Mason Rudolph impresses as Pittsburgh Steelers snap three-game losing streak and end Cincinnati Bengals' three-match winning run; Rudolph completes 17-of-27 for 290 yards after making first start since November 2021 following ankle injury to fellow quarterback Kenny Pickett
Sunday 24 December 2023 08:48, UK
Mason Rudolph threw touchdown passes of 86 and 66 yards to George Pickens to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 34-11 rout of visiting Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers (8-7) intercepted Bengals quarterback Jake Browning three times and converted them into 17 points, including touchdown runs by Najee Harris and Calvin Austin III to help snap a three-game losing streak.
Pickens finished with four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while Rudolph completed 17-of-27 for 290 yards.
The Bengals (8-7) fell behind 24-0 in the first half and could never recover as their three-game winning streak came to an end and they fell to 0-5 in AFC North play this season.
Browning, who was starting his fifth game in place of the injured Joe Burrow, completed 28-of-42 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown.
Steelers star Rudolph, making his first NFL start since a 16-16 tie vs. Detroit in November 2021 due to Kenny Pickett's ankle injury, got off to a hot start, throwing a simple slant to Pickens at the Pittsburgh 20.
Cornerback DJ Turner II fell behind Pickens and safety Dax Hill over-pursued and slipped to the turf, allowing Pickens to race untouched for an 86-yard touchdown.
Bengals appeared poised to answer when Browning completed passes of 23 and 12 yards to Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas respectively but Browing then threw an ill-advised pass into the end zone instead of throwing the ball away and preserving the field goal chance, with the pass intercepted by Patrick Peterson.
The Steelers took the ball and marched right down the field again, driving 80 yards in 10 plays, scoring their second touchdown when Calvin Austin III ran seven yards off left tackle for a 14-0 lead.
Pittsburgh capitalised on another Cincinnati turnover as Eric Rowe picked off Browning at the Cincinnati 39 and returned it to the 24. Four plays later, Najee Harris went in from three yards for a 21-0 score.
Bengals' offense showed signs of life when they marched down the field and had first-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 14. But after a nine-yard gain, the Steelers held fast and stopped Cincinnati when Browning, following a timeout, threw incomplete for Higgins in the end zone.
Steelers capped their first half with a 50-yard Chris Boswell field goal at the gun to take a 24-0 lead and never looked back. They gained 263 yards in the first half in Rudolph's second appearance of the year.
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2023 NFL season continues live on Sky Sports with a bonus bumper slate of games over the Christmas holidays!
A full Christmas Eve slate sees the Cleveland Browns (9-5) continue their playoff charge at the Houston Texans (8-6) in the 6pm slot, before the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) are on the road against the Miami Dolphins (10-4) and the New England Patriots (3-11) meet the Denver Broncos (7-7) in Sunday Night Football in the early hours of Christmas Day.
The Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) and Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) kick off a Christmas Day triple-header from 6pm, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) against the New York Giants (5-9) and the Baltimore Ravens (11-3) against the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) in a potential Super Bowl preview from 1.15am in the early hours of Boxing Day.
