Steelers Host Bengals in Week 3 AFC North Matchup Sunday on CBS
The short version
- Pittsburgh hosts Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS in Week 3.
- The Bengals opened 2-0 with wins over Tampa Bay and Houston, including a 20-6 victory over the Texans.
- Bengals receiver Andrei Iosivas is on injured reserve after tearing ligaments in his thumb.
- The Steelers scored only three points in their previous game at New England.
- Aaron Rodgers leads Pittsburgh's offense, while T.J. Watt's defense faces Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.
Pittsburgh welcomes unbeaten Cincinnati to Acrisure Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, with the Bengals opening division play and the Steelers chasing a rebound.
The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 27, in the first meeting of the season between the AFC North rivals. The Week 3 matchup at Acrisure Stadium kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the television broadcast in the early Sunday window. The two clubs have met so often through the years that their rivalry has become a familiar fixture on the league's divisional calendar.
Viewers weighing how to watch have two main routes: the CBS broadcast or the streaming service Fubo, which offers a free trial. Fubo's channel lineup includes CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network, the principal networks involved in weekly NFL coverage, and the service works across television, phone, tablet and computer for households without a traditional cable package.
Cincinnati makes the trip with an unblemished record after season-opening victories over Tampa Bay and Houston. The 20-6 win against the Texans carried a broader message for the rest of the division: the Bengals demonstrated they can prevail in a game their defense controls, rather than depending entirely on Joe Burrow and the offense to carry the scoring load.
The wide receiver room will not be at full strength on Sunday, however. Andrei Iosivas tore ligaments in his thumb and was placed on injured reserve, a move that thins a pass-catching group headlined by Ja'Marr Chase for the division opener.
Pittsburgh's most recent performance raised far more concern. The Steelers traveled to New England and came away with only three points, and they now return to Acrisure Stadium looking for Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense to deliver a far more complete performance in front of the home crowd.
The challenge on the other side of the ball is no smaller for Pittsburgh. T.J. Watt leads a defense assigned to contain Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals' passing game, the group at the center of Cincinnati's offensive approach.
For the Bengals, Sunday doubles as a first chance to influence the AFC North standings after opening the year against two non-division opponents. Games between these franchises have traditionally been physical, and the winner gains an early foothold in the division race.
A January division game in Cincinnati illustrated how narrow the margin can be. Chase caught a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter against Cleveland in Week 18, putting the Bengals in front late, but the Browns answered with a field goal in the final seconds to win 20-18 at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026.
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