40-year-old quarterback leads clutch final drive as Cincinnati edges Pittsburgh 33–31 on Thursday night
Joe Flacco looked every bit the throwback veteran Thursday night, turning back the clock in a dazzling performance that left the Steelers reeling and Bengals fans roaring again. In a wild Week 7 showdown on “Thursday Night Football,” Flacco carved up Pittsburgh’s defense and engineered a game-winning drive that ended with Evan McPherson’s 36-yard field goal with seven seconds left, sealing a 33–31 victory at Paycor Stadium.
Flacco, 40, completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns in just his second start since being traded to Cincinnati earlier this month. He showed the kind of timing and confidence that comes only with experience, taking control of the offense from the opening drive. He spread the ball around to five receivers, kept the Steelers’ pass rush off balance, and delivered in clutch moments — the type of performance that made it clear why the Bengals dealt for the former Super Bowl MVP to stabilize their season after Joe Burrow’s injury.
Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers kept pace most of the night, completing 23 of 34 passes for 249 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. His 68-yard strike to tight end Pat Freiermuth with 2:31 left gave the Steelers a 31–30 lead, but it wasn’t enough to stop Flacco’s late heroics.
Cincinnati’s final drive was vintage Flacco. The veteran hit Ja’Marr Chase twice to move the Bengals across midfield, then found Tee Higgins for a 28-yard strike that pushed the ball deep into Pittsburgh territory. After bleeding the clock, Flacco set up McPherson’s winning kick that sent Paycor Stadium into a frenzy.
The Bengals scored on seven of their final eight possessions, finishing with 470 total yards against one of the AFC’s most physical defenses. Chase was unstoppable, setting a franchise single-game record with 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. The performance pushed him past 6,000 career receiving yards, making him the fastest Bengal ever to reach that mark. Higgins added six catches for 96 yards and that crucial grab on the final drive, while running back Chase Brown chipped in 108 rushing yards, providing balance that had been missing during the team’s four-game losing streak.
For a Bengals team sitting at 2–4 entering the week, Thursday night felt like a resurrection. Now 3–4, they’re suddenly back in the mix in a crowded AFC North. The locker room buzz afterward was palpable — a veteran quarterback reviving belief in a season thought lost.
Flacco, who spoke briefly after the game, said simply that “it was a lot of fun,” reflecting on the Bengals’ first win in nearly a month and his own resurgence under the bright lights.
The Steelers fell to 4–2 and left Paycor Stadium with more questions than answers. Their defense, usually the backbone under head coach Mike Tomlin, looked disjointed and undisciplined. Missed assignments and blown coverages allowed Flacco and Chase to dictate the tempo.
Running back Jaylen Warren provided a bright spot with 127 rushing yards, while Freiermuth turned in one of the best games of his career — 111 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. But it wasn’t enough to offset a defense that couldn’t get off the field when it mattered most.
In the big picture, Thursday night was less about playoff math and more about moments. Flacco, the seasoned journeyman now in Bengals stripes, outdueled another aging icon in Rodgers and gave Cincinnati a jolt when it needed one most.
The Bengals’ season isn’t saved by a single win. But on a crisp October night, Joe Flacco reminded the football world that experience still counts — and sometimes, the old guys still have a little magic left.
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