The Bengals’ wild loss showed why long snappers, the NFL’s invisible men, matter

The latest instalment of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry was an anxiety-ridden thriller, even for those with no rooting interest in either team. A display of football mastery for the ages, it was not. But the 23-20 overtime win by Pittsburgh had more twists and turns than an entire season of Stranger Things.

As such there were several key takeaways, starting with TJ Watt and a ferocious defense bullying a supposedly improved Bengals offensive line. Joe Burrow was sacked a whopping seven times: Watt alone collected a sack, interception and three tackles for a loss (the reigning defensive player of the year would later leave the field with a feared torn pectoral).

As for the man so often on the ground Sunday, well, if we hadn’t seen Burrow at SoFi Stadium in February with our own eyes, it would be hard to believe that he started in the last Super Bowl. At least for the first half. Yes, Burrow was afforded minimal time to throw but when he did, his accuracy and decision making were off base. He was unable to adjust until the second half when his vision became an asset, and his release was quicker.

It also helped Cincinnati that the Steelers offense seemingly lost its pulse in the second half. The Steelers were always going to be conservative with Mitch Trubisky starting at quarterback, but three points and fewer than 100 total yards in the second half is inexcusable.

Luckily for Trubisky, he still got the opportunity to play hero thanks to a bevy of missed opportunities by the Bengals, starting with Zak Taylor not challenging when a clear Ja’Marr Chase touchdown was ruled incomplete with just over 2:00 remaining in regulation. Dwelling on the non-challenge may cause our brains to collectivity explode – Taylor said after the