2006 Week 3 · Sun, Sep 24, 2006 · Heinz Field
Cincinnati BengalsWinner
28
at
Pittsburgh Steelers
20
PIT -2 upsetO 42 ✓15 mph wind
Cincinnati Bengals 28–20. Played in 15 mph wind — weigh that when reading the passing lines.
Pre-2018 game — box score & context only; play-by-play visuals start in 2018
Who moved the needle
Top performers
Passing · PIT
18/39, 208 yds, 0 TD, 3 INT
-8.1 expected points added · -7.4% completion over expected
Passing · CIN
18/26, 193 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
-1.8 expected points added · +16.3% completion over expected
Full stat lines
Box score
Cincinnati Bengals
Passing
| Player | C/Att | Yds | TD | INT | Sacked | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Palmer | 18/26 | 193 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -1.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudi Johnson | 19 | 47 | 2.5 | 0 | -5.0 |
| Kenny Watson | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 0 | 2.0 |
| Carson Palmer | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 2.1 |
Defense (top contributors)
| Player | Solo | Ast | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Simmons | 4 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Landon Johnson | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Kaesviharn | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rashad Jeanty | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Miller | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Smith | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Deltha O'Neal | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 |
| Robert Geathers | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Madieu Williams | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 |
| John Thornton | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing
| Player | C/Att | Yds | TD | INT | Sacked | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Roethlisberger | 18/39 | 208 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -8.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Parker | 31 | 133 | 4.3 | 2 | 6.2 |
| Verron Haynes | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 0 | -4.8 |
| Cedrick Wilson | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 1.3 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Defense (top contributors)
| Player | Solo | Ast | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Foote | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deshea Townsend | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 |
| Ryan Clark | 3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| James Farrior | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Smith | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Troy Polamalu | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clint Kriewaldt | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Haggans | 2 | 1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Hampton | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ike Taylor | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
Closing number vs result
Betting context
- Closing spread
- PIT -2
- Closing total
- 42
- CIN moneyline
- —
- PIT moneyline
- —
Steelers closed -2 and lost outright — an upset against the closing number.
Total closed 42; the game landed 48 — over by 6.0.
Conditions and crew
Game environment
- Venue
- Heinz Field
- Roof / surface
- outdoors · dessograss
- Kickoff weather
- 69°F, wind 15 mph
- Referee
- Jeff Triplette
- Rest
- CIN 7 days · PIT 6 days
- Coaches
- Marvin Lewis vs Bill Cowher
Division game — familiarity tightens these matchups; closing numbers tend to be sharper.
Wind at 15 mph is the kind that drags passing depth and kicking range — weigh it when reading the splits.