Joe Flacco was asked to climb a mountain this week.
Join the team Tuesday. First practice Wednesday. Learn the playbook. Build rapport with teammates. Run the offense on Sunday, on the road, at Lambeau Field.
That is a tall order, even for a veteran with 18 years of NFL experience.
Flacco did not reach the peak by any means but the 40-year-old quarterback definitely established base camp and started the ascent.
The game may have been lost – the Green Bay Packers prevailing 27-18 – but at least there is hope and optimism again in the Queen City.
A sluggish start
With Flacco’s arrival coinciding with Ja’Marr Chase’s illness, the pair managed about a dozen practice reps together during the week.
So the fact that this game was even competitive, especially given the last few weeks, is credit to everyone involved.
Unsurprisingly, the chemistry took time to develop and the Bengals headed into halftime trailing 10-0. Having been outscored 79-9 in the first halves of their last four games, seeing a big fat zero on the scoreboard was no surprise.
There was at least a flicker of life before the break, though. A nine-play drive ended with Evan McPherson attempting a monster 67-yard field goal as time expired.
When the ball bounced off the crossbar and plopped over, we assumed ‘Money Mac’ had just set a new NFL record. Then we learned that Packers coach Matt LaFleur had called a timeout a split-second before the snap.
Naturally, the retake fell short and wide, and the historic feat was erased from the record books before the ink could dry.
Defense keeps Green Bay at bay
While Flacco was still finding his feet, the defense at least held firm, limiting the home team to a touchdown and a field goal in the first half.
The brightest star was the impressive DJ Turner, who tipped a pass to Geno Stone for one of his five pass breakups – and the game’s only turnover.
After the break, though, things unravelled: the unit conceded two touchdowns and a field goal on consecutive drives. Players slipped on the turf, tackles were missed and the Packers found acres of space.
Josh Jacobs, with 93 rushing yards and two scores, could not be stopped. And rookie wideout Matthew Golden posted 86 yards on just three receptions.
Yet, unlike the last three weeks, there was no total meltdown. And that was largely because of Flacco.
The proverbial game of two halves
The first four Bengals drives produced just one first down. Understandably, we all feared the worst. But then, something clicked.
The next five drives yielded 19 first downs and 18 points. In the second half, Flacco went 21-of-30 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
And crucially, there were no signs of Jake Browning’s favourite party trick: the interception.
A 17-play drive straight after the break wiped 10 minutes off the clock and ended with Tanner Hudson catching a four-yard TD.
Later, Chase’s acrobatic and muscular 4th-down score hinted at a real connection being forged, having agreed the unscripted route with Flacco in the huddle.
Battered but battling
For a change, despite several in-game injuries – most notably to Trey Hendrickson and Mike Gesicki – Cincinnati stayed in the contest.
Sure, there were mistakes. Jordan Battle had a rough outing and Logan Wilson’s apparent benching for rookie linebacker Barrett Carter backfired when Jacobs waltzed in untouched for an easy 19-yard score.
But the bigger picture is clear: with Flacco, this team seems to have a functioning offense again. Not high-octane but at least operational.
He protected the ball. He tried to get his main weapons involved, with 12 targets for Chase and eight for Higgins. And the O-line held up well enough, allowing only one sack.
Losing by nine points is never going to bring joy. And enduring a four-game losing streak in which you have been outscored by 90 points is not the recipe for building belief.
But after the recent carnage, simply being competitive is a major step forward.
The next mountain to climb
Now, the path gets steeper still. Cincinnati’s divisional rivals, the 4-1 Pittsburgh Steelers, come to town on a short week for Thursday Night Football. It is only Week 7 but it feels like a must-win contest.
Victory would condense the AFC North standings. Defeat would give the Pittsburgh a three-win cushion plus the head-to-head advantage. The odds are stacked in the visitors’ favour and once again, Flacco has next to no time to prepare.
But at least we now know he can get the ball out quickly, find his guys and keep the chains moving. If he does that – and if the defense holds up for 60 minutes – then maybe, just maybe, there is a chance.
As Tom Brady once said, “You cannot win unless you learn how to lose.” I think the Bengals have perfected the losing bit over the last month. Now, onwards to step two!
