CINCINNATI (WKRC) – There’s a telling statistic attached to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin that could at least partially explain why he is upset at Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry for trading quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals last week.

Aside from it being a rare trade between teams inside the AFC North and Flacco giving the Bengals an upgrade in quarterback play over Jake Browning, Tomlin has a poor road record in Thursday Night Football games. The Steelers (4-1) play at the Bengals (2-3) this Thursday at 8:15 p.m.

Under Tomlin the Steelers are 2-8 in road Thursday Night Football games, 0-6 in road divisional Thursday Night Football games, and have not won a road Thursday Night Football game since 2016 against the Indianapolis Colts.

“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said Monday. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area, but that’s just my personal feelings.”

The 40-year-old Flacco will be making his second start for the Bengals in Thursday’s game. In his first start this past Sunday at Green Bay, he completed 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 90.9 in the Bengals’ 27-18 loss. After taking almost the entire first half to get settled into the offense, in the second half Flacco completed 21 of 30 yards for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

“It certainly made sense from Cincinnati’s perspective,” Tomlin said. “… He can throw the football, and he’s always been able to throw the football — arm strength, arm accuracy, anticipatory passer, fluid movement through progressions. That’s always been his game.”

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was asked on Monday if he was surprised the Browns opted to make a trade within the division.

“I was happy,” said Taylor. “That’s my only comment.”

Tomlin did say he expects Flacco to be even better in his second start.

“I would imagine they worked hard a week ago on developing timing and cohesion,” said Tomlin. “I’d imagine it’s taken a significant step after having done so under some live football circumstances. I saw him make some anticipatory throws even last week, and so I thought he was significantly better as the game wore on. Certainly, we got a full week’s work ahead of us in terms of minimizing a veteran savvy, talented thrower like him coupled with the eligibles that they have, and so that certainly has our attention.”

The last time the Bengals played a prime time home game against the Steelers was on Dec. 21, 2020, which was a Monday Night Football game. The Bengals won 27-17 with Ryan Finley at quarterback in one of his four career NFL starts, and the only one in which he came out victorious.