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Tee Higgins defends Joe Burrow after late fumble seals Bengals’ first loss of the season to Steelers

Cincinnati suffered its inaugural defeat of the campaign on September 27, 2026, falling to Pittsburgh after a late turnover. Trailing inside the final minute with the offense positioned within range for a kick, Joe Burrow was sacked by Derrick Harmon and lost possession, which Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered to cement the outcome.

Despite completing 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns alongside two rushes for 13 yards, the quarterback faced renewed scrutiny regarding his late-game execution.

Following the contest, teammate Tee Higgins strongly defended the signal-caller against the external criticism. Commentators and analysts noted prior successes from the 2021 and 2022 runs, while observers also pointed to special teams breakdowns—including a roughing-the-kicker infraction and a muffed punt that led to ten points for the opponent—as contributing factors that placed the squad in a difficult position before the decisive play transpired.

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