Joe Flacco’s first meaningful act with the Cincinnati Bengals came on Thursday night as the 40-year-old rallied the team on a 52-yard, eight-play drive that set up Evan McPherson’s 36-yard field goal with seven seconds left, handing the Bengals a 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flacco completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns in his second start for Cincinnati after being acquired Oct. 7. Ja’Marr Chase posted a franchise-record 16 catches for 161 yards, Chase Brown added 108 rushing yards, and the victory snapped Cincinnati’s four-game skid and improved the Bengals to 3-4; Pittsburgh fell to 4-2.
Flacco was traded to Cincinnati courtesy of the Cleveland Browns, their AFC North rival. The optics of that trade have exploded with the Bengals’ defeating the division-leading Steelers, pulling off an upset few expected.
During a Friday radio appearance on ESPN Cleveland, veteran reporter Tony Grossi accused the Browns of chronically making bewildering personnel choices, calling the franchise “a laughing stock” inside the league and arguing the club keeps “doing stupid things.”
When Tony Rizzo asked, “Why do they keep helping other teams?” Grossi simply responded: “Exactly.”
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Grossi wasn’t the only one quick to credit the Browns with the Bengals’ win; even fans inside the stadium on Thursday poked fun, chanting, “Thank you, Cleveland” after Cincinnati had secured the win.
Unfortunately, this isn’t Cleveland’s first controversial transaction. In March 2022, the Browns traded three first-round picks (2022, 2023, 2024) plus mid-round selections to acquire quarterback Deshaun Watson and signed him to a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract.
Watson was suspended for 11 games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, followed by a series of severe injuries, and he started a limited number of games, producing underwhelming results.
The Houston Texans used the draft capital to rebuild, selecting QB C.J. Stroud and edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr., while the Browns lost draft flexibility and cap room. The cost, risk and lack of payoff have led many to refer to the deal as one of the worst trades in NFL history.
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While regional and national media outlets continue to criticize Cleveland for its questionable front office moves, on the field, the Browns sit at 1-5 and last in the AFC North, playing behind rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati is now one game away from .500 and taking the division lead, now with the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh, all while they remain without franchise quarterback Joe Burrow.