The Pittsburgh Steelers have an unusual circumstance coming up: facing a quarterback in the division who has played for their other rivals. Joe Flacco knows this team better than anyone else in the NFL outside of Pittsburgh, and he will have the advantage of playing at home for a Thursday Night Football contest. The Cincinnati Bengals may be in desperation mode while riding a four-game losing streak, but that doesn't mean this will be a free win for the Black and Gold. This will be an old-fashioned AFC North dog fight.
AP Photo / Morry Gash
Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Flacco (16) passes against the Green Bay Packers in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis.
During a pre-practice interview, cornerback Darius Slay was asked about going up against Flacco. He responded with a bunch of different ways this matchup would be challenging.
"Man, Joe has been in the game for a long time," Slay chuckled. "There ain't too much new concepts we can do in this game that he has not seen before. I saw that game getting picked up pretty fast; I can see that connection getting better and better as the year goes on. I'm quite sure that he has felt that he never threw to some guys like that before."
The connection that Slay is talking about is the elite wide receivers that he was given when he was traded to Cincinnati. Covering the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is already a challenge in of itself. It's even more of a problem for opposing defenses now that they have a savvy veteran quarterback, as opposed to a passer that has developed a reputation for being extremely turnover prone in Jake Browning.
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Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase pulls in a pass.
That connection also refers to how well Flacco seemed to understand the offense in Week 6. Mere days after he was acquired via trade, the Bengals named him the starter and sent him out to play immediately. While he didn't get the win, he played great for a man still trying to learn an offense on the fly and save a desperate franchise from falling out of playoff contention.
Flacco was drafted into the AFC North in Mike Tomlin's second year as Head Coach of the Steelers. Their teams have engaged in numerous battles, with the most recent one coming in 2024. Flacco came in late in the first quarter after the Indianapolis Colts' former starter Anthony Richardson Sr. left due to injury, and the veteran got the best of Tomlin's defense.
Steelers Could Have Their Own Gameplan Used Against Them
While Flacco may not be the same quarterback he was in the early 2010s, he has still proven to have something left in the tank. As Slay said, there is not much that the Steelers can throw at him that he has never seen before. That includes many of the exotic pass rushes that they have ran over the years. The 40-year-old may be watching tape of what his 41-year-old adversary Aaron Rodgers just did to help with that.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers throws to DK Metcalf during a win over the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
Rodgers dissected the Cleveland Browns' defense by getting the ball out quickly and not letting their elite pass rush get to him. With how weak the Bengals' offensive line is, they may have to do the same to keep Blitzburgh from completely wrecking the game like it did in Week 6. Quick-hitters to Chase and Higgins will likely be the gameplan: just let the stars do their thing.
If the Steelers go into this game trying to take it easy after a convincing divisional win against another bad AFC North team, they could easily go down multiple scores early. Even on a short week, they have to do everything they can to make sure Flacco doesn't dice their defense up like he did in 2024, as well as years past. Don't let the Bengals' record fool you; this will be a challenge all around.
What do you think about Slay's take on facing Flacco? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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