Bengals to start Joe Flacco in Week 6 clash with Packers
Days ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the Cincinnati Bengals made the surprising move to acquire veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Bengals are now expecting Flacco to hit the ground running as the starter for Sunday’s game.
“He’s going to take all the reps and get ready to go,” Taylor said during his news conference on Wednesday via ESPN.
It gives Flacco only a handful of days to digest the playbook and get comfortable enough to guide the Bengals back in the right direction. Cincinnati is coming off a third consecutive loss after falling 37-24 to the Detroit Lions.
Want $250 to bet on the NFL?
Quarterback Jake Browning has struggled mightily since Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that will keep him sidelined for around three months. In the last four games, he has thrown eight interceptions while failing to crack 200 passing yards twice.
“Welcome to pro football,” Browning said after Wednesday’s practice. “You’re going to get replaced. That’s what I’m going through. The general theme for myself is anybody that is going through some adversity, whether it’s football or personal stuff, if you go through it and deal with it the right way, there’s no way you don’t come out the other end a better version of who you are.”
The Bengals’ sudden decision to trade for Flacco speaks to the coaching staff’s lack of confidence in Browning’s ability to steer them forward. Meanwhile, this puts the veteran quarterback in a tough position to jump into the mix as the savior.
Cincinnati is hoping that Flacco can recapture the magic that he showed in the 2023 season, which saw him lead the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs. This season, Flacco has 815 passing yards, two touchdown passes, six interceptions, and a 60.3 passer rating.
