For the Pittsburgh Steelers next game, they will be on Thursday Night Football to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Ohio. With Joe Burrow injured and out as their starting quarterback, Joe Flacco will be behind center replacing Jake Browning who was ineffective in relief.
For Flacco, he has faced the Steelers many times before and has been on the playing field for eight different teams but 2025 represents his ninth roster change having played for the Cleveland Browns twice. Named the starter for Cleveland this season, his trade to the Bengals prompted Mike Tomlin this past week to question the Browns GM as to why would he trade the player that was named starter at the beginning of the season? Tomlin’s reaction was very un-Tomlin like.
The nine teams the Flacco has played for have been:
- Baltimore Ravens (2008–2018)
- Denver Broncos (2019)
- New York Jets (2020)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2021)
- New York Jets (2021–2022)
- Cleveland Browns (2023)
- Indianapolis Colts (2024)
- Cleveland Browns (2025)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2025–present)
Cincinnati is coming off a road loss to the Green Bay Packers, and the Steelers are riding a three game winning streak after knocking off the other Ohio team, the Browns. This game represents a chance to wipe out the state of Ohio’s professional teams in less than one week’s time. In last week’s loss to the Packers, Joe Flacco put the ball in the air 45 times completing 29 passes. His yardage total was 219 but he did find Ja’Marr Chase for one touchdown and Tanner Hudson for another.
The last time Pittsburgh saw Joe Flacco was in 2024 and he was playing with the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers lost that game on the road 27-24 and Flacco was 16 for 26 in his passing with 168 yards and two touchdown strikes. The previous season of 2023, again playing for Cleveland, Flacco appeared in only six games none of which came against Pittsburgh.
As for the history between these two teams, it is a long history. 111 games in all of which the Steelers have won 71 of those. That equates to .639 winning percentage. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have met twice in the postseason, and the Steelers have taken both games. Winning streaks in the series include the Steelers winning six in a row from 1974 through the 1977 season. Cincinnati took four straight from 1980 to 1981 and then another six consecutive victories from 19088 until the end of the 1990 season.
In 1991 Pittsburgh went on a roll with eight straight wins that lasted until the end of the 1994 season. When the 2015 season began, the Steelers lost the first of two regular season games then defeated Cincinnati on December 13 and under a month later in the playoffs knocked off the Bengals again 18-16. The November 1, 2015, defeat of the Steelers would be the last time Cincinnati tasted victory over the Black and Gold until 11 losses later when they finally ended the drought with a win on their field on December 21, 2020, that evolved into two straight victories over the Steelers.
In the last six meetings, the Steelers have won four of the six with three games at home and three on the road. The Steelers lost at home in the final game of the season last year in a matchup that did not affect Pittsburgh’s playoff standing and Cincy won 19-17. Prior to that game, the Steelers had won the last three games. The very first Steelers/Bengals game was played on November 2, 1970, and the Steelers won 21-10.
As the two teams are meeting on a Thursday night this time around, there have been 12 Monday Night Football games, and the Steelers won eight of those. There have been six Saturday games with Pittsburgh taking four. This next Thursday game will only be the third between these teams and they are split in those. As for high scores, the Steelers topped 40 points five times in the 111 meetings with the largest total, a 49-31 win on November 19, 1995. Pittsburgh also scored a 48-28 win in 2000. A 30 plus game for the Black and Gold has happened 19 times. The Steelers have never been shut out by Cincinnati with just a field goal being their lowest score in a 1990 loss.
As for the Bengals, they have scored 40 or more just three times with their high of 42 coming in a 42-7 blowout on November 6, 1988. 10 times they’ve gone over 30. Pittsburgh’s defense has tossed a goose egg on the Bengals twice, in 2000 and 1992 winning 15-0 and 20-0, respectively. Six times the Black and Gold ‘D has limited the Cincinnati offense to just a field goal. In 111 games played, the Steelers have averaged 22 points per game and the Bengals nearly 18. This all leads us to this next game what will be Joe Burrow-less.
When the Steelers Have the Ball
Aaron Rodgers and the offense are starting to click. In blowing out the Browns in their last game, Rodgers looked extremely sharp, Jaylen Warren was running the ball hard, the tight ends became more involved than in the prior four games, especially Darnell Washington. The big tight end is showing why he can be a lethal weapon because of his size and strength and escapability. Then there is DK Metcalf. The stud receiver is starting to show why the Steelers spent big money on him.
As for Cincinnati’s defense, it’s already known they have one of the league’s worst. Heading into this game, they rank 31st in yards allowed yielding a whopping 394.2 yards per game. 258.5 of those come from opponent’s passing. Average per game of rushing yards allowed by the Bengals is 135.7, fifth worst in the league. So, do you think they are going to stop Aaron Rodgers, his receivers, and Jaylen Warren?
When the Bengals Have the Ball
For any Bengals fans who think Joe Flacco is their savior without Joe Burrow being healthy, they better think again. While Flacco brings experience to the table, he’s not Aaron Rodgers. In his first game wearing the Cincy stripes, Flacco threw the ball a crazy 45 times and had no interceptions and was sacked just once. The Steelers defense had their best game of the season in week six and they will be bringing the heat to Flacco.
The Bengals offense in a word is inept. Ranked 31st out of the 32 teams in the league, Cincinnati averages just 235.2 yards per game. Between the three Bengals quarterbacks there have been eight interceptions and an additional three fumbles lost. Facing them is a defense from Pittsburgh who is third in the league in turnover differential with a +7 one short of the league leaders Chicago and Jacksonville. That includes five picks and five fumble recoveries. On the other side, the Steelers’ offense has yet to lose a fumble, and Rodgers has thrown just three interceptions.
Cincinnati’s passing offense is third worst in the league with 235.2 yards of passing yardage per game while their running game is dead last with only 56.7 yards per game. Chase Brown is the leading rusher with only 202 yards in five games and his per carry average is a low 2.7. Incredibly, their start receiver J’Marr Chase has just 42 receptions for 468 yards and only four touchdowns. Tee Higgins has hauled in only 18 passes for 220 yards. Do you think these two outstanding receivers miss their Joe?
For the record, the Steelers rank second in sacks thus far in 2025 with 20 finding themselves 10 behind the front running Broncos. Also on Thursday night games, in the last 10 Pittsburgh has won just four. Cincinnati is 5-5 over the last 10.
Intangibles
As long as the Steelers don’t enter this game overconfident, they should win this game going away. On a short week this may be an advantage to the Steelers because they are coming off an outstanding game and should continue the momentum. Pittsburgh has only one significant injury and that is to Calvin Austin who is still nursing a bum shoulder and is out for this game. DeShon Elliott is listed as questionable.
For the Bengals star defenseman Trey Hendrickson is questionable with a hip injury, as is Tanner Hudson who suffered a concussion in Green Bay.
