PITTSBURGH — Their future Hall of Fame quarterback spent the second half in the locker room dealing with an aching left wrist. The perennial All-Pro live wire at the back end of their defense joined him after being ejected.
And still the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way, and steadied their season in the process.
Mason Rudolph guided a pair of long scoring drives after replacing the injured Aaron Rodgers, and the Steelers surged past the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 on Sunday to remain atop the AFC North while also playing without safety Jalen Ramsey, who was thrown out for throwing a punch at Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
“This was a chance for us to get right and get back to what we do,” veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward said.
The Steelers (6-4) did it with a mix of new (and in Rudolph's case, old) faces that looked comfortable stepping into the void.
Rodgers, the NFL's oldest active player at 41, injured the wrist on his non-throwing hand at some point in the second quarter. It was unclear exactly when the four-time MVP was hurt. He was hit twice during a drive in the waning moments of the half, both of which resulted in roughing-the-passer penalties against Cincinnati.
The team initially listed Rodgers as questionable to return, though he was absent from the sideline in the second half. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Rodgers will undergo further testing on Monday.
Enter Rudolph, the longtime backup who led the Steelers on a late run to the playoffs in 2023. He returned to Pittsburgh last spring after a year with Tennessee, though he quickly ceded the starting job after Rodgers signed in early June.
It was only when Rodgers pointed to Rudolph during halftime that Rudolph knew he would be going in. The eight-year veteran picked up right where he left off the last time he took meaningful snaps for the Steelers, completing 12 of 16 throws for 127 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenneth Gainwell with 3:40 left that sealed it.
“I love playing here, this is where I was drafted," said Rudolph, a third-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2018. “This is home and yeah, (it was) very, very special.”
Pittsburgh's defense, which was shredded by Joe Flacco and the Bengals a month ago, added two touchdowns of its own.
Safety Kyle Dugger, acquired in a trade with New England last month that looks shrewder by the week, intercepted Flacco and returned it 74 yards for a game-turning pick-6 in the third quarter. Cornerback James Pierre added a 32-yard scoop-and-score late in the fourth.
“Somebody gives you a gift like that, you've got to maximize it for the defense for the team,” Dugger said after the 10th and perhaps easiest interception of his career.
Flacco's run of inspired play came to an abrupt end. The 40-year-old, who had not looked his age since taking over for an injured Joe Burrow and ineffective Jake Browning, delivered his worst performance since joining Cincinnati (3-7) last month. Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and Dugger's interception.
“You knew they were going to make it tough for us, and we just couldn't come through in those little moments,” Flacco said.
Spit gate?
Ramsey and Cincinnati star receiver Ja'Marr Chase exchanged trash talk much of the afternoon before being hit with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties with the Bengals driving in Pittsburgh territory in the fourth quarter. They were separated by teammates, only to re-engage after the whistle on the following play.
That's when Ramsey said Chase crossed a line by spitting on him, which Chase denied. Video indicated some spittle came out of Chase's mouth while he and Ramsey were facemask to facemask, hitting the top of Ramsey's jersey.
"I’m sure the NFL, they'll do their due diligence," Ramsey said. “They got a hundred cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything, I just told y’all, it’s facts.”
Referee Bill Vinovich said afterward his crew did not see “anything that rose to that level at all.”
Chase said he “never opened my mouth” toward Ramsey.
“He didn't like some of the words I told him,” Chase said. “We’ve been going back and forth the whole time, so I’m sure something got under his skin.”
Unsung heroes
Gainwell, signed as a free agent in March after helping Philadelphia win the Super Bowl last season, has found a niche behind starter Jaylen Warren. Gainwell finished with 105 total yards (81 receiving, 24 rushing) and the second and third touchdown receptions of his career.
Pittsburgh tight end Darnell Washington — all 6-foot-7 and 300-plus pounds of him — gave the Steelers a jolt by finishing with four receptions for 67 yards, including a 31-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter in which he stiff-armed one defender to the ground and ran over two others.
Injuries
Bengals: CB Cam Taylor-Britt exited with a left foot injury in the first half and did not return. TE Drew Sample was evaluated for a right oblique injury but returned. DE Trey Hendrickson missed his second straight game with a hip injury.
Steelers: WR/KR Ke'Shawn Williams entered the concussion protocol in the first quarter after taking a hit while returning the opening kickoff.
Up next
Bengals: Host AFC East-leading New England next Sunday.
Steelers: Visit Chicago next Sunday.
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