Bengals' Joe Flacco recalls his favorite moments vs. Steelers ahead of Thursday night's showdown
Flacco is looking to add to his win tally against Pittsburgh on Thursday night
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
3 min read
In a game that Cam Heyward has dubbed "The Icy Hot Bowl," Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco will face off on Thursday night in only the third matchup in NFL history between two quarterbacks over the age of 40.
Speaking of history, the Bengals' new quarterback has plenty of that against the Steelers. Flacco, who has faced Pittsburgh over two dozen times over his 18-year career, recalled his favorite memories against the Steelers ahead of Thursday night's game.
"We beat them in the playoffs one year, and then a couple of game-winners," Flacco said. "I hit Cincinnati Bengal T. J. Houshmandzadeh for a game-winner. I hit Torrey Smith for a game-winner in the back of the end zone. Those were three games I can think of off the top of my head that were pretty fun."
After losing his first two playoff games against Pittsburgh, Flacco and the Ravens got some payback in the 2014 wild-card round. Flacco threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Ravens to a 30-17 win.
Three years earlier, Flacco threw the game-winner to Smith in another game played in Pittsburgh. A year before that, Flacco silenced the Steelers home crowd after throwing a game-winner to Houshmandzadeh that led to Pittsburgh's first loss of the season.
Flacco beat the Steelers again last year as a member of the Colts. After then-Colts starter Anthony Richardson left the game with an injury, Flacco came in and threw two touchdowns while compiling a 105.9 passer rating. The Colts recorded a 27-24 win while handing the Steelers their first loss.
Earlier this season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin recalled that he had instructed his defense to keep Richardson "upright" so that Flacco wouldn't enter the game. Tomlin made headlines earlier this week when he questioned the Browns' logic in trading Flacco to a division rival.
While Tomlin's comments were an obvious shot at the Browns, it was also a sign of respect for Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP who is less than 200 yards away from passing Russell Wilson for 15th all-time on the NFL's career passing list.
The respect is mutual, as Flacco credited Tomlin for Pittsburgh's sustained level of success over the past two-plus decades.
"Look how consistent they've been over the last 20 years," he said. "I mean, how long has he been there now? They're always physical. I think they found out who they wanted to be as a team early on, and they've continued to build their teams based off of that, and that's why they always have a chance."
Pittsburgh is off to another strong start this season. With a win on Thursday night, the Steelers would increase their lead in the AFC North standings to a whopping 3.5 games. A big reason for Pittsburgh's early success has been the play of Rodgers, who has thrown 10 touchdowns against just two interceptions through five games.
At 2-4, the Bengals need a win in order to remain in striking distance of the Steelers in the AFC North standings. A win would also keep them in the playoff hunt in terms of a wild-card spot.
Despite Joe Burrow's injury, Bengals coach Zac Taylor believes that his squad is still capable of making a deep playoff run. That's why he and the Bengals acquired Flacco, who will look to reward their faith in him with a win on Thursday night against an opponent that has become synonymous with his long and distinguished career.
"I have so many great many memories of playing these guys, and so much respect for them as a team," Flacco said of the Steelers. "Even though they've changed over the years, still a lot of those same guys and familiar faces. Just a lot of respect for what they've been able to do. Always battling against those guys, you know you're in for a good one."
