Flacco, Chase Lead Bengals to Thrilling Win Over Steelers on Thursday Night

Joe Flacco showed he can still deliver under pressure, and Ja’Marr Chase made team history as the Cincinnati Bengals edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 33–31 in a Thursday night thriller.

Flacco, 40, completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns — including two in the second half — to outduel fellow veteran Aaron Rodgers. The Bengals quarterback engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive in the final minutes, setting up Evan McPherson’s 36-yard game-winning field goal with seven seconds remaining.

Rodgers, 41, threw four touchdown passes, two to tight end Pat Freiermuth, but his two interceptions proved costly. His 68-yard connection to Freiermuth gave Pittsburgh a 31–30 lead with just over two minutes left before Flacco led the decisive drive.

The night, however, belonged to Chase. The All-Pro receiver set Bengals franchise records for both receptions and targets in a single game, finishing with 16 catches on 23 targets for 161 yards and a touchdown.

“They did exactly what we were expecting and hoping they’d do,” Chase told NFL.com’s Kevin Patra after the game. “Man (coverage). We knew they were going to put Joey (Porter Jr.) on Tee (Higgins) and put Jalen (Ramsey) on me. We knew that we were ready for it. We knew that we were going to take advantage of those opportunities.”

Chase’s consistency kept Cincinnati’s offense in rhythm all night, while Tee Higgins added 84 yards and a touchdown. Running back Joe Mixon, returning from injury, provided 92 total yards from scrimmage and helped balance the attack.

The Steelers’ Jaylen Warren led their ground game with 127 rushing yards, and Rodgers threw for 296, but Pittsburgh’s defense struggled to contain Cincinnati’s passing game. The Bengals outgained the Steelers 470–389 and controlled possession for nearly 35 minutes.

“We just stayed together,” Flacco said postgame, per Yahoo Sports. “It wasn’t perfect, but we made plays when we had to. That’s what good teams do.”

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Cincinnati (3–4) and gave Flacco his first victory in a Bengals uniform. Pittsburgh fell to 4–2, slipping behind Baltimore in the AFC North race.

Cincinnati will host the Ravens next week, while the Steelers look to rebound against the Cleveland Browns.