The Cincinnati Bengals came into their Week 7 Thursday Night Football matchup against the Steelers riding a four-game losing streak and in a desperate situation. At 2-4, another loss could put them in a situation where they have to ask 40-year-old Joe Flacco to win the last 10 games of the season.
A win, though, could be the catalyst this team needs to get things back on track in hopes they’re relevant in the playoff hunt in December when Joe Burrow can (hopefully) return.
The Bengals were able to pull of the upset at home on Thursday night against their hated division rival. Here are tonight’s winners and losers.
Bengals Fans: It’s no secret–it hasn’t been easy for Bengals fans over the last couple of years. After riding the highs of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, 2023, 2024, and so far, 2025 have been big disappointments, so we have to take our wins when we can get them.
Beating the Steelers is always a treat, but snapping a losing streak against the Steelers at home in their white uniforms in a prime-time game is special.
Evan McPherson: Money Mac was on full display Thursday night. He made all three extra point attempts and sent all four of his field goal attempts through the uprights, including a game-winning chip shot that gave them a 33-31 lead with less than a minute left in the game.
Chase Brown: The Bengals, heading into Week 7, were the worst running team in the league. They came into the game with only 340 yards on the ground, and their lead back, Chase Brown, was only averaging 2.7 yards per carry.
Brown and the Bengals’ running game got things going against the Steelers. Brown carried the ball 11 times for 108 yards, averaging 9.8 yards per carry with a long of 37 yards. Keeping that going will help Flacco and the offense so much.
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins: Obviously, two guys who were affected the most by Joe Burrow’s injury are the two guys he throws to the most. The offense has been bad this season, but they got things going on Thursday night against the Steelers.
Chase and Higgins both scored touchdowns. Chase finished with 16 receptions (a new franchise record) and 161 yards. Higgins added 96 yards on six receptions.
Joe Flacco: When it was announced that the Bengals were trading with a division rival for Flacco, many scratched their heads. He was benched by the Browns in favor of Dylan Gabriel, and it kinda looked like the Bengals’ front office was just grasping at straws.
Flacco battled it out against Aaron Rodgers in the “Icy Hot Bowl” and came out with the win. He finished completing 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. He even had a 12-yard run for a first down.
Not bad for a guy who was playing for a different team two weeks ago.
DJ Turner and Jordan Battle: Turner is slowly becoming the Bengals’ top cornerback. He came into the game leading the NFL in passes defensed. Before halftime, Turner was able to pull a ball out of DK Metcalf’s hands as they fell out of bounds in one of the most incredible interceptions you’ll ever see.
Right before that, safety Jordan Battle picked off another Rodgers pass, and the Bengals were able to score a touchdown afterwards. Turner’s and Battle’s interceptions turned into 10 points for the Bengals before halftime.
The Bengals’ offensive line: If we’re going to discuss how bad they are when they play bad, it’s only right to recognize a job well done. Flacco, who is much less mobile than Burrow and Jake Browning, was only sacked twice by a Steelers’ defense tied for second in the category so far in 2025.
On top of that, they were able to open some holes for Brown and the rest of the Bengals’ backfield.
Zac Taylor: The goodwill Taylor bought in Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022 has been spent. Firing coaches mid-season isn’t the Bengals’ style, but, after the way the Bengals’ offense has sputtered over the last few weeks, it’s possible Taylor was coaching to keep his job.
Taylor desperately needed a win, and he got one on Monday night in front of the team’s home crowd and on national TV. Could this be the momentum swing the Bengals need?
Cam Taylor-Britt: CTB regressed in 2024, and that trend extended into the 2025 season. After struggling, and being benched multiple times, he was a healthy scratch on Thursday Night Football in a must-win game.
This is bad for the former second-round pick.
Bengals’ pass rush: The Bengals won, and I may be nitpicking, but there were times Aaron Rodgers, who is 41 years old and has never been a scrambling quarterback, was just able to sit in the backfield, for what seemed like forever, while he was waiting for a receiver to get open.
Trey Hendrickson didn’t play due to an injury suffered in Week 6, and the Bengals’ inability to rush the passer without him is a real problem.
Run defense: The Bengals were able to hold on and get the win, but they had a hard time stopping the run. The Bengals’ defense allowed over seven yards per carry on Thursday night. It didn’t kill them in this game, but in a situation where they need to stop an opposing offense from running out the clock, they have to be able to stop the run.
Bengals’ clutch defense: The Bengals’ defense just couldn’t keep the Steelers out of it. The Steelers, who averaged just over 23 points so far this season, scored 31 against Al Golden’s defense. The Bengals were able to get some stops early in the game, and even a coupleof turnovers the offense capitalized on, but when they needed a stop the most, up by six nearing the end of the game, Rodgers picked them apart, and took a late lead.
Luckily for Bengals fans all over the world, Flacco was able to get McPherson in range for a game-winner.