Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow shook off a career-high four interceptions and appeared to lead the Bengals to an improbable victory twice, once in regulation and once in overtime, but two missed kicks cost them in a heartbreaking 23-20 Opening Day loss to the Steelers before the drained 65,841 at Paycor Stadium.
With wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) out in the second half and wide receiver Tyler Boyd and running back Joe Mixon limping off the field on the first series of overtime (they would come back), Burrow hit tight end Hayden Hurst for a 20-yard gain that put the Bengals on the Steelers 13 with just four minutes left in the OT.
On third-and-eight Bengals head coach Zac Taylor opted to go for Evan McPherson’s 29-yard field goal to win it even though he didn’t have long snapper Clark Harris (bicep) and he went to backup tight end Mitchell Wilcox. After the new combo saw the winning extra point blocked at the end of regulation, Taylor went for it on third down in case there was a bad snap, giving them another shot on fourth down.
But this snap was high and McPherson yanked it left. When the Steelers’ Chris Boswell followed it up by clanking a 55-yarder off the left upright, Burrow (33 of 53 for 338 yards) unbelievably had another chance.
He transformed a sack into a nine-yard gain and they were in field goal range at the Steelers 38, but Pittsburgh sacked him for the seventh time when cornerback Arthur Maulet blitzed and Burrow fumbled near midfield and they had to punt with 1:04 left.
Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (21 of 38 for 194 yards and no mistakes), used a Bengals offsides penalty, then dunk and dove it quickly down the field to get Boswell’s winning 53-yarder as time ran out.
Burrow, who ended regulation with 286 yards on 28 of 46 passing, forced a 20-20 tie with an unbelievable 60-yard touchdown drive on nine plays in 1:25 and got the touchdown on the last play of regulation when he shoved a six-yarder to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (10 catches…
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