The Week 7 game featuring the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Paycor Stadium 33-31 proved to be one of the most thrilling yet controversial games of the year.

The back-to-back AFC North divisional game began with a promising start for Pittsburgh, with starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers finding Jonnu Smith in the end zone for a touchdown.

This would shortly after be followed by Chris Boswell kicking a field goal to go up by ten at the end of the first quarter.

Although the momentum would soon turn against Pittsburgh, as Aaron Rodgers would throw two consecutive interceptions to Cincinnati, a far cry from his recent performances.

Cincinnati would capitalize on Pittsburgh’s turnovers as their new quarterback, Joe Flacco, would go on to throw two touchdowns to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Alongside a field goal from Evan McPherson, Cincinnati would go up by seven at halftime.

Pittsburgh attempted to respond in the third quarter with a touchdown to Pat Friermuth, but Cincinnati would counter with a touchdown to Noah Fant and another field goal from McPherson.

Despite the adversity, Pittsburgh stayed resilient, as Rodgers would throw a touchdown to Darnell Washington, and another to Friermuth.

As the game clock wound down, it all came down to a final Hail Mary attempt by Rodgers. Despite the hope of a miracle, the pass fell incomplete to DK Metcalf, leading to a win for Cincinnati.

Nevertheless, highlights of the game included Flacco and Chase for Cincinnati, the latter notably breaking the franchise’s all-time reception record for one game.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s running backs notably played well; however, their defense went under heavy criticism.

Known for having one of the best defenses in the league, stars such as Cameron Heyward, Nick Herbig, and T.J. Watt failed to make an impact.

However, the player’s individual performances weren’t the only thing to note heading out on the game, as controversy struck.

The poor performances of the referees led to the suspension of referee Clay Martin.

Other Week 7 results include:

• Los Angeles Rams (5-2) def. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3): 35-7
• Chicago Bears (4-2) def. New Orleans Saints (1-6): 26-14
• Cleveland Browns (2-5) def. Miami Dolphins (1-6): 31-6
• New England Patriots (5-2) def. Tennessee Titans (1-6): 31-13
• Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) def. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5): 31-0
• Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) def. Minnesota Vikings (3-3): 28-22
• Carolina Panthers (4-3) def. New York Jets (0-7): 13-6
• Denver Broncos (5-2) def. New York Giants (2-5): 33-32
• Indiana Colts (6-1) def. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3): 38-24
• Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) def. Washington Commanders (3-4): 44-22
• Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) def. Arizona Cardinals (2-5): 27-23
• San Francisco 49ers (5-2) def. Atlanta Falcons (3-3): 20-10
• Detroit Lions (5-2) def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2): 24-9
• Seattle Seahawks (5-2) def. Houston Texans (2-4): 27-19

Looking ahead for Pittsburgh, they meet Green Bay in a heated revenge game at Acrisure Stadium. Many await Rodgers to face off with a team where he spent over a decade.

The team will also be wearing their debuting throwback uniforms, a design that has received a mixed reaction.

On the other hand, Cincinnati will host a winless New York team in a game they’re heavily favored to win.

Regardless of the team’s matchups, many anticipate how Pittsburgh will respond to this loss on Thursday Night Football.

Whether it’s improvements made to the coaching staff, defense, offensive line, or something that hasn’t even been considered yet, Pittsburgh needs to make a move in order to keep its championship hopes alive.