Steelers cornerbacks smarting after Bengals receivers have their way against them

CINCINNATI — Mike Tomlin remained undaunted even after his prized acquisitions in the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary wilted like dehydrated lettuce in their first significant test of the season Thursday night.

When the Steelers signed Darius Slay in free agency and traded for Jalen Ramsey in the summer, adding to a cornerback group that included promising third-year player Joey Porter Jr., they did it to neutralize the Cincinnati Bengals’ receiving tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

It’s back to the drawing board for Tomlin after the Bengals’ duo fueled a 33-31 upset at Paycor Stadium that snapped the Steelers’ three-game winning streak.

Chase and Higgins were open more than a 24-hour convenience store as they combined for 22 catches, 257 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals, who put up 470 yards, the most allowed by the Steelers in three years.

“We won’t be defined by this performance,” Tomlin said when asked about his veteran corners, “but it certainly was disappointing tonight.”

The Steelers face the Bengals again in November at Acrisure Stadium. Maybe by then they will have washed the bad taste from Thursday night’s performance from their collective mouths.

Targeted an alarming 23 times, Chase had 16 receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown. Higgins caught six passes for 96 yards and a score. He could have reached the end zone a second time late in the game, but he slid at the Steelers 7 to set up Evan McPherson’s game-winning field goal with seven seconds left on the clock.

It was a staggering performance from Chase and Higgins considering they aren’t exactly new to the Steelers. Chase is in his fifth season with Cincinnati and won the receiving Triple Crown last year when he totaled 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Higgins, a sixth-year veteran, has four seasons with at least 900 receiving yards, and he chipped in 10 touchdown catches last season.

The Steelers took steps in the offseason to improve their coverage by adding starting corners Slay and Ramsey. They also added a veteran backup in Brandin Echols and brought in a trio of safeties in Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers.

Yet, nothing the Steelers did Thursday night could keep quarterback Joe Flacco, starting his second game in five days with his new team, from finding his open targets. Flacco also found third receiver Andrei Iosivas three times for 49 yards, including a 37-yarder on a drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to tight end Noah Fant.

“We double-teamed him some,” Tomlin said, referring to Chase. “We double-teamed (Higgins) some, had some mixes when required. They’ve got depth and talent. Just like the only play (Iosivas) made down the middle. We were doubling them both, and so (Iosivas) was one-on-one in that circumstance.

“There are many ways you can analyze it, but the bottom line is they made more plays than we did.”

Between them, Slay and Ramsey brought a collective 13 Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selections to the Steelers. They were brought in to lessen the burden on Porter, who was penalized six times (four accepted) in the Steelers’ trip to Cincinnati last season, a 44-38 victory.

Instead, it was deja vu. Porter was called for pass interference twice as was Ramsey, whose first penalty was declined when Chase pulled in a fade for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

“We’ve got the guys to do it,” Porter said. “They just got to let us play.”

Asked to explain what he meant, Porter made it clear he didn’t agree with the flags he drew.

“I wasn’t a big fan of the calls today with officiating,” he said.

Ramsey, though, refused to defer any blame.

“(Screw) the calls. Don’t worry about that,” he said. “We have to play better starting with myself when the opportunity presents itself. It’s part of the game. There are receivers who are superstars in the league. You know they get away with (stuff) like that. It is what it is. Next play, you’ve got to play the game. You have to execute when you’re given the opportunity to execute.”

Ramsey was expected to be tested by Chase. And he gave himself a failing grade.

“That’s what teams do when they’ve got a top receiver,” he said. “But forget all that, starting with me, we have to play better with certain opportunities.”

Ramsey already is looking forward to the rematch with the Bengals in four weeks.

“Lock in, that’s it,” he said. “We have to go back to work. We didn’t get the goal accomplished today. Straight up, that’s what it is. We’ll see them again. That’s the good thing about it.”