whole second half.
Warren hurt himself on that 35-yard run. He did not return. That hurt Pittsburgh’s ground game. But Gainwell stepped up.
Receiving Stats: Role Players Steal the Show
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kenneth Gainwell: 5 catches, 44 yards, 2 touchdowns
- DK Metcalf: 4 catches, 62 yards
- Darnell Washington: 3 catches, 35 yards
- George Pickens: 2 catches, 28 yards
Cincinnati Bengals
- Tee Higgins: 3 catches, 63 yards, 1 touchdown
- Noah Fant: 5 catches, 36 yards, 1 fumble lost
- Ja’Marr Chase: 3 catches, 30 yards
- Chase Brown: 6 catches, 28 yards
The top performers in the Steelers vs Bengals game on offense? Gainwell and Brown. Gainwell scored twice. Brown racked up 127 scrimmage yards. Everyone else was quiet.
Higgins extended his touchdown streak to four games. That is nice. But three catches for 63 yards is not a superstar line.
Chase had three catches for 30 yards. That is a disaster for a guy who once caught 16 passes against this same team.
The Steelers offense vs Bengals defense analysis shows a simple truth: Cincinnati could not stop the short passing game. Gainwell ate them alive underneath.
Defensive Stats: Two Scores, One Punch, Total Control
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive leaders
- Kyle Dugger: 1 interception, 73-yard return TD, 4 tackles
- James Pierre: 1 fumble recovery, 34-yard return TD
- Patrick Queen: 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
- T.J. Watt: 1 sack, 3 quarterback hits
- Cam Heyward: 1 sack, 2 quarterback hits
- Joey Porter Jr.: 3 passes defended
Cincinnati Bengals defensive leaders
- Oren Burks: 9 tackles
- Geno Stone: 8 tackles
- Myles Murphy: 7 tackles, 1 sack (career high)
- Jordan Battle: 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
- Dax Hill: 6 tackles, 1 pass defended
The Steelers vs Bengals match summary and stats on defense is simple. Pittsburgh made big plays. Cincinnati made tackles but no big plays.
Two defensive touchdowns. That is the headline. You do not win when you give up two scores to the other team’s defense.
The third down conversion rate of the Steelers and Bengals also tells a story. Pittsburgh converted 53% of its third downs. Cincinnati converted only 25%. That is the difference between controlling the game and chasing it.
Injuries and the Punch: The Messy Stuff
The Steelers vs Bengals injury report and stats got long.
Pittsburgh injuries:
- Aaron Rodgers (left hand/wrist) – left in the second quarter, did not return.
- Jaylen Warren (unknown) – left after his 35-yard run.
- Jalen Ramsey – ejected for punching Ja’Marr Chase
Cincinnati injuries:
- Cam Taylor-Britt (foot) – left in the first half, did not return.
- Cam Sample (oblique) – left in the second half
- Joe Burrow (toe) – inactive before the game
The punch happened late. Ramsey and Chase got into it after a play. Ramsey swung. Landed it. Referees threw him out immediately.
Mike Tomlin did not defend it after the game. He just said, “We’ll handle it internally.”
That is coach-speak for “that was stupid.”
The time of possession in the NFL game analysis shows Pittsburgh held the ball for 32 minutes and 14 seconds. Cincinnati had it for 27 minutes and 46 seconds. That five-minute difference came from the defensive scores. Hard to possess the ball when the other team is running back interceptions.
Fantasy Football: Who Won and Who Cried
The Steelers vs Bengals fantasy football stats created winners and losers.
Winners:
- Chase Brown: 127 total yards. Stud.
- Kenneth Gainwell: 92 total yards, 2 touchdowns. Waiver wire hero.
- Pittsburgh D/ST: 2 touchdowns, 3 turnovers. League-winning performance.
Losers:
- Ja’Marr Chase: 3 catches, 30 yards. After 16 catches in Week 7? Brutal.
- Joe Flacco: 199 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Not startable.
- Tee Higgins: 63 yards and a touchdown is fine, but not what you hoped.
The player ratings Steelers vs Bengals from this game will boost Brown into the top 10 running backs for next week. Gainwell will be the most-added player on waivers.
And anyone who started the Steelers defense? They are probably winning their matchup.
What This Game Means for Both Teams
The NFL Week 11 results 2025 put Pittsburgh at 6-4. The Bengals fell to 3-7. Their season is basically over.
The Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati player stats NFL 2025 show a clear gap. The Steelers are tough, opportunistic, and deep. The Bengals are broken, thin, and lost without Burrow.
The Steelers Bengals game analysis, Nov 2025, ends with one thought: Pittsburgh can win ugly. Cincinnati cannot win at all right now.
The Steelers vs Bengals match recap, November 2025, will be remembered for Dugger’s pick-six, Pierre’s fumble return, and the punch that got Ramsey ejected.
But the Bengals vs Steelers key player performances list is short. Brown played hard. Murphy played hard. Everyone else? They watched.
The NFL game breakdown for November 2025 says this: the Steelers are a problem. The Bengals are patient.
Conclusion: A Win That Felt Like a Warning
The Pittsburgh Steelers vs Bengals player stats on Nov. 16, 2025, tell you who did what. But they do not tell you how cold the wind was. Or how loud the stadium got when Dugger crossed the goal line. Or how quiet the Bengals sideline looked in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers vs Bengals box score 2025 shows 34-12. That is a beating. But the real beating was mental. Cincinnati quit. Pittsburgh did not.
Mason Rudolph stepped in and played clean football. The defense scored twice. Chase Brown got his yards, and nothing else mattered.
If you love ugly, nasty, old-school AFC North football, this game was a masterpiece.
If you are a Bengals fan? Look away.
Q1: What was the final score of the Steelers vs Bengals game on November 16, 2025?
A: The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12. The Steelers improved to 6-4. The Bengals dropped to 3-7.
Q2: Why did Joe Burrow not play against the Steelers on November 16, 2025?
A: Joe Burrow was inactive because of a toe injury. He did not practice fully during the week. Joe Flacco started in his place and threw for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Q3: How many defensive touchdowns did the Steelers score against the Bengals?
A: The Steelers defense scored two touchdowns. Kyle Dugger returned an interception 73 yards for a score. James Pierre returned a fumble 34 yards for another touchdown.
Q4: Who led the Bengals in rushing yards during the Week 11 game?
A: Chase Brown led Cincinnati with 18 carries for 99 yards. He also caught six passes for 28 yards. That gave him 127 total scrimmage yards.
Q5: Did Jalen Ramsey get ejected from the Steelers vs Bengals game?
A: Yes. Jalen Ramsey was ejected in the fourth quarter for throwing a punch at Ja’Marr Chase. The punch connected. Ramsey was immediately thrown out by the referees.
Sources
- FOX Sports Staff. (2025). Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Box Score – November 16, 2025. FOX Sports.
- ESPN News Services. (2025). Steelers 34, Bengals 12: Game Recap and Highlights. ESPN.com.
- Pittsburgh Steelers Official Site. (2025). *Steelers Pull Away from Bengals, 34-12.* Steelers.com.
- Cincinnati Bengals Communications. (2025). *Bengals Fall to Steelers 34-12: Postgame Notes and Quotes.* Bengals.com.
- AS.com NFL Desk. (2025). *Bengals 12-34 Steelers: Summary, Stats, and Highlights – NFL Week 11.* AS.com.
- NFL Injury Report Wire. (2025). Week 11 Injury Roundup: Burrow Out, Rodgers Hurt, Ramsey Ejected. NFL.com.
Read More: Rockets vs Suns
About the Author
