The Case Against Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals as AFC Playoff Team After TNF Win

Joe Flacco is not the savior the Cincinnati Bengals need. He's merely a functional quarterback who can make a flawed roster better but not nearly complete.

Joe Burrow is who the Bengals actually need, but his timetable to return from turf toe isn't fully known. Initial reports indicated he would miss at least three months, which could still put him back on the field by December for a potential postseason run. However, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer noted that Burrow may not be ready until the playoffs—and maybe not even then.

As such, the desperate franchise made a stunning move last week, trading within the division to acquire Flacco from the Cleveland Browns after he'd started for them in Week 1.

In the matter of eight days between arriving in Cincinnati and playing two games, Flacco showed rapid improvement and helped the Bengals snap their four-game losing streak while beating the rival Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 to close the gap in the AFC North to 1.5 games.

A run toward a postseason berth isn't off the table, but Thursday's victory may serve as a red herring more than an indication of better things to come.

Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Can Keep Bengals Afloat

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The Bengals are always a threat as long as receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are on the field—and the quarterback is competent enough to consistently target them while remaining upright behind the squad's suspect offensive line.

During Thursday's contest, the Bengals' dynamic duo combined to catch 22 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Chase set a single-game franchise-record with 16 receptions. Specifically, the All-Pro feasted against man coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats:

Flacco understood the assignment, particularly by getting Chase involved. He's operating at Burrow's level, because the long-time veteran already knows the wide receiver is always "down there somewhere."

At the same time, the Bengals can devise ways to get their receivers open, which will be difficult for anyone to stop. It makes this team dangerous.

Bengals' Schedule Remains Favorable

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Quality of opponent will play a factor the rest of the way for the 3-4 Bengals. The next two contests before Cincinnati's bye and the second half of the schedule is quite manageable.

Prior to the Bengals' off week, they play the New York Jets and Chicago Bears. The 0-6 Jets are a disaster as the NFL's worst team. To help matters, Cincinnati has the extended week of preparation for that contest coming off a Thursday Night Football appearance.

Conversely, the 3-2 Bears are trending upward, with three consecutive wins going into Week 7 action. However, both of these meetings are home games for Cincinnati.

After the bye, the Bengals make their annual trip to Pittsburgh, and the Steelers (4-2) will have revenge on their minds. It could be a critical matchup if Cincinnati is 5-4 by that point.

From there, only two teams on Cincinnati's remaining schedule—the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, both 4-2—currently own a winning record. Granted, the situation could change drastically, particularly with two upcoming contests against the Baltimore Ravens, who should have Lamar Jackson in the lineup for those.

Interestingly, the toughest stretch does come right after the bye, with Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, Buffalo and Baltimore again comprising a five-game run starting Nov. 16 through Dec. 14. That will tell us who the Bengals really are.

Performance Against Pittsburgh Doesn't Wipe Away Offensive Concerns

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Cincinnati's offense moved the ball basically at will against Pittsburgh. If this were the Steelers of yesteryear, this performance may have been an impressive feat. But that's not the case since Pittsburgh fields one of the NFL's softest defenses.

In fact, the Steelers rank among the league's bottom five in total defense going into this weekend's action. The group is getting moved around at the point of attack. Coverage is suspect. The scheme isn't anywhere near as aggressive or complex as it has historically been.

Flacco is an experienced quarterback. If he can get the ball out quickly without being pressured too much, he can still pick an opponent apart. However, the Bengals are going to face better defensive teams in the coming weeks.

Flacco played extremely well in his latest outing and deserves ample credit for the performance. At the same time, he's clearly struggled during his previous two stops with the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

He either threw at least one interception or passed for fewer than 200 yards in 10 of his last 12 full appearances. The Bengals feature Chase and Higgins, of course. But what happens with the run game isn't as effective, the offensive line doesn't hold up and Flacco can't get the ball out as quickly and cleanly?

At some point, these issues will reappear.

Entering Thursday Night Football, running back Chase Brown averaged 2.7 yards per carry, with a team producing fewer than 60 rushing yards per game. Cincinnati managed 142 rushing yards at 6.2 yards per attempt against Pittsburgh. The Bengals offensive line credits a different approach.

"Giving us the opportunity to set our pads at the line of scrimmage, be physical on a short week against a really good defensive front," left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. told reporters. "We've got one of the biggest offensive lines in the league, and you give us the opportunity to go body to body on some of these defenses, you see what we can do."

The Steelers aren't good at the point of attack, though. They haven't been all season. Cincinnati is going to face far more resistance against different opponents. How the running game does then will determine whether the Bengals' latest performance is the start of a positive trend or merely an aberration. It's likely closer to the latter than the former.

Speaking of the offensive line, it held up well against the Steelers. Even so, recent history indicates that Flacco will eventually be pressured far more. He's not overly mobile, which means he has to play in rhythm and get the ball out quickly in most cases.

Clean wins by the defense will make everything more difficult. Meanwhile, the Bengals continue to shuffle their starting guards, with Dalton Risner and rookie Jalen Rivers starting as of this week. How that interior holds up will go a long way toward determining how well Cincinnati can run the ball and protect Flacco for the rest of the season.

Cincinnati's Defensive Problems Haven't Disappeared

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While so much of Thursday's narrative centered on Cincinnati's and Pittsburgh's offenses, neither defense held up its end of the bargain.

Let's not overlook the fact Pittsburgh's offense easily scored a go-ahead touchdown with 2:21 remaining in the fourth quarter because of a breakdown in the Bengals' secondary.

Statistically, the Bengals are actually worse than the Steelers. Cincinnati ranks 31st in total defense. It's not particularly good in either phase since the unit finds itself in the league's bottom five against the run and pass.

To make matters worse, whether Trey Hendrickson will remain with the team or not remains up in the air. Without the pass-rusher, the Bengals cannot muster pressure with any consistency. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers wasn't sacked once, and Cincinnati managed only two quarterback hits for the entire game.

Cincinnati has pulled long-time contributors out of the starting lineup, while the coaching staff tries to find a group of players who will provide a defensive jolt, and it's simply not working.

Despite the trade rumblings, maybe Hendrickson returns to the lineup and provides the juice Cincinnati desperately needs. Even with him, the Bengals are still lacking at linebacker and the secondary.

One strong offensive effort with Flacco leading the way is not going to make the defense magically play better as the season progresses. Cincinnati still has significant issues slowing opponents. With Burrow behind center, the Bengals had a far better chance to win shootouts regularly than they do with Flacco.

Bengals' Uphill Battle Seems Insurmountable

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The AFC playoff picture will be difficult to navigate after the Bengals placed themselves in an early hole. It's not impossible, but Cincinnati has multiple roadblocks, internally and externally, in the way of a 2025 title.

Seven teams already managed four victories before the rest of the Week 7 slate is even played. Despite Thursday's outcome, the Bengals still trail the Steelers in the AFC North with one more meeting between the two franchises.

Vintage Flacco isn't going to show up every week. The offense will regress to some degree during the season. Finally, the defense remains a major liability.

Cincinnati is a flawed team. The Bengals front office tried to make the best of a bad situation by bringing in a new and proven quarterback. Flacco has provided a short-term spark. But this isn't Cleveland two years ago where he's been supported by the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense.

Yes, Chase and Higgins can make every game interesting. At the same time, they're not enough to overcome all of Cincinnati's other deficiencies to truly compete with the conference's and league's best.