Cincy Jungle
The 2-4 Cincinnati Bengals have their backs against the wall heading into their Week 7 Thursday Night Football matchup against the 4-1 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Another loss—especially on a short week—could force them to run the table in the back half of the season just to keep playoff hopes alive. With Joe Burrow, maybe that’s possible. With Joe Flacco, it’s a different story.
Can they win with Flacco? Absolutely. They proved it in the second half against Green Bay. If they can string together two halves like that in one game, there aren’t many teams they can’t beat.
But is Flacco going to make this offense hum the way Burrow can? No. Not even close.
That’s why winning now is so important. If it wasn’t, the team wouldn’t have traded for a 40-year-old quarterback from a division rival.
Here are a few matchups that could decide the outcome.
One is the best coach in the division—and arguably the NFL. The other is coaching for his job. Can you guess which is which?
Tomlin’s teams, regardless of injury or adversity, always find their footing. The Bengals? Their four-game losing streak says plenty about how they land.
Taylor has come under justified pressure from fans to hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, but he’s made it clear he’s not letting go. He’s an offensive-minded coach, and if the Bengals are going to win—with this offensive line, no running game, and a backup quarterback—he’ll need to call the game of his life.
It’s the Icy Hot Bowl! The two oldest starting quarterbacks in the NFL square off in a divisional matchup. If you had Flacco (Bengals) versus Rodgers (Steelers) on your 2025 bingo card, buy a lottery ticket.
Rodgers’ Steelers have won three straight and look functional—something the Bengals can’t say since Burrow went down.
The Bengals still have elite weapons, and if the offensive line can give Flacco time, someone will be open. Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer, no doubt, but don’t forget: Flacco once hoisted a Lombardi Trophy and was a Super Bowl MVP himself.
As usual, the Steelers bring a ferocious pass rush. They’re tied for the second-most sacks in the league, led by T.J. Watt (3.5 sacks) and Nick Herbig (4.5). Six different defenders have at least one sack this season.
The Bengals’ offensive line has struggled all year to create a stable pocket for Burrow, Browning, or Flacco. For Cincinnati to have a shot, Flacco will need to get the ball out fast, and the line must finally start gelling. This Steelers defense doesn’t just come off the edge—they collapse the pocket from every angle.
Burrow or not, the Bengals’ weapons remain elite. Chase and Higgins form the league’s best receiver duo, and Andrei Iosivas could be a WR2 on several other teams. Add in Noah...
