Steelers vs. Bengals Week 3: Winners and Losers Breakdown

Pittsburgh's Week 3 tape against Cincinnati had a clear theme: the run game finally showed up, and a few individual performances stole the show. Here's who cashed in.

Jaylen Warren Breaks Out

With Rico Dowdle sidelined by a toe injury, Warren got the workload and made it count. The Steelers deserve credit too — instead of running straight into Dexter Lawrence, Pittsburgh leaned on a perimeter scheme built around tosses and got Warren into space. The result was a wild fourth quarter: an 87-yard run that got called back on a hold, followed almost immediately by another near-touchdown that ended with Warren tripping over his own feet. Add in a 30-yard catch and a 35-yard run in the first half, and Warren closed the day with more than 175 yards from scrimmage. It wasn't a fluke — it was scheme plus talent finally lining up. The real question now is what happens to the backfield split once Dowdle returns, possibly on a short week.

Darnell Washington Is a Problem

The tight end continues to be borderline unfair to tackle. On one play, defenders had him wrapped up for what looked like a modest 5-yard gain, and he simply carried them for six more yards and a first down. Later, in the fourth quarter, he turned a catch into a 47-yard gain, helped by two strong downfield blocks — including one from Germie Bernard. That play mattered even more given it came right after Warren's 87-yard run got wiped out by a DK Metcalf hold. Washington's ability to stay upright on low tackle attempts, which is exactly how defenses are coached to bring him down, remains one of the most unique physical traits on this roster.

Patrick Queen Flies Around

Queen had one of his more complete games of the season, showing up downhill against the run and holding his own in coverage. He rerouted a Bengals receiver to help set up a third-down breakup, and generally looked like the physical, sideline-to-sideline linebacker Pittsburgh signed him to be. If Queen keeps stacking performances like this, the middle of Pittsburgh's defense gets a lot more stable heading into the back half of the season.

What It Means Going Forward

The biggest storyline out of this one isn't the final score — it's that Pittsburgh may have found its run-game identity. A perimeter-heavy scheme unlocked Warren's speed, and if that stays part of the game plan even after Dowdle returns, the offense gets more dangerous and less predictable. Combine that with Washington emerging as a legitimate mismatch weapon and Queen looking comfortable in year one of the defense, and there's real reason for optimism in Pittsburgh — even beyond just this single result.