The Steelers won handily, 16–10, at Suncor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, to officially welcome in the post–Matt Canada era with new playcallers Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan. The team's record now stands at 7-4, and they have a 3-1 division record.
After a shaky start, the defense came through with their customary splash plays, led by defensive back Trenton Thompson, who finished the game with five tackles and a key interception in the third quarter. The Steelers defense as a whole registered six passes defensed, along with four sacks. All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt led the way with two of them, increasing his season total to 13.5. Veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward had his best game of the season with four tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss.
Kicker Chris Boswell made three field goals out of three and added an extra point to account for ten of the team's sixteen points.
The story of the game was the play of the offense, which had one of its best games in the last three seasons.
On the surface, the offense appeared to be considerably more effective, as Pickett's opening ball to tight end Pat Freiermuth down the middle of the field was completed for 24 yards. The offense would occasionally revert to plays similar to those frequently seen in Canada's scheme, but these efforts were rarely successful. To both Faulkner and Sullivan's credit, they devised a scheme that benefited their respective advantages on that side of the ball. At the conclusion of the game, the team had scored 400 yards for the first time since September 20, 2020.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett led the way, completing the game with a 72.7 completion percentage and a season-high 278 passing yards. Freiermuth, his preferred target, with a career-high 120 receiving yards. George Pickens had a strong second half after getting off to a poor start, finishing with three receptions for 58 yards. Najee Harris, a running back, dominated the day on the ground, amassing 99 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown run.