Prediction - the Bengals draft for Defense again this year - hopefully they can snag Bobby Carpenter.
This game was a huge wake-up call for the Bengals and their fans (me included). They got it handed to them by a more physical, mature and talented squad.
True, if they had put the points up on the board on the early drives it makes the complexion of the game different. True, a 10-0, 14-0 lead would have made the Steelers play catch-up. But, honestly, it would have drawn out the turn-around point in the game till the late 3rd quarter instead of the 2nd half. Woulda and coulda been would not have stopped the running game the Steelers brought. It would not have changed the eventual outcome, it would only have changed the margin of victory.
The Bengals still have much to look forward to this season. They still sit atop the division, though that will likely change once the games played even out. This was a much worse outcome than the loss in Jacksonville. To make that elite level (which I frankly did not think the Bengals were in - yet) the Bengals have to be able to do three things.
A - Hold serve on your home field, no matter the quality of the opponent.
B - Win away from home against quality opponents
C - And to do each of the above they need to further improve their running game, while also (critically) improving their rushing defense.
This season is far, far from over. There are many goals the Bengals can still achieve, including making the post-season. One game at a time.