The Cincinnati Bengals can't seem to get anything right lately. They're on a three-game skid, and the schedule doesn't lighten up in Week 6 when they take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Cincinnati chucked up the personnel equivalent of a Hail Mary by trading for 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco, who's being thrust into starting duty on Sunday. Flacco has Sunday's matchup versus the Packers to "look forward" to, followed by an abrupt turnaround for Thursday Night Football against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers.
At least for Week 6's showdown in Green Bay, though, the Bengals might've finally seen their fortunes begin to turn.
Packers kicker Brandon McManus dealing with quad injury, may not play vs. Bengals
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur announced to the media on Thursday that kicker Brandon McManus' quad injury is, "a major concern right now," via The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. Still a chance McManus plays, but you're playing with fire by trotting out a kicker whose leg is ailing.
Irish kicker and International Player Pathway prospect Mark McNamee is McManus' practice squad backup. However, McNamee missed a 39-yard field goal and a PAT in the preseason, so it's not like he's Mr. Reliable. Thrusting him into live regular season action may not be advisable.
With a hat tip to Lombardi Ave chief Freddie Boston, here's an excerpt from Zach Kruse's assessment of McNamee for Packers Wire:
"McNamee also kicked in two CFL preseason games, making two field goals. LaFleur said he has made 'some good progress' since joining the Packers. While the Packers like McNamee's potential, he is only on the roster because of the free international practice squad spot, and it's unclear if the team would be comfortable with him kicking in a regular season game given his inexperience in actual games and the sport overall."
Last I checked, Cincinnati is a two-touchdown underdog in this one. The move from Jake Browning to Flacco under center apparently didn't rock the boat as far as the experts' perception. If Green Bay's kicking game is a major liability, though, perhaps the Bengals can put up a better fight than many are expecting.
Obviously we're not out here rooting for player injuries, or celebrating the fact that McManus is dinged up. That said, this is just the reality of the given circumstances for Week 6. McManus being off the field could really impact the Packers' ability to put points on the board.
McManus joined the Cheeseheads last season and missed just one of his 21 field goal attempts, nailing all 30 of his extra points as well. Although he's missed two field goals and one PAT in 2025, the 34-year-old vet still has a super reliable leg when healthy.
Whether Green Bay rolls with its unknown in-house commodity in McNamee or signs a free agent off the street to step in, this special teams uncertainty gives the Bengals the faintest glimmer of hope.