The especially bad timing of the only sack quarterback Joe Burrow endured against the Pittsburgh Steelers changed perspective on how the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line played.
The eventual loss Sept. 27 to the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium was an undeniable bounce-back for the offensive line following the Sept. 20 win against the Houston Texans in which the main criticism of the team was the line's play. Burrow was battered and sacked five times that day.
A week later, the line shined against a Steelers defensive front noted for its star power and depth. But there was the lone sack of Burrow and fumble that came with less than a minute to play and was significant in deciding the outcome − a 30-27 Cincinnati loss.
"That's one of the better groups
we'll see from top to bottom," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said of the Steelers. "I feel like I say that every week, but I feel like it's true. To go to Pittsburgh, yeah, I think there would be a lot of talk about (improving protection)."
The Bengals trailed by a field goal and mounted a promising drive in the final minutes that was already getting close to kicker Evan McPherson's expansive range. Then, with about 53 seconds to play, guard Dalton Risner lost his battle with Pittsburgh's Derrick Harmon, who eventually sacked Burrow and forced a fumble that the Steelers recovered with 44 seconds left. Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran out the clock in the so-called victory formation.
The sack was a brutal break for the Bengals offensive line because while its play wasn't perfect − the line was still bothered by pre-snap penalties − it was a significant response to its own miscues in Houston.
On an individual basis, Risner hadn't been on the receiving end of the major criticism of the line. But there again, the unfortunate timing of his worst moment against the Steelers − maybe his only truly bad moment in the game − came to define his entire output for the day.
In fact, Pro Football Focus graded Risner 82.5 for his play in the game. It's his best single-game grade through three games in 2026.
Still, Risner didn't run from criticism. He spoke to media members Sept. 28 at Paycor Stadium, taking ownership for his part in the decisive play in the first loss of 2026.
"I had a great game up until the last football play, but I could care less because at the end of the day, you want to win these games," Risner said. "I'd rather have a bad game and win the game. Whenever you have a good game but the last play of the game, you have a sack and it ends up being a sack-fumble that puts the game away − you guys know me. You saw me last year through the ups and downs, and this was a bad play that I'll remember for a long time and I'm not gonna make excuses about it. I'm not gonna try to make it sound better. I gave up a sack that resulted in a fumble and resulted in the game being over. That sucks. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I'm going to swallow it."
The Bengals (2-1) nearly left Pittsburgh undefeated despite a litany of miscues, defensive stops negated by two special-team errors and the game-ending sack of Burrow.
It was an agonizing manner in which to not only lose their first game but to begin AFC North play 0-1. All four AFC North teams are 2-1.
Pitcher said there was still an upside in the defeat.
"There's a lot of positive to take from that. We're not in the business of moral victories," Pitcher said. "We needed one more rep of excellent protection. It is what it is. We move on. There's a long season ahead and a lot to be excited about."
The Bengals next play Oct. 4 at Paycor Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m.). The Jaguars are also 2-1.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What Dalton Risner said about the decisive sack in the Bengals-Steelers game
