This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face a familiar foe in veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. From 2008-2018, Flacco played with the Baltimore Ravens. During that time, Flacco had some classic battles with the Steelers. Now, Flacco finds himself with a different AFC North team in the Cincinnati Bengals. While he was a key part of one of the Steelers’ biggest rivals, Flacco still has love for them.
“I have so many great memories of playing these guys and so much respect for them as a team,” Flacco said Tuesday via the team’s Twitter. “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.”
According to StatMuse, Flacco is 11-11 in his career against the Steelers. Since leaving the Ravens, Flacco is 1-0 against the Steelers. That win came last year when he was with the Indianapolis Colts. After Anthony Richardson got hurt, Flacco came in and played well enough to get the Colts the win.
Now, Flacco will be looking to do something similar with the Bengals. In his first start with them, he lost to the Green Bay Packers. However, Flacco didn’t have much time to get used to their team after the Cleveland Browns traded him. With more time with the Bengals under his belt, his play might improve this week.
Also, the Bengals’ offense doesn’t lack weapons. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is a problem. He’s currently fifth in the league in receiving yards with 468. Tee Higgins, his partner in crime, is also highly capable. Running back Chase Brown is a home-run threat.
Therefore, despite the Bengals’ struggles, Flacco could give the Steelers fits this week if they aren’t careful. He’s correct that their team has changed a lot since he was with the Ravens. However, with the constant presence of head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are still the same at their core. That could give him an edge this week. The Steelers shouldn’t let Flacco create any more nice memories against them.
