Bengals Aim to Bounce Back With Veteran Flacco Under Center
The Cincinnati Bengals are turning to a familiar face at quarterback as they look to get their season back on track in Week 6. Veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco will make his Bengals debut on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Flacco Faces Quick Integration
Flacco, who was acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns earlier this week, faces a tall task in quickly learning the Bengals' complex offensive system. Head coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the challenges of getting Flacco up to speed in just a few days of practice.
"It's not like everything's brand new," Flacco said. "There are certain things that are recognizable about it. And then I feel like I have a good picture of it all in my head."
To accelerate the process, Flacco has been relaying play calls with his wife back at the team hotel, hoping to become fluent in the Bengals' offensive "language" ahead of Sunday's matchup.
Offensive Concerns Linger
Flacco's arrival comes as the Bengals' offense has sputtered out of the gate, averaging just 18.4 points per game — down from 26.1 a year ago. Star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is also dealing with an illness and is listed as questionable for Week 6.
The Packers, meanwhile, boast one of the league's most explosive offenses, led by MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay ranks third in the NFL in explosive play rate, while the Bengals sit near the bottom at 31st.
"The Packers' whole operation is built around explosive plays and creating mismatches," noted Packers Wire's Zach Kruse. "That's a huge mismatch against the Bengals' defense."
Defensive Struggles
Cincinnati's defense has also been a concern, allowing 24.4 points per game, which ranks 20th in the NFL. Stopping the big play has been a particular issue, with the Bengals ranking 22nd in explosive play rate allowed.
"The Bengals don't have a run play of more than 13 yards this season, and the defense has struggled to stop explosive plays in the passing game," Kruse added.
Bengals Hoping for Turnaround
Despite the early-season struggles, the Bengals remain confident they can turn things around with Flacco under center. The veteran quarterback has 259 career touchdown passes, the fifth-most in NFL history distributed to 65 different receivers — tying him for the fifth-most in that category.
"I sure hope so," Flacco said when asked if he can help lead the Bengals to the playoffs. "That's what I play for is to win football games and give my team a chance to get to the playoffs and compete for a championship."
TL;DR
- The Bengals are turning to veteran QB Joe Flacco to jumpstart their struggling offense in Week 6 against the Packers.
- Flacco faces a quick integration into Cincinnati's complex offensive system with just a few days of practice.
- The Bengals' offense and defense have both underperformed so far, while the Packers boast one of the NFL's most explosive attacks.
- Despite the early-season woes, the Bengals believe Flacco can help lead them to the playoffs and a potential championship run.