Packers have chance for redemption after Bengals' surprising trade 1 Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Packers have chance for revenge after Bengals’ surprising trade

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By John Sbisa | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 3:21 PM ET

With Joe Burrow injured, the Cincinnati Bengals have a disaster on their hands at quarterback. If the house isn’t on fire yet, the flames are licking at the base of the walls. Backup Jake Browning just threw three picks in one half and 52 seconds of football and owns the highest interception rate of any quarterback with at least 42 attempts.

After Sunday’s performance, head coach Zac Taylor said when asked about the position that everyone would be evaluated moving forward. Well, it seems the team made good on his word.

To the rescue in Week 6 comes Joe Flacco, acquired Tuesday from the Browns along with a 6th-round pick in exchange for a Bengals 5th-rounder.

The Packers, of course, lost to Flacco and the Browns not long ago, 13-10 in Week 3 in a game as infuriating as it was bizarre. If he is indeed named the starter for Cincinnati, it will be a chance for revenge as Flacco does his best to stay upright behind an abysmal Bengals o-line.

Look for Packers pass rush to take out bad memories on Flacco

The Packers’ collapse in Cleveland had little to do with Flacco. Averaging a paltry 3.9 yards per attempt, he went just 21-36 for 142 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. It was the Browns defense that kept it close, close enough for the offense to capitalize off an awful Jordan Love pick and steal the win despite scoring 0 points in the first 56 minutes of play.

While Flacco isn’t necessarily an upgrade on Browning, the Bengals just knew they had to do something. The passing offense ranks dead last in EPA per play (so does the offense overall), and even if that has more to do with an atrocious line, at least Flacco represents a nominal attempt at change.

At this point in his 18-year, Super-Bowl winning career, Flacco is supposed to do one thing: give his team a chance. Assuming he starts – why trade for him otherwise – that’s what Cincinnati will hope he can do, although the Browns decided he couldn’t do that for them as they switched to rookie Dillon Gabriel for their game last week against Minnesota.

Packers have chance for redemption after Bengals' surprising trade 2 Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) reacts after an offensive penalty was called in the red zone during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field, Sept. 21, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Even though it is ludicrous to say that Flacco beat the Packers, it would nonetheless be satisfying to utterly destroy the Bengals with Old Man Joe under center, purging some of the sour taste from the Browns game. As of Tuesday afternoon, Green Bay remains between 14 and 14.5-point favorites. No one ever knows in the NFL, but if the pass rush snows Flacco under, things could get ugly and quick.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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