Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Steelers and Bengals have met twice a year as division rivals since 1970, first in the AFC Central and now the AFC North, in a series Pittsburgh leads 70-39. The rivalry's reputation for hard hits and short tempers dates back decades, but it sharpened further in the Joe Burrow era, when Cincinnati transformed from perennial also-ran into a Super Bowl contender and swept the Steelers for the first time since 2009 en route to a division title. Games between the two are typically physical, low-margin affairs that carry outsized weight in the crowded AFC North standings. The September 27, 2026 meeting in Pittsburgh continues one of the NFL's longest-running divisional grudge matches, with the Steel Curtain legacy on one side and Cincinnati's more recent contender status on the other giving the matchup its edge.