PHOTO BY JARED WICKERHAM/PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The game against the Bengals was nothing less than a revelation, even if Mike Tomlin was reluctant to acknowledge the significance of what happened in Cincinnati.

Steelers 44, Bengals 38 last Sunday was nothing less than historic. Never before had the Steelers allowed as many points on the road and still managed to win the game. Only once previously in franchise history had such a thing been achieved at any NFL location (a 39-38 win over Baltimore in December of 2017 at Heinz Field).

So yeah, this was a big deal.

PHOTO BY ALYSA RUBIN/PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The Steelers knew they’d have to score points, given the combustibility of the Bengals’ offense. And they, likewise, knew they’d have an opportunity to do so, given the vulnerable state of the Bengals’ defense.

But actually going out and doing it, for this team at this time, was an epiphany.

They’re still uncomfortably young along the offensive line. And they’re still deficient at wide receiver. But for the first time in recent memory, the Steelers are a shoot-out-capable collective.

There are multiple blueprints to victory, for a change.

These Steelers can win games in which they fail to score a touchdown (something they’ve done twice in the 2024 campaign).

And they can win games by scoring as many touchdowns as it takes.

You’d think the head coach would be doing back flips over such a departure from what had become the Steelers’ almost mind-numbing status quo.

And yet the public response from Tomlin was more apologetic than euphoric.

“I don’t know that I’m ever comfortable playing in a shoot-out,” Tomlin maintained this week. “It’s just my background and my expertise, to be quite honest with you. I respect offenses and talented players, and I acknowledge when we’re faced with stiff challenges. But it doesn’t mean that I’ll ever be comfortable in those circumstances.

“I have certain expectations, because of my professional journey on defense, that I expect us to slow those things down and minimize some of that. In the rare instances that we don’t, I’m thankful that we have an offense that’s capable of matching it.”

Conversely, Tomlin referenced excitement four times as it related to the impending return of outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.

“It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?” Tomlin insisted. “Let’s see where the roads lead, man. You can’t run out of rushmen. I’m so excited about the potential of getting Alex Highsmith back, and the development of [Nick] Herbig, the acclimation of Preston [Smith].

“You can’t run out of rushmen, particularly in December. And so it’s exciting. Make no mistake, there’s enough work for all parties involved, and we’re excited about sorting that out.”

Tomlin knows you can’t win without defense.

But you can’t win without offense, either.

No matter how stingy a defense is, or how resourceful a team can be when it comes to surviving games that are dragged down into a smashmouth, run-the-ball, outlast-the-other-team-with-defense-and-special teams affair, there are going to be times when an offense has to win the day.

Tomlin knew as much when he was coaching Ben Roethlisberger.

And he embraced the concept.

But the Steelers haven’t had such an option available to them since before Roethlisberger was injured two games into the 2019 season.

The way they’ve played offense since then reflected not how they necessarily wanted to do it but how they could only hope to get it done without the benefit of a franchise-caliber quarterback.

So Tomlin can be forgiven if he’s a little slow to celebrate what was put on display against the Bengals.

Steelers fans, if they aren’t already, should be elated.

In the wake of Steelers 44, Bengals 38, the Steelers are closer to legitimate Super Bowl contention than they’ve been in the last six seasons.

They still might not be the equal of the Chiefs or the Bills, let alone the Lions or the Eagles, but they’re getting there.

Russell Wilson has been dragging them in that direction ever since he became the starting quarterback on Oct. 20 against the Jets.

The comeback Wilson led on Nov. 10 against the Commanders suggested this season might yet be different.

And now the had-to-have-it explosion in Cincinnati has confirmed the game, and the manner in which the Steelers are capable of playing it, has unquestionably changed.

That’s worth at least five “excited” references, even from a self-proclaimed, old-school, defensive-minded guy.

Mike Prisuta is the sports anchor/reporter for Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show. He’s also the host of the Steelers Radio Network Pregame Show and the color analyst for Robert Morris University men’s hockey broadcasts.