CINCINNATI (WXIX) - As Joe Flacco walked off of the field, potentially for the final time as the Cincinnati Bengals’ starting quarterback, he was thinking about what he could have done on the final few plays. A potential go-ahead touchdown drive in the final minute stalled out at the New England Patriots’ 26-yard line. Flacco was anticipating going back through the tape.
“You can’t wait to go look at it and see what you could have done and beaten yourself up for it a bit,” Flacco said. “Same as always.”
This was the 201st start of his NFL career. It might have been his last. Joe Burrow continues to make progress coming back from his toe injury, and Burrow will take Flacco’s spot when he’s healthy.
Flacco’s tenure with the Bengals will be a very short chapter in the story of his career when it’s all said and done. There was a magical Thursday night win in October that feels like a lifetime ago, and then there were crushing losses against the Jets and Bears followed by an implosion in Pittsburgh.
On Sunday, a Patriots team that has the best record in the NFL beat the Bengals, 26-20. Even though Ja’Marr Chase was suspended, Tee Higgins missed the final drive as he was in concussion protocol and even though the Bengals’ defense has been the worst in the NFL in 2025, the Bengals probably should have won this one.
But at the end of the day, it’s still just the third-most deflating loss out of the six that Flacco has suffered in a Bengals’ uniform.
“We haven’t been consistently good enough throughout 60 minutes,” Flacco said about the 3-8 Bengals, who currently are slated for the No. 8 pick in next spring’s NFL Draft.
Out of Flacco’s seven games with the Bengals, this loss was most squarely on him. He made a bad decision on a third down sack early in the game, holding onto the ball too long on a negative play that took the Bengals out of field goal range.
In the second quarter, he threw a pick six to Marcus Jones that ended up giving the Patriots the lead for good.
“I feel bad about the pick six,” Flacco said. “At the same time, I didn’t see the guy. It’s one of those plays you want back. It’s the simplest play in the world. Play action, look for Tee (Higgins), check it down.”
The 40-year-old’s inability to extend plays or move outside of the pocket hurt the Bengals in some key moments. He also nearly threw another pick on a pass that was dropped by a Patriots’ defender. Flacco didn’t play well.
Despite all of that, and despite Higgins leaving the game on a cart in the fourth quarter, Flacco still had the Bengals one play away from winning it.
On top of it all, he has a banged up shoulder and also dislocated his finger during the game.
“He didn’t owe anything to this team,” Zac Taylor said. “He just showed up. He could take the easy way out and nurse an injury and say I need more rest. He hasn’t. He just keeps walking on the field and pops his finger out and whatever happened there.”
Flacco will go down as an all-time favorite around Paycor Stadium among players and coaches who have spent time around him. He’s the definition of a pro. He picked up the offense in a few days. He’s the king of playing well with minimal practice reps. He gave the Bengals hope.
For most of the last two months, he has played really well.
Orlando Brown Jr. said, “He brought a level of leadership, an amazing presence. It’s meant a lot to us.”
Andrei Iosivas said, “That’s a guy that you can fight for.”
Even though he struggled on Sunday and he wasn’t that good last week against the Steelers, either, the Bengals haven’t been losing because of Flacco. Before the Steelers’ game two weeks ago, he was playing at the level of a top-10 quarterback, which is remarkable for a guy who hadn’t been a regular starting quarterback since 2023.
“You can’t put it into words,” Taylor said of Flacco’s impact.
The Bengals’ defense played better on Sunday against an MVP candidate in Drake Maye. The defense was far from perfect, but there was improvement.
The Bengals tackled better, won a decent amount at the line of scrimmage and saw splash plays from Kris Jenkins Jr., Demetrius Knight Jr. and Jalen Davis. Geno Stone recorded a pick six and played his best game in a Bengals’ uniform. The defense also recorded two goal line stands, including one on a drive that included nine goal-to-go plays.
“They kept fighting in the goal line stands, representing who these guys are right now,” Taylor said. “Just keep coming back.”
Those goal line stands produced as much energy and fire that the defense has shown all year.
“It’s just about continuing to trust each other and master the basics,” Knight said. “It’s a step in the right direction. It’s nothing to sit back and relax on. It’s a building block to step on.”
There still was one terrible play that cost the Bengals. On an under center play action pass that also included a fake jet sweep (a jet motion), the Bengals left Patriots tight end Hunter Henry wide open and completely uncovered for a 28-yard score.
On the play, Stone and Knight both sold out to stop the jet motion as no one followed the tight end.
“That’s football and the way guys draw it up,” Knight said. “Their offensive coordinator gets paid just like our defensive coordinator does. Guys are good at setting things up. Jet motions and jet plays have been an Achilles heel, so we’re playing more heavy to that. I tip my hat to the offensive coordinator who was taking advantage of what they know we’re forcing and trying to correct, and throwing a pass off that.”
This is one of the big areas where the defense has to grow down the stretch this season. The unit has so much work to do developing its ability to stop tight ends and to defend the middle of the field. The Patriots’ plan was to feed Henry and attack the Bengals’ linebackers and safeties. The Steelers executed the exact same plan last week. The Bears and Jets did a lot of that as well.
The next six games for the Bengals are about making these types of adjustments while staying focused and staying together.
“Losing presents its own battles,” Orlando Brown Jr. said. “I appreciate how everyone has continued to stay together. One thing about our team is we’re going to continue to fight. I can’t do anything except commend the men in this locker room in terms of their effort, focus and energy. We’ve just got to close it out.”
On one hand, a lot of guys showed progress on Sunday. But this is a Bengals’ team that entered this year with Super Bowl ambitions. These losses don’t get any less frustrating, even if the Bengals’ playoff hopes are done.
“We did take a step forward,” Brown said.” But it comes down to being able to win these games and figure out whatever it is to make a play. That’s been the tough part to this year. We haven’t made the play that we need to.”
Morale would still be a whole lot worse if Flacco didn’t keep the Bengals competitive over the last six weeks.
Burrow’s pending return should provide an intangible spark, and the Bengals have a chance to work on revamping the offense in a way that can protect him better. The defense has to keep growing, and the unit desperately needs a few more guys to emerge as players who could be starters in 2026.
The Bengals are playing out the string right now, but there’s still a ton that they need to get out of their next six games.
“That’s the secret in terms of playing football — you want things to happen, but there has to be a piece of you that lets it happen,” Flacco said. “You can’t force things. You just can’t. As you get older and the more you play and experience everything, you realize that. You gain perspective. The secret is to go out there and do what you love to do to the best of your ability and let the rest fall into place.”
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