Risner owns up to late sack-fumble that sealed Bengals' loss to Steelers

Cincinnati's offensive line rebounded from a rough night in Houston, but one late breakdown against Pittsburgh decided a 30-27 defeat at Acrisure Stadium.

The Cincinnati Bengals dropped to 2-1 with a 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 27 at Acrisure Stadium, their first defeat of 2026 and the start of AFC North play at 0-1. Joe Burrow was sacked only once all afternoon, but that single takedown came inside the final minute and decided the game.

For Cincinnati's offensive line, the trip to Pittsburgh represented a step forward. In a Sept. 20 win over the Houston Texans, Burrow had been sacked five times and the line's play drew the bulk of the criticism. Facing a Steelers front widely regarded for its talent and depth, the group protected Burrow for nearly the entire game.

The decisive sequence came with the Bengals trailing by a field goal and driving close to the edge of kicker Evan McPherson's range. With about 53 seconds remaining, guard Dalton Risner lost his matchup against Pittsburgh's Derrick Harmon, who sacked Burrow and forced a fumble. The Steelers recovered with 44 seconds on the clock, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran out the final seconds in victory formation.

Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher pointed to the strength of the opposition when assessing his group's protection. "That's one of the better groups we'll see from top to bottom," Pitcher said of the Steelers. "I feel like I say that every week, but I feel like it's true. To go to Pittsburgh, yeah, I think there would be a lot of talk about (improving protection)."

The late stumble overshadowed an otherwise strong individual showing from Risner, who had not been a target of the criticism aimed at the line after the Houston game. Pro Football Focus graded him 82.5, his best single-game score through three contests this season. Pre-snap penalties still cropped up for the line, but the overall effort answered the questions raised a week earlier.

Speaking with reporters Sept. 28 at Paycor Stadium, Risner made no attempt to soften his role in the outcome. "I had a great game up until the last football play, but I could care less because at the end of the day, you want to win these games," he said. "I'd rather have a bad game and win the game." He described it as a bad play he will remember for a long time, adding: "I gave up a sack that resulted in a fumble and resulted in the game being over. That sucks. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I'm going to swallow it."

Cincinnati came close to leaving Pittsburgh unbeaten despite a long list of miscues. Two special-teams errors wiped out defensive stops during the game, and the final sack ended the comeback bid. The result dropped the Bengals to 0-1 in division play and left all four AFC North teams tied at 2-1.

Pitcher acknowledged an upside even as he rejected any satisfaction in a narrow defeat. "There's a lot of positive to take from that. We're not in the business of moral victories," he said. "We needed one more rep of excellent protection. It is what it is. We move on. There's a long season ahead and a lot to be excited about."

The Bengals play next on Oct. 4 at Paycor Stadium, hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. Jacksonville is also 2-1.