Joe Flacco outplays Aaron Rodgers as Bengals edge Steelers
CINCINNATI — Aaron Rodgers vs. Joe Flacco didn’t disappoint in the fourth-ever matchup of 40-plus-year-old NFL quarterbacks.
Evan McPherson’s fourth field goal, from 36 yards with seven seconds remaining, lifted the Cincinnati Bengals past the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 on Thursday night.
The Bengals (3-4) snapped a four-game losing streak and won for the first time since Joe Burrow was injured on Sept. 14. The Steelers (4-2) fell for the first time this season on the road.
Flacco, 40, completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers threw a pair of scores to tight end Pat Freiermuth, including a 68-yarder for the go-ahead TD with 2:21 to go to put the Steelers up 31-30. Rodgers finished with four touchdown passes, all to tight ends.
With Cincinnati star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson out with a hip injury, Rodgers, 41, connected on 23 of 34 passes for 249 yards with two interceptions. Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren added 127 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Ja’Marr Chase had a team-record 16 catches on 23 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chase Brown was key in Cincinnati’s first-half rally with explosive runs of 37 and 27 yards. He finished with a season-high 108 yards on 11 carries.
Rodgers drew first blood by marching the Steelers 69 yards on eight plays in just over four minutes. Facing a third down, Rodgers scrambled to his left and then his right before throwing a strike to tight end Jonnu Smith in the end zone for a 10-yard score.
The Steelers controlled most of the first half and were threatening to add another touchdown when Warren ran it in from 18 yards out. However, Steelers lineman Zach Frazier was called for holding and then Pittsburgh committed a false start on fourth down. The Steelers settled for a 41-yard Chris Boswell field goal that made it 10-0 with 10:26 left in the second quarter.
The game then began to turn for the Bengals. Flacco engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Chase.
Jordan Battle intercepted an Rodgers’ deep ball for Metcalf on Pittsburgh’s next possession. Flacco drove the Bengals 76 yards, capped off by a 29-yard strike over the middle to Tee Higgins that put Cincinnati up 14-10.
Rodgers was intercepted again with 40 seconds remaining in the half by DJ Turner II. Flacco drove the ball to the Pittsburgh 31 where McPherson converted a 49-yard field goal to put Cincinnati up 17-10.
The Bengals used the first seven minutes of the second half to drive to the Pittsburgh 5, where they settled for a 23-yard field goal and a 20-10 lead.
–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media
