After helping to get the Cincinnati Bengals' season back on track last week, Joe Flacco gets to face another of his former teams.
The 18-year veteran makes his third start for the Bengals on Sunday when they host the New York Jets. Flacco played for New York during two stints from 2020 through '22.
Flacco said he doesn't necessarily have fond memories of his time with the Jets. He was 1-8 as a starter and saw action in 12 games.
“I remember driving home on the (New Jersey) Turnpike after losing a game and shaking my head and talking to my family like, you know, what the hell am I doing? I think most of the time when I look back at those times it’s being in the locker room and everybody else that I kind of got to play with in that organization,” Flacco said.
Flacco's career looked to be over after his time with the Jets. Then he signed with Cleveland late in the 2023 season and led the Browns to the playoffs with a 4-1 record in five starts and was the AP Comeback Player of the Year.
He was with Indianapolis last season and started this season with the Browns before being traded to the Bengals on Oct. 7. Cincinnati needed a quarterback who could help keep the team competitive while Joe Burrow recovers from toe surgery.
Flacco passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns in the Bengals' 33-31 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati (3-4) has a chance to get back to .500, while the Steelers (4-2) have a tough Sunday night matchup against Green Bay.
The bigger quarterback question: Who will start for the Jets? After a week during which first-year coach Aaron Glenn declined to announce his starter publicly, it appears that Justin Fields will remain under center for at least another game.
The situation apparently became moot when Tyrod Taylor was ruled out Saturday with a knee injury.
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook will serve as the struggling Fields’ backup.
“I think you have to be ready for both of them,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said earlier in the week of Fields and Taylor. “They are both talented players. Capable of leading their team. Played them both a lot with different teams. They are both challenging. Whoever’s out there is out there and you have to be ready for them.”
The challenge for the Bengals is not having a letdown against a winless Jets team off to its worst start since the 2020 squad opened 0-13 under Adam Gase.
“A lot of that stuff is just talk. You don’t have to answer it unless you go out there and don’t play well,” Flacco said about avoiding a letdown. “You just have to go out there and prepare and then on Sunday, Sunday is fun. The results come when you are able to be in the moment and focus on the task at hand.”
Ja'Marr Chase has been the biggest beneficiary of Flacco's addition. The All-Pro wide receiver has two straight games with double-digit receptions, including a franchise-record 16 for 161 yards and a TD against the Steelers.
“The first thing that jumped out to me about (Chase and Tee Higgins) is just their hands. I know it sounds simple, but the way they catch the ball, the way they attack the ball when it’s in the air and then catch the ball with their hands. It’s very, very impressive. When you put the ball out there, you have confidence that they’re going to go get it and beat whoever’s around them to it,” Flacco said.
New York has gone eight quarters without getting into the end zone. That includes six quarters with Fields and two with Taylor.
The Jets’ most recent touchdown came in the fourth quarter of their 37-22 loss to Dallas, when Fields connected with Garrett Wilson on a 9-yard score with 1:41 left.
“Overall, we’re just not finishing well,” Taylor said. “We’ve started some games well, but ultimately, we haven’t finished. And that’s what it boils down to, is finishing, and we have yet to put that together as an offense.”
While Cincinnati's offense has bounced back, the defense continues to struggle and is ranked near the bottom of the league in most categories.
One of the biggest concerns is missed tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, safety Jordan Battle is tied for the league lead with 11 misses and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. is tied for fifth with 10.
Coach Zac Taylor said the number of missed tackles has been a point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Al Golden.
“It’s not something we’ve just let fall by the wayside," Taylor said. “It’s always been a focus for us, and it’s unfortunate when it shows up in the games because it’s not where we preach, it’s not where we rep. So he does a great job of taking the bull by the horns there.”
The Jets entered the season expecting their defense to be a strength, but they struggled early, allowing 30 or more points in three of their first five games.
New York has been outstanding since, allowing 13 points each to Denver and Carolina.
“As a defense, the only thing we can control is limiting points and get off the field,” cornerback Brandon Stephens said. “We can’t control when we get on the field, but when we get on the field, it’s our job to limit points and put our best style of football on the field.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report.
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