The Cincinnati Bengals emerged victorious in the Thursday Night Football battle of 40-plus-year-old quarterbacks known as the "Unc Bowl." Their elder signal-caller, Joe Flacco, willed the team to beat the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest they needed to win.
Flacco didn't flinch entering a pivotal divisional clash just nine days after getting traded against a disruptive Steelers defense. He turned back the clock with a vintage performance, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns on 31-of-47 passing. His heroic efforts on such short notice to save Cincinnati's season have sent shockwaves across the football world, save for Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.
Taylor showered Flacco with well-deserved praise following the Bengals' thrilling 33-31 defeat of the Steelers. Many viewed it as a desperate move, though this is why Cincinnati brought in a proven veteran with nearly two decades of NFL service time.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor emphasizes importance Joe Flacco's experience after TNF win vs. Steelers
Zac Taylor told reporters during his postgame press conference. how Flacco's tenure with the Baltimore Ravens had him with plenty of reps banked against Mike Tomlin-coached teams. That seemed to put Flacco more at ease than he might've been against a less-familiar adversary.
"[Flacco's] got 18 years of experience playing in these games...We're on a short week playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that we needed to have, and it's easy for him."
From the outside looking in, Flacco has made his arrival to Cincy look effortless and provided them with a much-needed spark. However, Taylor sees the Super Bowl XLVII MVP's preparation behind the scenes to give off the appearance of adapting seamlessly.
" ... [Flacco's] putting in the work. It's just [that] he's so experienced in this situation; you gain a lot of confidence from that, because he goes out there, it's not too big."
Moreover, Taylor admittedly envisioned moments like this when they acquired Flacco. The Bengals have gotten to watch the aging gunslinger closely throughout his career and ostensibly knew what they were in for. This knowledge gave Cincy and its sideline general the belief to strike a deal with Cleveland, with results like this being the expectation.
"This is what [Flacco's] skill set is...He's won a lot of games, played in a lot of playoff games, played in a lot of huge AFC North divisional battles of this magnitude. So, yeah, I absolutely thought that he was capable of this."
No question Flacco was one of the big winners from Thursday night. What looked like a lifeless scheme dialed up by Taylor in recent weeks with Jake Browning at the controls suddenly became dynamic once Joe Cool was a little more settled into his brand-new digs.
The mere ability to force-feed Triple Crown wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase — he had a franchise-record 16 catches, 161 yards, and a TD on 23 targets — was critical to unlocking the rest of the offense. Flacco often made free-access throws to Chase on what should've been called run plays, and that opened up lanes for Chase Brown and Samaje Perine on the ground.
No defense is going to underestimate Joe Flacco going forward. He may have looked rough with the Cleveland Browns this year, but armed with weapons like Chase, Tee Higgins, and the rest of Cincinnati's playmakers, he looks to be on the verge of another odds-defying, late-career renaissance.