Packers hold off Flacco’s late rally to defeat Bengals 27-18

Josh Jacobs ran for two touchdowns and Jordan Love threw for another as the Green Bay Packers held off Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals for a 27-18 win on Sunday. Green Bay (3-1-1) rebounded from a 40-40 tie at Dallas before its bye week, which had followed a narrow 13-10 loss at Cleveland. The Bengals (2-4) dropped their fourth straight despite a spirited debut from their new quarterback, the 40-year-old Flacco.


Flacco, acquired from Cleveland on Tuesday, nearly staged a comeback. With 4:11 left, he connected with Ja’Marr Chase on a 19-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-5, then found Chase Brown for a two-point conversion to make it 24-18. But the Packers responded with a 39-yard field goal from newly signed kicker Lucas Havrisik with 1:52 remaining, restoring a two-score cushion. Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson then missed a 56-yard attempt with 46 seconds left, sealing Green Bay’s win.



Flacco, who faced the Packers earlier this season as a member of the Browns, completed 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Love was sharp for Green Bay, completing 19 of 26 for 259 yards and one interception. Jacobs powered the ground game with 93 yards on 18 carries, while the Packers outgained the Bengals 409-268 in total yardage. Cincinnati struggled to establish the run, managing only 55 rushing yards.

After a listless first half that produced just 65 total yards, the Bengals came alive after halftime. Flacco led a 17-play, 78-yard drive that consumed over 10 minutes, capped by a 2-yard touchdown toss to Tanner Hudson to cut the deficit to 10-7.

Jacobs answered with a 14-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 17-7. McPherson trimmed it to 17-10 with a 45-yard field goal before Love hit tight end Tucker Kraft for a 19-yard score to make it 24-10.

Havrisik’s early 43-yard field goal and Jacobs’ 3-yard run helped the Packers build a 10-0 halftime advantage, while McPherson’s 67-yard try on the final play of the half fell short.