Tyler Boyd: Steelers 'gave up' in loss to Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said it was clear the Pittsburgh Steelers let up near the end of the Bengals' convincing 24-10 win over their rivals.

"The last plays of the game for them, they gave up," Boyd said, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. "You could see it. They had three drops in a row."

The Steelers appeared uninspired while attempting to trim the late deficit, turning the ball over on downs twice during the final minutes. Najee Harris and Chase Claypool dropped all three of Ben Roethlisberger's final passes during the club's last drive.

And during the previous possession, Roethlisberger opted to throw a short pass to Harris despite facing a fourth-and-10 deep in Bengals territory, which resulted in a one-yard loss.

Boyd believes the Steelers seemingly waving the white flag gives more confidence to a young and emerging Bengals squad, letting the team "know how good we are."

"They portrayed to the whole nation on TV what they were about and how they gave up," he said. "So, we got to take advantage."

The victory pushed the Bengals into a three-way tie for the AFC North lead at 2-1, while the Steelers sunk to 1-2 following their second straight loss. Pittsburgh has now lost seven of its last nine games dating back to last season.