If you want to understand why people in the AFC North don’t like each other, just watch five minutes of a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is not just about the win-loss column. Honestly, it is about the grudges that span generations. For decades, Pittsburgh fans viewed Cincinnati as a "little brother" team that they could bully at will. Then, guys like Vontaze Burfict and Pacman Jones showed up, and the "bully" dynamic turned into a mutual, deep-seated resentment that hasn't really left the building.
Even now, as we move through the 2025-2026 season cycle, the intensity hasn't dipped.
The history is lopsided, sure. Pittsburgh leads the all-time regular-season series 71-41. But if you think that means the Bengals are an easy out, you haven’t been paying attention to the last few years. The gap is closing, or at least, the Bengals have found ways to make it hurt.
The Icy Hot Bowl: A 40-Something Quarterback Duel
Take the 2025 season. It gave us one of the weirdest storylines in NFL history. We saw a Week 7 matchup that fans dubbed the "Icy Hot Bowl." Why? Because for the third time ever, two starting quarterbacks over the age of 40 faced off. On one side, you had Joe Flacco, the former Ravens nemesis now wearing Bengals stripes. On the other, Aaron Rodgers, now the signal-caller for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It felt like a fever dream.
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Flacco, filling in while Joe Burrow dealt with a toe injury, threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in his home debut. He led a last-second game-winning drive to secure a 33-31 victory. That game was peak AFC North chaos. Ja'Marr Chase set a Bengals franchise record with 16 catches in a single game. Meanwhile, Rodgers actually passed Ben Roethlisberger for fifth on the all-time career passing list during the loss.
The rematch on November 16, 2025, was a different story entirely. Pittsburgh reminded everyone why Mike Tomlin is the king of late-season division games. The Steelers defense absolutely suffocated the Bengals, cruising to a 34-12 win. It wasn't even as close as the score looked. By the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh had outscored Cincinnati 14-3 to put the game out of reach.
Why the Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh NFL Rivalry is Different
Most NFL rivalries are built on respect. This one? It’s built on "accidental" hits and very intentional trash talk.
You can’t talk about these teams without mentioning the 2015 AFC Wild Card game. That 18-16 Steelers win is basically the "Zapruder Film" for Bengals fans. The Jeremy Hill fumble. The Burfict hit on Antonio Brown. The Joey Porter (a coach!) being on the field. It was a total meltdown that still defines how these fanbases interact.
- The Playoff Gap: Pittsburgh is 2-0 against Cincinnati in the postseason. That burns.
- The Tomlin Factor: Mike Tomlin has a ridiculous 27-12 career record against the Bengals. He basically owns the state of Ohio at this point.
- The Burrow Era: Before his recent injury setbacks, Joe Burrow was starting to flip the script. He’s 4-3 in his career against the Steelers, showing a level of composure that previous Bengals QBs lacked in the "Steel City" environment.
By the Numbers: A History of Dominance (and Recent Parity)
If you look at the raw data, Pittsburgh’s dominance in the 2000s was borderline illegal. Between 2015 and 2020, the Steelers went on an 11-game winning streak. Eleven. That is five and a half years of Cincinnati fans having to endure "Terrible Towels" waving in their own stadium.
But since 2021, it has been a dead heat. Over their last 10 meetings, the teams are 5-5. In those 10 games, both teams have scored exactly 237 points combined. You literally cannot get more even than that. It’s like the universe decided to balance the scales after years of Pittsburgh blowouts.
The Offensive Identity Shift
The 2025 stats tell a story of two teams trying to find themselves. The Bengals have become a pass-first, pass-second, pass-third team. They threw the ball at a 67.2% rate in the early part of the season—the highest in the league. When you have Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, why wouldn't you? Chase is currently chasing (pun intended) Chad Johnson’s franchise touchdown record of 66. He’s already past the 54 mark and is averaging 87.7 yards per game for his career.
Pittsburgh, under Rodgers, is playing a "death by a thousand cuts" style. They lead the league in time of possession, holding the ball for over 32 minutes a game. They use "heavy" personnel (lots of tight ends) more than any other team. They aren't trying to out-finesse you; they are trying to exhaust you.
What Really Happened with the Defense?
In the first 2025 meeting, the Steelers' defense looked mortal. They allowed 7.7 yards per attempt on quick passes (under 2.5 seconds), which is league-worst territory. But by the November rematch, they had tightened the screws. They finished that game with a plus-15 sack differential over a three-week span.
The Bengals' defense, on the other hand, has struggled with consistency. They allowed the most points in the NFL against teams with winning records during the 2025 stretch. When they face a physical team like Pittsburgh, those cracks in the run defense start to look like canyons.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are looking at the Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh NFL matchup for future games or just trying to win an argument at a bar, keep these specific trends in mind:
- The Over/Under Trap: The "OVER" has cashed in 7 of the last 9 Bengals games as of late 2025. Their defense gives up points, and their offense can score them in bunches.
- December/January Dominance: Mike Tomlin is 38-13 in divisional games from Week 12 through the end of the regular season since 2007. Betting against the Steelers in cold weather division games is usually a bad idea.
- The Chase Factor: Ja'Marr Chase has consistently torched the Steelers' secondary, even when they know the ball is going to him. If he's healthy, he is the single biggest "X" factor in the rivalry.
- Turnover Margin: Pittsburgh is consistently in the top three for turnover differential. In their recent wins over Cincy, they didn't necessarily out-gain them in yardage; they just didn't give the ball away.
The rivalry is no longer just about the Steelers dominating. It has evolved into a strategic clash between Cincinnati’s explosive, high-flying air attack and Pittsburgh’s methodical, ball-control philosophy. Whether it's Flacco, Burrow, or Rodgers under center, the bad blood remains the most consistent part of the game.
To truly understand the trajectory of this rivalry, keep a close eye on the Bengals' defensive line depth and the Steelers' ability to maintain a running game with their aging offensive front. These "trench" battles usually decide the outcome long before the quarterbacks take their final snaps.