Things started the right way for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense against the struggling Cincinnati Bengals offense in Week 7. However, after the first quarter, T. J. Watt and the Steelers’ defense unraveled, to say the least.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, who had been with the team for less than two weeks, completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase set a new franchise record with 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Chase Brown rushed for 108 yards, averaging an impressive 9.8 yards per carry.
Behind this dominant yardage output, the Bengals scored on seven of their last eight drives on Thursday night. Cincinnati’s final drive culminated in a field goal that allowed the Bengals to edge out the Steelers 33-31.
After the game, T. J. Watt expressed significant frustration with the overall performance of the Steelers defense. “It seemed like everything [was going wrong],” Watt told reporters. “It was an absolutely unacceptable performance from most of the defensive side of the ball.”
Individually, Watt had a largely uneventful night. The All-Pro posted one tackle and 0.5 sacks. His sack came on the lone drive where the Bengals punted during their final eight possessions. However, Watt recorded no other big plays, nor did many of the other Steelers defenders, contributing to the team’s struggles on defense.
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