Joe Flacco tops Aaron Rodgers as Bengals edge Steelers on Thursday Night Football

In a thrilling showdown between veteran quarterbacks over 40, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco delivered an unforgettable performance as the Cincinnati Bengals edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 on Thursday night. Evan McPherson’s fourth field goal, a 36-yarder with seven seconds remaining, sealed the Bengals’ victory, snapping a four-game losing streak and marking their first win since Joe Burrow’s injury on September 14. The Steelers suffered their first road loss of the season.


Flacco, 40, completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns, orchestrating a late-game comeback. Rodgers, 41, finished with 23 completions on 34 attempts for 249 yards, four touchdown passes - all to tight ends - and two interceptions. His connection with tight end Pat Freiermuth was crucial, including a 68-yard go-ahead TD with 2:21 left that temporarily put Pittsburgh ahead 31-30. Jaylen Warren added 127 rushing yards on 16 carries for the Steelers, keeping them competitive.



Cincinnati’s offense was spearheaded by Ja’Marr Chase, who set a team record with 16 receptions on 23 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chase Brown played a pivotal role in the Bengals’ first-half rally, with explosive runs of 37 and 27 yards, finishing with a season-high 108 yards on 11 carries.


Rodgers struck first with an impressive 69-yard, eight-play drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown to tight end Jonnu Smith. Pittsburgh controlled much of the first half and added a 41-yard Chris Boswell field goal following setbacks on a potential scoring drive. However, Cincinnati responded with key drives by Flacco: a 10-play, 72-yard march ending with an 8-yard touchdown to Chase, followed by a 76-yard drive completed with a 29-yard strike to Tee Higgins that gave the Bengals a 14-10 lead.


Rodgers was intercepted twice in the second quarter, allowing Flacco to set up a 49-yard McPherson field goal that extended Cincinnati’s advantage to 17-10 at halftime. The Bengals continued to press in the third quarter, driving to the Pittsburgh 5-yard line and settling for a 23-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 20-10. With clutch plays and veteran poise, Cincinnati ultimately held off Rodgers’ late heroics to secure the narrow victory.