If there was any team that could use a win, it's Cincinnati Bengals. Led by a 40-year-old defender Joe FlaccoThe Bengals rallied and upset the team in the final two minutes. Pittsburgh Steelers to start week 7.
Flacco threw three touchdowns. Bengals win 33-31.leading the winning drive, which ended with Evan McPherson's 36-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining. This is a fight between the 40-meter Flacco and the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers It was epic as Rodgers threw four touchdowns in the loss, including the go-ahead pass with 2:21 left.
The Bengals returned to the AFC North race with a 3-4 record, while the Steelers fell to 4-2. It was a classic AFC North battle with all the trappings and a legendary performance from Flacco, who won the game with his sixth different team.
Thursday Night Football games have been amazing all season, full of overreactions to thrilling finishes. Which overreaction after the Bengals' win over the Steelers is actually an overreaction and which is reality?
Joe Flacco saved the Bengals' season
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Did the Bengals need this win or what? Cincinnati is off to a 2-4 start after losing to the Bengals. Packers In Game 1 on Sunday, Joe Flacco was the starting quarterback. Flacco had been with the team less than a week when he was asked to start and needed time to get his feet wet. Even though the Bengals lost that game, they had some optimism that they would be able to move the ball on offense with Flacco.
The Bengals not only got a strong performance from Flacco, but they also got the performance of the year. Flacco, 40, went 31 of 47 for 342 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 108.6 passer rating, including 3 of 3 for 61 yards in the win that upset the Steelers.
The Bengals looked like an offense that could finally get on the field with Flacco using Ja'Marr Chase to the best of his ability (Chase got 23 targets) and Tee Higgins there was also premium usage (10 targets).
The AFC North is certainly up for grabs with Flacco and the Bengals offense clicking like this. The sky is the limit if Flacco can defend and the Bengals can get the ball in the backfield.
Joe Flacco saved Zac Taylor's job
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Taylor shouldn't have been furious about Joe Burrow is out, but his record without Burrow since the 2020 season is 6-12 (the year Burrow was drafted). Overall, Taylor is 8-26 without Burrow. Taylor got the Bengals job in 2019.
Without Burrow, Taylor was an easy target. The Bengals could move on from Taylor after the season if they continue to struggle without Burrow, though Jake Browning fought immensely to get the crime off the ground.
That's why the Bengals traded for Flacco, as Taylor needed a quarterback to provide stability to his offense. Burrow was able to move the chains consistently, going 8-of-11 for 105 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 132.8. He was able to get the ball to Chase, having a 103.7 passer rating for Chase and a 125.4 passer rating for Higgins.
Taylor was finally able to get a quarterback who could run the offense and win some games. That win over the Steelers got Taylor out of his rut ​​as the Bengals became formidable again.
Joe Flacco was the best defensive player of the season. Browns
Overreaction or reality: Reality
This is more of an indictment of wrongdoing on the Browns than of Flacco, who struggled mightily in Cleveland. Flacco actually won the Browns' starting job in training camp as Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel And Sheader Sanders there were injuries. The Browns had no choice but to go with Flacco, but asking him to lead this offense was no easy task.
Flacco completed just 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions for a passer rating of 60.3. Although Flacco looked his age, there wasn't much to work with in Cleveland. Gabriel is going through the same problems and has only two starts to his name.
The Browns benched Flacco to play with the rookies, but Flacco has shown that when he has good pass catchers (one of whom is arguably the best receiver in football in Ja'Marr Chase), he can still play the position at a high level. If the Browns had a better offensive line, Flacco would likely still be the starter in Cleveland.
A Steelers loss would put them back in the AFC North.
Overreaction or reality: overreaction
If the Steelers wanted to escape the AFC North, beating the Bengals would be a top priority. Pittsburgh had a chance to lead the division with four games, but failed to do so.
Instead, the Steelers are 4-2 and the Bengals are in second place in the division at 3-4. Baltimore Ravens get Lamar Jackson again this week so they can see if they can get a shot after the loss to Pittsburgh. The Steelers' schedule also gets tougher heading into their matchup with the Packers (3-1-1). Colts (5-1), and and Chargers (4-2) in the next three games.
Can the Steelers get back into the pack? Exactly, but Aaron Rodgers is playing well and the offense is moving the ball. The defense needs to fix some communication issues, but the Steelers could use a mini-bye to fix that.
The next three weeks will determine how good the Steelers really are. Was Thursday's defeat a temporary setback or a sign of things to come?
Aaron Rodgers will reconsider retiring next season
Overreaction or reality: overreaction
Rodgers said he believes this season will be his last. NFLThat's why he signed a one-year contract with the Steelers. He has retracted that statement, but it is believed Rodgers may still follow through with his decision to retire.
Should he? Rodgers is playing well in his first season in Pittsburgh, completing 68.6% of his passes for 1,270 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 105.0 passer rating. He's poised to throw for 3,598 yards and 40 touchdowns. Not bad for a 41-year-old defender.
Rodgers has proven he can still play, but does he want to continue to test the fountain of youth and try to play at a high level next season? It depends on how well he plays down the stretch and how far the Steelers can go in the playoffs, giving Rodgers another opportunity to get another win. Super Bowl.
It's too early to tell if Rodgers will reconsider retiring, but plans are changing.
