Mike Tomlin wondered earlier this week why the Cleveland Browns would trade veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to their AFC North rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. On Thursday night, he found out the hard way.
Flacco, the 40-year-old former Super Bowl MVP, threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and engineered a late game-winning drive as the Bengals edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 at Acrisure Stadium. Evan McPherson’s 36-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining sealed the victory, snapping Cincinnati’s four-game losing streak.
It was only Flacco’s second start for the Bengals since being acquired from Cleveland on October 7 — but it may already have cemented his place in Cincinnati lore.
“He’s been in every situation imaginable,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “You could just feel the poise in that last drive. That’s why we brought him here.”
The win moved the Bengals to 3-4 on the season, while the Steelers dropped to 4-2 despite another late-game spark from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. The primetime matchup marked only the third regular-season game in NFL history between two starting quarterbacks in their 40s.
As Flacco appeared on Prime Video’s postgame show, fans behind the set serenaded him with chants of “Thank you Cleveland! Thank you Cleveland!” — a nod to the Browns’ decision to deal him within the division. Flacco smiled, waving to the crowd as Taylor laughed nearby.
Flacco completed 31 of 47 passes and led his 23rd career fourth-quarter comeback. Down 31-30 with 2:31 remaining, he marched the Bengals 52 yards in eight plays, hitting Ja’Marr Chase for gains of 15 and 18 yards before connecting with Tee Higgins on a 28-yard strike to the Steelers’ 5-yard line to set up McPherson’s winner.
Chase was nearly unstoppable, setting a franchise record with 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. He became just the fourth receiver in NFL history to record multiple 14-catch games in a single season. Higgins added six catches for 96 yards and a score, while tight end Noah Fant caught Flacco’s third touchdown.
Running back Chase Brown gave the Bengals much-needed balance, rushing for 108 yards on 11 carries — his second career 100-yard game.
Rodgers nearly pulled off another dramatic finish of his own. With 2:31 to play, he rolled left on second-and-20 and found Pat Freiermuth wide open downfield for a 68-yard touchdown, giving the Steelers a 31-30 lead. Freiermuth finished with four receptions for 106 yards and two scores.
Jaylen Warren powered the Pittsburgh ground game with 127 yards on 16 carries, while Rodgers went 23-of-36 for 308 yards, three touchdowns, and two costly second-quarter interceptions that swung momentum in Cincinnati’s favor.
The Steelers struck first, as Rodgers connected with Jonnu Smith on a 10-yard touchdown early in the first quarter — a play notable for Rodgers holding the ball an incredible 8.598 seconds, the longest time to throw on a completion since the NFL began tracking the stat in 2016.
After a Chris Boswell field goal made it 10-0 early in the second quarter, Rodgers was intercepted on consecutive drives, and the Bengals capitalized both times. Flacco hit Chase for an 8-yard score — Cincinnati’s first first-half touchdown in five games — and later found Higgins on a 29-yard slant to give the Bengals a 14-10 lead.
Rookie safety Jordan Battle’s interception set up one score, and after DJ Turner picked off Rodgers near midfield late in the half, McPherson drilled a 49-yarder to make it 17-10 at the break.
From there, the teams traded punches, with the Bengals scoring on seven of their final eight drives to hold off the Steelers in a classic AFC North duel.
Steelers (4-2): Host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, October 26. Bengals (3-4): Return home to face the New York Jets, also on October 26.
