Bungles Fumble the Bag In AFC North Showdown
Former Packer WR Christian Watson fumbled the opening kickoff, then proceeded to put the ball on the turf three times total as the Bengals team lost an astounding five fumbles in the loss.

ScoringSummary
| Team | Q | Time | Play | Pittsburgh | Cincinnati |
 | 1st | 7:21 | DK Metcalf, 5 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 7 | 0 |
 | 1st | 4:46 | Ja'Marr Chase, 26 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow | 7 | 7 |
 | 2nd | 7:31 | Keaton Mitchell, 1 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 14 | 7 |
 | 2nd | 5:01 | Anthony Richardson, 2 Yd Run | 21 | 7 |
 | 2nd | 0:19 | Anthony Richardson, 16 Yd Run | 28 | 7 |
 | 2nd | 0:00 | Chris Boswell, 30 Yd FG | 31 | 7 |
 | 3rd | 3:05 | Ja'Marr Chase, 21 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow (2PT) | 31 | 15 |
 | 3rd | 0:00 | Anthony Richardson, 17 Yd Run | 38 | 15 |
 | 4th | 6:20 | Zachariah Branch, 4 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 45 | 15 |
Cincinnati, OH. - From the opening kickoff, it was clear the moment might’ve been too big for the Cincinnati Bengals. On the game’s first play, newly signed wideout Christian Watson took the kickoff and promptly coughed it up after a crushing hit from Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb.
The miscue set the tone — and the table — for a long afternoon in the Queen City.
Anthony Richardson wasted no time capitalizing, tossing the first of his six total touchdowns on the ensuing possession. It was a preview of what was to come, as the Bengals went on to lose five fumbles in the game, three of them by Watson himself — and four total in the first half.
Pittsburgh turned those mistakes into 31 of their 45 points, while the Bengals managed to convert only one of the Steelers’ two red zone turnovers.
Richardson orchestrated a masterclass drive midway through the third quarter — an 18-play march that chewed up nearly the entire period — but a batted swing pass to Jaylen Warren at the 2-yard line turned into a fumble. Cincinnati answered with a quick drive capped by Ja’Marr Chase’s second touchdown of the day to pull within striking distance at 31-15.
But when opportunity knocked again, the Bengals left the door wide open. After a red-zone interception by Richardson gave them life, Chase caught a short drag route on third down — only for safety Alohi Gilman to punch the ball loose. Linebacker Patrick Queen scooped up the fumble, and moments later Richardson ran in his third rushing touchdown of the game to seal the 45-15 rout.
“Frustrating,” said head coach Zac Taylor afterward. “You look at how Joe [Burrow] and the offense were moving it, and you think you’re right there — but then we fumble three times on special teams, twice on offense. You can’t win games like that.”
The Steelers, meanwhile, continue to look like a juggernaut. Richardson once again topped 400 total yards with six touchdowns, keeping him firmly in the early-season MVP conversation. He now ranks top-five in the league in both passing and rushing categories.
“Just trying to make plays and keep the points flowing,” Richardson said with a grin. “Coach Tomlin believed in me, and I think that shows in how free I’m playing out there.”
Now 6-0, the Steelers will return home to face the rival Baltimore Ravens in what promises to be another high-stakes divisional clash.

Anthony Richardson Sr | 28/37, 255 Yds, 3 TD, INT; 17 Att, 176 Yds, 3 TD

Joe Burrow | 21/27, 273 Yds, 2 TD

Jaylen Warren | 11 Att, 52 Yds

Najee Harris | 2 Att, 8 Yds

Zachariah Branch (R) | 15 Rec, 127 Yds, TD

Ja'Marr Chase | 4 Rec, 74 Yds, 2 TD

EDGE Alex Highsmith | 4 Tkl, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks

SS DeShon Elliott | 12 Tkl, FF

LB Payton Wilson | 3 Tkl, 2 TFL, Sack

LB DeMetrius Knight Jr | 9 Tkl, TFL, FF, FR

CB Dax Hill | 7 Tkl, TFL, INT

EDGE Trey Hendrickson | 6 Tkl, TFL, 0.5 Sack
NFL Week Six Scoreboard
31 Buffalo (6-0) @ Miami (3-3) 14
24 Tampa Bay (5-1) @ Minnesota (0-6) 21
19 Houston (4-2) @
Cleveland (3-2) 31
31 Kansas City (5-1) @ New England (4-2) 25
26 Green Bay (2-4) @ Chicago (2-4) 20
24 Detroit (3-3) @ Tennessee (0-6) 17
21 Jacksonville (4-2) @
New York (N) (5-1) 23
42 Los Angeles (A) (3-3) @ San Francisco 18
20 Atlanta (1-5) @ Los Angeles (N) 17
27 Las Vegas (4-2) @ Arizona 0
24 Seattle @
Denver (3-3) 38
30 Philadelphia (6-0) @ Dallas (2-4) 15
28 Washington (1-5) @
New Orleans (2-4) 31