Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Flacco Has a Throwback Night in Victory
It's not often that Joe Flacco is the younger starting quarterback these days, but that was the case on "Thursday Night Football" when he squared off against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flacco, 40, and Rodgers, 41, were just the second quarterback pairing in the Super Bowl era to start against each other as 40-year-olds.
Flacco prevailed, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 Cincinnati shootout win. Flacco hit wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 28-yard gain to put the Bengals in position for the game-winning field goal.
Rodgers had a memorable night as well. He threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns but also had two interceptions. He gave Pittsburgh a 31-30 lead with 2:31 remaining with a 68-yard touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth on second-and-20.
But it was Flacco who got the hero's welcome in just his second game as a Bengal after being traded by the Cleveland Browns last week, much to Mike Tomlin’s chagrin.
"Man, it was a lot of fun to go against Aaron today and the Steelers again," Flacco told SportsCenter. "I've played them so much. They're such a familiar foe."
Flacco has now had two strong games with the Bengals, boosting them to a 3-4 record. He's thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Still in First Place, But Lead Narrows
The Steelers (4-2) are now three games up on the Ravens (1-5) but have a more challenging schedule remaining.
Pittsburgh's next three games are against the Packers, Colts, and Chargers, who have a collective 12-4-1 record. After that, the Steelers face the Bills, Lions, and Ravens twice.
As Baltimore looks to claw back to the top of the AFC North, the Steelers' loss to the Bengals helps narrow the gap.
