Aaron Rodgers probably felt he was the league's best veteran quarterback as the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Thursday. So, Joe Flacco probably said: Hold my beer.
And grab a lot of painkillers.
Flacco delivered arguably his best performance in recent memory after he led the Bengals past the Steelers, 33-31. He turned back the clock and went 31-of-47 for season-highs of 342 yards and three touchdowns.
He also engineered an eight-play drive that set up Evan McPherson's game-winning field goal from 38 yards after the Steelers threatened to take the wire-to-wire victory.
With his vintage performance, the 40-year-old Flacco further cemented himself as the winningest quarterback against the Steelers since the AFL-NFL merger, according to StatMuse.
Joe Flacco vs. Steelers:
66.0 CMP%
342 YDS
3-0 TD/INTThe winningest QB vs. Pittsburgh since the merger. pic.twitter.com/yLkrfq1COb
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 17, 2025
The Athletic's James Palmer also underscored Flacco's sheer mastery of Pittsburgh.
“Joe Flacco is now 11 and 11 in his career vs. the Steelers, but we should have known, he has now moved to 4-0 vs. the Steelers on Thursday nights,” wrote Palmer.
Maybe fans in Pittsburgh should call him Daddy Joe.
The Bengals improved to 3-4 and snapped the three-game winning streak of the Steelers, who fell to 4-2.
Flacco had a thrilling “Unc Bowl” matchup with the 41-year-old Rodgers, who went 23-of-34 for 249 yards and four touchdowns.
Flacco was traded to the Bengals by the Cleveland Browns early this month in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Cincinnati is his seventh team and third in two years.
The former Super Bowl MVP immediately took over as the starting quarterback, replacing Jake Browning, who was called up after Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury. Burrow is sidelined for at least three months, giving Flacco more opportunities to shine.