Flacco is focused on getting ready for his fifth start with Cincinnati since arriving through a trade with Cleveland a little more than a month ago. The Bengals (3-6) travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) on Sunday in what seems like a make-or-break game for Cincinnati’s AFC North title hopes.
“I think backups probably do it a good amount where they know like, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming back, he’s got a three-week injury’ or whatever it is, but I’m honestly not really thinking about it,” Flacco said. “It’s not really a part of my process. I really don’t care. It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. I think to think about that stuff would be a distraction. It’s not really something I’m worried about. Like I said, I’m just worried about doing my job. And this week’s that’s going out and playing against Pittsburgh.”
Flacco played through a sprained AC joint two weeks ago but said he was feeling better with help from the bye. Thankfully, his arm wasn’t unusually sore after throwing for 470 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s last game, a 47-42 loss to the Bears.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the approach with Flacco this week is much like it was before that game, when he only practiced in limited fashion that Thursday to make sure he was good to go. The rest of the week was dedicated to recovery and treatment. He had injured his throwing shoulder late in a 39-38 loss to the Jets in Week 8.
Cincinnati is 1-3 in Flacco’s starts, but the lone win was a 33-31 thriller against the Steelers, which the Bengals hope to replicate this week. Despite the lack of results in the other three games, the offense has been the best in the league over the past month, averaging 313.5 passing yards and 32.8 points in Flacco’s four starts.
“Your goal every week is to go out there and play well and give your team a chance to win,” Flacco said. “For the most part, yeah, it feels good about going out and putting points on the board. There’s also time when you are going to go out and look at it and be critical and look at yourself on our side of the ball and what more we could have done.
“Listen, I’ve had a lot of fun the past few weeks just going out and playing football and being able to play with these guys and them allowing me into this locker room and be part of this team. It’s been a lot of fun. At the same time, we want to win football games so it’s just finding ways to get that little bit better and kind of carry us over the edge.”
The Bengals brought Flacco in to provide a spark to an offense full of talented weapons that had been off to a slow start and struggled even more under Jake Browning. He’s done his part in impressive fashion, coming into a new team with little time to learn the playbook before making his first start just five days later.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Cincinnati’s win over Pittsburgh came on a quick turnaround for his second start on Thursday Night Football. The Steelers have since moved Jalen Ramsey from nickel corner to safety to try to get their best defenders on the field in positions they can be more successful, but Flacco said his two biggest weapons – Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins – are a unique duo to try to stop.
That’s been the biggest help to him coming to a new team and trying to adjust on the fly. Against Pittsburgh four weeks ago, Cincinnati had everything clicking at once.
“I think we were going into that game just with a little bit of built-up confidence from the week before (playing better at Green Bay), and I just think when you’re offensive line is playing well, when you got guys that are winning at the line of scrimmage and then your run game can kind of really find its groove, it just sets up well for playing good offense,” Flacco said. “And I think that’s what we were able to do against these guys the first time was just kind of get to the point where we were running the ball well and winning quick enough to not let their strength really get to you.”
Now, Flacco feels like he’s entrenched in the team, “developing relationships with the guys and proving to them” that he belongs. It means more being able to look his teammates in the eye and know they are going into “battle with each other.”
Flacco will take advantage of every opportunity he has to keep doing that.
“I think my job, since I’ve been here, is to take pride in what I’m doing and do that for as long as possible, and I think no matter how long I play, if I continue to keep my head down and just look at that for what it is, just go out there, keep your head down, work hard, play football, have pride in what you’re doing, show up for your guys, why do I care how long I get to do that for?” Flacco said. “I’m doing what I’ve been asked to come in here and do and that’s all I can do. And however long that is, I want to do that as best as I can. If I’m able to do that, keep my head down and do what I do the best that I can, then I’ll be able to look at myself and be proud of it and not worry about whatever else there is.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
When: 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16
TV: CBS
Radio: 104.7-FM, 700-AM
About the Author