The Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, 33-31, keeping their season alive in the process.

Along the way, Joe Flacco looked like a guy who has been running the Bengals offense for years, while Ja’Marr Chase broke a franchise record with 16 catches.

Here’s a look at some quick notes and takeaways from the game.

Quick thoughts

• Bengals got good news on the Joe Burrow injury front before the game, then he was on the sidelines supporting his teammates during it.
• Bengals benched Cam Taylor-Britt by making him inactive and also sat down rookie Dylan Fairchild on the offensive line. Coaches are mixing and matching benchings to see if there is any spark to be had. 
• Andre Iosiavs has been especially bad to start the year and had a critical drop in the first half. Chase Brown had probably the worst drop of the season and, frankly, hasn’t been much better. 
• The offensive issues evaporated in the second quarter. Chase Brown ripped off big runs and the Steelers didn’t have the personnel to slow Ja’Marr Chase, who scored. So did Tee Higgins. Some of this had to be the skill positions struggling with just how hard Flacco throws the football. 
• Bengals defense coughed up touchdowns of 3rd-and-10 or longer in this one, including a score near the end of the third to ruin a 10-point advantage. The unit simply can’t allow big plays like that and expect to win games when both should’ve been field goals at best.
• DJ Turner was on an incredible tear on Thursday, cementing himself as the CB1 on a day Cam Taylor-Britt was inactive.
• Tee Higgins made the play of the year so far for the Bengals at the end:

Tee Higgins just made a GENIUS play to slide down after making this big catch to let the clock continue to go.

So smart. So unselfish. Football IQ through the roof.pic.twitter.com/jBKAQkercJ

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 17, 2025

Key stat

142: Rushing yards for the Bengals, with Chase Brown up over 100. The running game can move if the passing offense is a threat, after all.

RELATED: Is Bengals QB Joe Burrow actually coming back this season?

Game balls

CB DJ Turner: What an incredible showing for Turner, which has been going on quietly for most of the season. He’s the CB1 by a long shot now.

QB Joe Flacco: The veteran quarterback who has been with the team for roughly a week looks like a natural in the offense and threw a casual-looking three touchdowns. He threw for 342 yards and a trio of scores.

Top takeaway

Slim hopes: Regardless of the end result here, the Bengals showed that under Flacco they can at least attempt to stick in every game. Whether that’s enough to squeak out enough wins until a possible Joe Burrow return, though, remains to be seen.

What’s Next?

The Bengals get a little bit of an extended break after the short turnaround, then stay home and play the New York Jets in Week 8 on October 26.

What’s Next?RELATED: Bengals’ QB trade search included some shocking names

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Instant analysis after Bengals keep season alive with win vs. Steelers