Even though Joe Flacco is still trying to get up to speed on the Cincinnati Bengals' playbook, the expectations for the offense are high entering Week 6.
Or at least that's the case internally, for the likes of Bengals superstar wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Both signed contract extensions this offseason to stay in Cincinnati for the long haul, but things shifted quickly for the 2025 campaign once Joe Burrow got injured.
What both Chase and Higgins said following Thursday's practice should have Who Dey Nation howling with excitement ahead of Sunday's showdown in Green Bay against the Packers.
Bengals stars Ja'Marr Chase & Tee Higgins expect big things from Joe Flacco-led offense
Different Joe, same standard. While Chase took the podium to hold court with the media for over 11 minutes or so, Higgins sounded off in the locker room. Both had a positive outlook for Cincinnati's offense against the Micah Parsons-led Packers defense at Lambeau Field.
"Not at all. The vet that (Joe Flacco) is, we expect him to come in and be that leader."
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) October 9, 2025
- Tee Higgins
"He's seen every coverage ... We've got to get it done. That's all it is."
- Ja'Marr Chase
I asked the Bengals' 2 star receivers about the expectations for the offense,… pic.twitter.com/VFwYRQ7rq9
Big ups to WCPO's Caleb Noe for stitching these comments together and transcribing some key bits. Higgins did go on to say he has the "utmost confidence" in everyone on the offense that the NFL's 32nd-ranked unit in terms of total yards gained can turn it all around in short order.
Bengals skeptics will point to the fact that prior to being traded this week, Flacco got benched in Cleveland in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. However, the Browns are in a full-blown rebuild and don't have perimeter pass-catchers who are anywhere near the caliber of Chase or Higgins.
My thinking is that Flacco has a much bigger arm than the man he's replacing, Jake Browning. That alone adds a whole new element to Cincinnati's passing attack, which has proven lethal over the years when Burrow is able to air it out downfield.
The ability for Flacco to have the time to throw it deep, though, boils down to how well the Bengals block in the trenches, and how well they can keep the Packers and other defenses honest with the run game. If Cincinnati keeps being too one-dimensional, Flacco stands little chance of success.
As he gets more comfortable in head coach Zac Taylor's system, though, Flacco's experience that Higgins and Chase gassed up should help the Bengals check into better plays and put their offensive line in the proper protection calls more regularly.
Not that Browning couldn't do those things in effective fashion at times, but he just didn't have the amount of live reps Flacco has banked over so many years. Plus, Browning was fighting to prove he could be a starter and blew it. Flacco is playing with house money and has two premier wideouts to distribute the ball to — not to mention the Bengals' other plenty-capable playmakers.
You can kind of see why Chase and Higgins are buying Joe Flacco stock. Sure, what else are they going to do at this point, but it feels like the energy in the building has shifted not long after Joe Cool's arrival.