Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) waits for a play in the third quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former NFL MVP Shares Bengals' Path to Playoffs With Joe Flacco at Quarterback

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By James Rapien | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 11:43 AM ET

The Bengals traded for Joe Flacco with hopes of saving their season. Sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for the veteran quarterback and a 2026 sixth-round pick was a no-brainer for Cincinnati.

Plenty of people called it a desperate move at the time. And the Bengals were desperate. But that desperation is paying off. Flacco has played well in his first two starts with the team, bringing new hope to a franchise that felt destined to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season with Joe Burrow injured.

Flacco has completed 65.2% of his passes for 561 yards and five touchdowns. He hasn't thrown an interception. He led the Bengals' offense on seven scoring drives in their last eight possessions during a 33-31 win over the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

The Bengals are 1-1 with Flacco under center and 3-4 on the season. They play a winless Jets team on Sunday. If Cincinnati can win that game, they'll be back to .500 and back in the playoff mix.

Bengals Believer

Former NFL MVP quarterback and current CBS Sports analyst Matt Ryan believes the Bengals can make a legitimate playoff run.

"You've got three games that you're going to be favored in. Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals. Win the games you should. That gets them to six wins," Ryan said on CBS Sports. "You got four divisional games. Split the divisional games. That gets you to eight wins. You've got three games remaining against the Bears, Pats, and the Bills. If you win one of those three, you get to that nine (wins) number. I think with the parity in the league this year, the parity in the AFC, nine's got a real chance to get you there. And if they get in, guess who's coming back? Joe Burrow. Joe Flacco will have done his job. And Zac Taylor will have problem solved through the month of October."

The Bengals have finished 9-8 in each of the past two seasons, but they missed the playoffs both times. Ten wins is the magic number for Cincinnati. Nine gives them a chance, but 10 wins would almost certainly put them in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Burrow is on track to return some time in December after undergoing toe surgery last month. For more on Burrow's recovery, go here.