Feats of Strength: 'It's a Festivus Miracle!' Steelers break 30 points in a win over Bengals

Apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7) were tired of giving out lumps of coal to their fans during the Christmas season. After losing three in a row to the Cardinals, Patriots and Colts, the club felt it was time to shower all the good little boys and girls at Acrisure Stadium with gifts aplenty.

In a feel-good holiday plot twist fit for a Hallmark movie, the Steelers broke the 30-point barrier for the first time all season, routing the Cincinnati Bengals with third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph at the helm, 34-11.

It’s the first time the franchise broke 30 points in a victory since Nov. 15, 2020. That day they also beat the Bengals, 36-10.

Third string quarterback Mason Rudolph was so good, he had fans chanting his name during the fourth quarter in the open end of the field — the same spot where they were booing him in a preseason game last year.

The defense had three takeaways. George Pickens had a huge game. The Bengals (8-7) couldn’t get running back Joe Mixon going. And the Steelers got a much-needed win in the division to keep their faint playoff hopes alive heading into New Year’s Eve in Seattle next week.

“A three-game losing streak, it hurts. Especially when you pour everything into this game,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “To be able to come back and win — get a statement win against a division team — was huge for us.”

The victory put me in such good holiday spirits, I have no “Airing of Grievances” this week. My present to you as Festivus gives way to Christmas is nothing but Steelers “Feats of Strength.”

Rudolph, won’t you guide our team tonight?: From the very start of the game, Rudolph was on point and turned in the Steelers’ best quarterbacking performance of the season. He ended up with 290 yards on 17 of 27 passing to go along with two touchdowns and a 124 passer rating.

It all started on his first throw of the game, an 86-yard touchdown to George Pickens. Rudolph was on target and on time with a short slant, and Pickens did the rest.

PICKENS GOES 86 YARDS TO THE HOUSE

: #CINvsPIT on NBC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yewPow3ekF pic.twitter.com/ftykHKUiQS

— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2023

Via the Steelers media relations department, that score was the longest pass play of the season for the Steelers and longest since Week 12 of 2018 at Denver (Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster, 97-yard TD).

“I had a three-yard slant. Mason put it on time. I made the safety miss. The rest is history,” Pickens said.

Rudolph also had a gutsy scramble to pick up a first down and extend a red zone possession. Najee Harris scored a touchdown on the next carry to make it 21-0.

After being benched for Devlin “Duck” Hodges, bypassed by Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, booed by the fans in a preseason game and left to test free agency last spring, it was really nice to see Rudolph have a moment like this.

Following the contest, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was noncommital about who will start in Seattle next week.

Related:

• Madden Monday (early Christmas edition): 'I'd definitely start Mason Rudolph next game'
• Mason Rudolph glows in Steelers blowout vs. Bengals
• Mike Tomlin: ‘Too early’ to say if Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett will start next Steelers game

Pickens picks it up: After a week of controversy about his lack of effort on a block and during an interception last week, Pickens flashed the kind of talent that had so many people excited about him coming into the season.

Not only did Pickens score that touchdown, he had another fantastic catch late in the first half to set up a Chris Boswell field goal.

This catch by George Pickens!! pic.twitter.com/UrRIMhAt71

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 23, 2023

I don’t say this often, but that was a really good call by that back judge (Grantis Bell) on the sideline to rule that a reception, too.

Via NFL NextGen Stats, the completion traveled 55.7 yards in the air, the longest completion by air distance by the Steelers since 2017. It had a completion probability of only 25%.

Pickens added a 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter. For the game, Pickens ended up with 195 yards on four receptions.

Wham from Warren, applause for Austin: Since we are talking about Pickens, you know this topic had to come up.

Remember, it was a run from Jaylen Warren near the end zone in Indianapolis that resulted in Pickens peeling off his block. Warren made some waves by saying he’d block for Pickens in such a situation.

Well, Warren backed up his words with action, plowing over Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt on a Calvin Austin touchdown in the first half.

The @steelers are off to a hot start.

Calvin Austin extends the lead to 14-0.

: #CINvsPIT on NBC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yewPow3ekF pic.twitter.com/FJp3Dit4Sm

— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2023

Warren also added 54 yards from scrimmage.

It was also good to see Austin impact the game positively for a change. He’s been a ghost since the win at Las Vegas in Week 3 of the season, totaling just 16 touches since then. The second-year wideout also deserved a blatant pass interference call on a deep throw from Rudolph in the second that he didn’t get.

Defensive turnaround: After last week’s debacle in Indianapolis, the Steelers defense bounced back against the Bengals. Cincinnati only had 59 yards rushing. That’s after Indianapolis totaled 170 on the ground last week.

The defense also managed to get three interceptions. One was off a horrid throw by Jake Browning in the first quarter that Patrick Peterson caught in the end zone. The second was a pick by recently elevated Eric Rowe, and the third was a great drop into coverage by Highsmith.

We’ll take that ???? #ProBowlVote Alex Highsmith

????: Stream on NFL+pic.twitter.com/BDGuX1urOE

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 24, 2023

“Awesome,” fellow linebacker T.J. Watt said of Highsmith’s interception. “He’s a great pass rusher. He’s rounding out his game while he plays the run well. That was a great play. All hands, too.”

Full marks to the defense keeping things together with Elandon Roberts getting injured in the first half. The last man standing among the inside linebackers suffered a pectoral injury and had to leave the game. That meant more snaps for Mark Robinson, Mykal Walker and Myles Jack (who had a sack).

The only real crack from the defense was an 80-yard touchdown from Tee Higgins on the Bengals first snap of the second half.

What to my wondering eyes?: You know things are going well when this happens.

Mike Tomlin won two challenges.

The first one came in the third quarter when Andrei Iosivas appeared to make a great catch along the sideline for 22 yards. But Tomlin threw the red flag and replay overturned the call, noticing that Iosivas’ hand touched out of bounds before he got his second foot down.

Seven snaps later in that drive, Mixon caught a short pass that was ruled complete on a third down. It only gained 2 yards with 13 more still to get on fourth down. But Tomlin challenged anyway and won. The Bengals kicked a field goal on the last snap of the quarter to make the score 31-11.

That one didn’t net much positive. But maybe that was just a stocking stuffer from Tomlin to himself.