Not So Fast, MVP Favorite Anthony Richardson's 5 Turnovers Fuels Bengals Blowout
Anthony Richardson led the Steelers back from a 28-14 halftime deficit, but two more turnovers in the 4th-quarter doomed the MVP front-runner.
| Team | Q | Time | Play | Pittsburgh | Cincinnati |
 | 1st | 6:07 | Quinshon Judkins, 9 Yd Run | 7 | 0 |
 | 1st | 4:38 | Christian Watson, 53 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow | 7 | 7 |
| 1st | 2:44 | Dax Hill, Returned Interception 59 Yds | 7 | 14 |
| 1st | 1:52 | Keaton Mitchell, 5 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 14 | 14 |
| 2nd | 8:44 | Christian Watson, 18 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow | 14 | 21 |
| 2nd | 0:49 | Christian Watson, 32 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow | 14 | 28 |
| 3rd | 6:35 | Ryan Williams, 7 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 21 | 28 |
| 3rd | 2:48 | DK Metcalf, 10 Yd Pass From Anthony Richardson | 28 | 28 |
| 4th | 8:13 | Tee Higgins, 13 Yd Pass From Joe Burrow | 28 | 35 |
| 4th | 6:13 | DJ Harvey, Returned Interception 69 Yds | 228 | 42 |
| 4th | 3:10 | Barrett Carter, Returned Fumble 76 Yds | 28 | 49 |
Cincinnati, OH. - "I simply have to do better, period," Anthony Richardson said after surrendering five turnovers in Pittsburgh's 49-28 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday—a defeat that appears lopsided on the surface until you examine how the game actually unfolded.
Richardson threw three interceptions in the first half, with Cincinnati cashing in for touchdowns on all three to build a 28-14 halftime lead. But what the final score doesn't reveal is that Richardson composed himself after the break and led back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter to tie the game at 28-28 entering the fourth.
For a brief moment, the Steelers had erased the deficit and appeared poised to steal a road victory despite the early turnovers.
Then everything fell apart.
Aided by a costly roughing-the-passer penalty on T.J. Watt—who admitted after the game to letting his emotions get the best of him after coming up just short of sacking Joe Burrow on multiple occasions—Cincinnati retook the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Burrow found Tee Higgins in the corner of the end zone after a defensive breakdown, giving the Bengals a 35-28 advantage.
Richardson drove the Steelers the length of the field twice in the final frame, but both drives ended in turnovers that Cincinnati returned for touchdowns. Suddenly, a competitive game imploded into the 49-28 final.
Head coach Mike Tomlin didn't mince words when assessing Richardson's performance.
"Anthony knows he has to be better," Tomlin said. "He's dealing with some nagging injuries that limited his mobility a bit, but that's not an excuse. You simply can't sail as many throws as he did today and expect the other team not to take advantage of them. Not only did we give up three turnovers for touchdowns, but we were within field goal range on all three. If he stays within the offense and doesn't give the ball away, this is a game we win."
Richardson acknowledged both his struggles and the nagging injuries but refused to use them as an excuse.
"I have to be better, no excuses," he said.
The loss drops Pittsburgh to 14-2 heading into their regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills. More significantly, it raises questions about whether the Steelers will rest their starters in Week 18.
With Houston already locking up the No. 1 seed at 16-0, Pittsburgh cannot move up in the playoff seeding regardless of their result against Buffalo. Tomlin hinted strongly after the game that resting key players may be the prudent move.
"Houston already has the No. 1 seed locked up at 16-0," Tomlin said. "Even if they don't chase history and sit their starters, we are two losses back. We aren't losing the No. 2 seed and we aren't getting a bye to rest. The smart move may be to use Week 18 as our rest to be ready for the Wild Card round. It's something we're going to consider this week."
The decision will be closely watched, particularly given Richardson's apparent injury issues. With the playoffs looming, an extra week of rest could prove invaluable for a team that's shown championship potential but also troubling inconsistency down the stretch.
For now, the Steelers must confront an uncomfortable truth: their MVP candidate quarterback just delivered his worst performance of the season at the worst possible time.
Anthony Richardson | 22/32, 257 Yds, 3 TD, 4 INT; 5 Att, 51 Yds, FMB Joe Burrow | 21/24, 303 Yds, 4 TD, INT; 2 Att, 3 Yds Keaton Mitchell | 8 Att, 57 Yds Fluff Bothwell (R) | 7 Att, 19 Yds Ryan Williams (R) | 8 Rec, 83 Yds, TD Christian Watson | 5 Rec, 118 Yds, 3 TD FS Alohi Gilman | 9 Tkl, INT LB Payton Wilson | 6 Tkl, 2 TFL CB Marlon Humphrey | 5 Tkl, TFL, 0.5 Sack EDGE Cedric Johnson | 9 Tkl, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks CB Dax Hill | 10 Tkl, INT, TD CB DJ Harvey | 2 Tkl, INT, TD