Chris Boswell’s late right foot carries Steelers past Bengals in 30-27 finish

Boswell has the final reply

The Steelers set the tone early, but Cincinnati refused to let the game drift away. Aaron Rodgers opened the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson at 13:10 of the first quarter, and Joe Burrow answered with a 3-yard strike to Ja'Marr Chase at 5:50. Pittsburgh then grabbed back the lead in the final minute of the quarter when Rodgers found Ben Skowronek for a 23-yard score, making it 14-7 after one.

The second quarter kept the same shape. Evan McPherson cut the margin to four with a 50-yard field goal at 10:16, Boswell replied from 44 yards at 7:05, and Burrow closed the half by hitting Tee Higgins on a 28-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left. That levelled the score at 17-17 and underlined how efficient Burrow had been. Cincinnati’s quarterback completed 25 of 34 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns without taking a sack.

Cincinnati moved in front for the first time when McPherson drilled a 38-yarder at 8:22 of the third quarter, only for Rodgers to steer Pittsburgh back ahead with a 6-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf at 2:43. Burrow’s 25-yard touchdown to Mike Gesicki early in the fourth restored the Bengals’ advantage at 27-24, but Boswell erased it with a 36-yard kick at 8:45 and then supplied the game-winner from 33 yards with 2:15 remaining. In a game full of responses, Pittsburgh’s was the only one that stood unanswered.

Warren gives Pittsburgh the extra gear

Boswell finished the scoring, but Jaylen Warren gave Pittsburgh its clearest edge between the numbers. Warren ran 17 times for 127 yards, a sharp 7.5-yard average, and added three catches for 49 more. The Steelers finished with 140 rushing yards and 413 total yards, while converting 7 of 12 third downs and piling up 22 first downs. Those figures mattered in a one-possession game because they kept Pittsburgh generating fresh chances even when drives did not end in touchdowns.

Rodgers’ day had one blemish in an interception, but the rest of his stat line was productive enough to win. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, with sacks accounting for 19 lost yards on the team ledger. Wilson’s 38-yard touchdown opened the day, Skowronek added a 23-yard score, and Metcalf caught the go-ahead touchdown in the third. Darnell Washington also stretched Cincinnati with three catches for 67 yards, including a 47-yard gain that ranked as Pittsburgh’s longest reception.

The Bengals were dangerous through the air all afternoon. Chase had eight catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, Higgins caught six for 89 yards and a score, and Gesicki turned his two receptions into 31 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati also protected Burrow cleanly, allowing no sacks, and converted both of its fourth-down attempts. Even so, the Bengals finished with 83 rushing yards, scored one touchdown in two red-zone trips, and lost the game’s only fumble when Ke'Shawn Williams coughed it up. In a three-point result, those smaller margins were impossible to ignore.

Defensively, neither side dominated for long stretches, but there were still timely plays. Jordan Battle intercepted Rodgers for Cincinnati, and Dexter Lawrence II supplied two sacks and three tackles for loss. Pittsburgh did not record a sack, yet it limited Cincinnati to 18 first downs and recovered the Bengals’ fumble. That combination — one takeaway, a little more rushing efficiency, and one more successful third-down profile — helped separate the teams by the slimmest of margins.

Our take

This was a useful reminder that late-game kicking usually gets the headline, but it rarely tells the whole story by itself. Boswell deserved top billing because he hit every kick, including the tie and the winner, yet Pittsburgh built that opportunity with explosive production from Warren and enough downfield passing to keep Cincinnati from settling into one problem. The Steelers averaged 6.7 yards per rush, and their leading receivers all pushed past 10 yards per catch. That is a strong offensive mix, even if the red-zone finishing still left room for more than field goals.

For Cincinnati, the frustration is easy to understand. Burrow was sharp, protected, and productive, and three different touchdown targets usually signal a passing game that has done enough. The Bengals also averaged 6.7 yards per play, so this was not an afternoon lost to offensive stagnation. But the single lost fumble, the modest 83-yard rushing total, and the inability to turn every promising series into seven points left the door open. Pittsburgh did not need that door to stay open for long. It only needed Boswell to walk through it at the end.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 13:10

   Roman Wilson 38 Yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (Chris Boswell Kick)

2. Period 1 · 5:50

   Ja'Marr Chase 3 Yd pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson Kick)

3. Period 1 · 0:52

   Ben Skowronek 23 Yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (Chris Boswell Kick)

4. Period 2 · 10:16

   Evan McPherson 50 Yd Field Goal

5. Period 2 · 7:05

   Chris Boswell 44 Yd Field Goal

6. Period 2 · 0:34

   Tee Higgins 28 Yd pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson Kick)

7. Period 3 · 8:22

   Evan McPherson 38 Yd Field Goal

8. Period 3 · 2:43

   DK Metcalf 6 Yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (Chris Boswell Kick)

9. Period 4 · 13:29

   Mike Gesicki 25 Yd pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson Kick)

10. Period 4 · 8:45

    Chris Boswell 36 Yd Field Goal

11. Period 4 · 2:15

    Chris Boswell 33 Yd Field Goal