After losing four straight games, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to make a change at quarterback, trading for veteran Joe Flacco. That gamble paid off against the Steelers on Monday Night Football.
Flacco led the Bengals to a 33-31 victory, moving Cincy to a more palatable 3-4. After the game, many of the quarterback's teammates came out to pay their respect, via Ben Baby of ESPN.
“I love his attitude and what he brings to the team,” said kicker Evan McPherson. “He's done a really good job connecting with guys on a really short notice.”
“It's honestly good having him here for us,” Chase said. “Organization made a big jump on him. We believed in him. We got him. He came in, doing his thing and showing off for us.”
Even head coach Zac Taylor made sure to give Flacco his flowers in his Bengals debut.
“It's easy for him,” Taylor said. “And it's not, because he's putting in the work. He's so experienced in this situation. You gain a lot of confidence from that because he goes out there [and] it's not too big.”
In the win, Flacco completed 31-of-47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase came alive, catching 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Furthermore, Flacco was able to lead the Bengals down the field on an eight-play, 52-yard drive that set up McPherson's winning field goal.
If the veteran can keep up his play is yet to be seen. However, Cincinnati needs as many wins as they can get with Joe Burrow on the sideline. If Flacco is throwing for 300+ yards and three touchdowns, they'll be a difficult team to beat.
