Packers to face Flacco for 2nd time this season in his Bengals debut
Associated Press
Cincinnati (2-3) at Green Bay (2-1-1)
Day / Time / TV: Sunday, 3:25 p.m. CDT, CBS.
Against the spread: Bengals 1-3; Packers 2-2.
Series record: Tied 7-7.
Last meeting: Packers won 25-22 in overtime at Cincinnati on Oct. 10, 2021.
Bengals offense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (29), scoring (29)
Bengals defense: overall (30), rush (24t), pass (29), scoring (30)
Packers offense: overall (14), rush (18), pass (11), scoring (9)
Packers defense: overall (4), rush (2), pass (11), scoring (11t)
Turnover differential: Bengals minus-5; Packers even.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Joe Flacco has a chance to do something in his Cincinnati Bengals debut that only one quarterback has accomplished.
Flacco will try to help the Bengals beat Green Bay on Sunday, just three weeks after he defeated the Packers as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback. The only quarterback to beat the same opponent twice in one season while playing for two teams was Jack Kemp, who led the AFL’s Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers past the New York Titans in 1962. “It’s at least there in the back of his mind, ‘Man, I’ve played these guys, and I have an understanding of how they try to attack you,’” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.
The Bengals (2-3) acquired Flacco aftert losing three straight games by a combined score of 113-37 with Jake Browning as their starting quarterback. The Bengals had turned to Browning after two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow hurt his left toe, an injury that is expected to sideline him for three months. Flacco went 21 of 36 for 142 yards with an interception and no touchdown passes in the Browns’ 13-10 triumph over the Packers on Sept. 21. Cleveland won by scoring 13 straight points in the last 3:38.
Packers safety Xavier McKinney already has tried considering this unique situation from Flacco’s perspective. “I was thinking about just kind of ways he might try to come into this game having different players and a different scheme, already having seen what we’ve done this year,” McKinney said. “So just trying to see if there’s going to be different ways where we can mix it up and show different things and play different things. So I’m going to take a look at that. I’m probably going to rewatch the Browns game just to try and watch and see what we were doing a little bit and try to go from there.”
The Packers (2-1-1) are coming back from a bye week as they seek to regain the momentum they established earlier this season in home wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. They followed that up by losing at Cleveland and getting a 40-40 tie at Dallas.
Another upset brewing?
BetMGM Sportsbook has Green Bay as a 14-point favorite. Then again, the Packers were eight-point favorites against Flacco’s Browns and lost that game. According to BetMGM, the last time the Bengals were such a big underdog was in 2020, when the Pittsburgh Steelers came to Cincinnati as 14½-point favorites. The Bengals won that game 27-17.
New team, same problems?
Flacco is joining a new team, but he might run into the same problems that he had in Cleveland: an unstable offensive line. The Bengals have allowed 15 sacks, tied for ninth-most in the league. The 38.1% pressured rate is eighth-highest. Both of Cincinnati’s offensive tackles — Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims — are in the top 12 in pressure rate. Brown’s 13.3% rate is 10th-highest among left tackles and Mims’ 10.8% rate is 12th highest at right tackle. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons is tied for fourth in the league with 26 pressures and has two games this season in which he recorded at least eight. The Packers sacked Flacco twice in their loss to the Browns.
Bengals’ defensive struggles
The Bengals are ranked 30th in total defense (391.2 yards per game), 29th against the pass (259 yards per game) and are allowing the third-most points at 31.2 per game. It could be another tough afternoon for Cincinnati’s secondary, Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft has 161 yards after the catch and running back Josh Jacobs has 143. The Packers are averaging 7.0 in YAC per reception, which is second-highest in the league. The Bengals have allowed a league-high 878 yards after the catch, an average of 7.3 YAC per catch.
Turnover talk
Green Bay has forced just two turnovers through four games after ranking fourth in the league with 31 takeaways last year. The only team with fewer takeaways is the New York Jets, who haven’t forced a turnover all season. This game offers a chance for Green Bay to take the ball away more often. The Bengals have a league-high 11 turnovers. Cincinnati might not be quite as prone to turnovers now that Flacco is taking over for Browning, who has thrown eight interceptions. But Flacco’s 6-2 interception-touchdown ratio suggests this still could be a major opportunity for Green Bay’s secondary.
Home at last
This is Green Bay’s first home matchup since Sept. 11 and its only game at Lambeau Field for a 51-day stretch. The Packers had two road games before taking last week off. They follow this game by heading to Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Bengals player to watch
WR Ja’Marr Chase. He had a pair of touchdowns last week and is one away from 50 in his career. A TD catch in Green Bay would be in his 68th game, which would tie him for seventh-fastest in NFL history to reach 50. His 49 receiving TDs since since being the fifth overall pick in 2021 are the most in the league in that span.
Packers player to watch
RB Josh Jacobs. He has four touchdown runs, but is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry — down from 4.4 yards per rush last season — as he works behind an offensive line that has been missing multiple starters due to injury. A bye week gave Green Bay’s linemen more time to get healthy, which could enable Jacobs to have a big game against the NFL’s lowest-ranked run defense.
Key matchup
Bengals QB Joe Flacco vs. Packers pass defense. Green Bay’s defense is looking to redeem itself after a 40-40 tie at Dallas in which Dak Prescott picked the Packers’ secondary apart. Green Bay’s defense had been outstanding up until that game. The Packers only have two takeaways so far this year, so they’ll be looking to force Flacco into mistakes. Flacco had thrown two touchdown passes and six interceptions with Cleveland before getting traded this week. He was 21 of 36 for 142 yards with one interception and no touchdown passes in Cleveland’s 13-10 victory over the Packers.
Key injuries
Bengals: Rookie OG Dylan Fairchild (knee) and TE Drew Sample (ankle) did not practice Wednesday… OG Lucas Patrick (calf) is on injured reserve, but has been cleared to practice… DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) has been sidelined the past three games.
Packers: OT Zach Tom (oblique) and OG Aaron Banks (groin) didn’t play at all against Dallas, but practiced on a limited basis this week… K Brandon McManus also has been limited after hurting his quadriceps in practice Wednesday. Packers coach Matt LaFleur called the injury a “major concern,” but McManus said that “I plan on playing.”… DL Devonte Wyatt (knee) and OT Anthony Belton (ankle) weren’t practicing early this week… OT Rasheed Walker (quadriceps) didn’t practice Thursday.
Series notes
The last meeting between these teams in 2021 was notable for all the field-goal attempts that were missed. Former Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed three field goals and an extra point before hitting a game-winning 49-yarder in overtime. Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson missed a 57-yarder in the final minute of regulation as well as a 49-yarder in overtime… Each of the last two Packers-Bengals matchups went to overtime. The Packers won 27-24 at Lambeau Field in 2017 when a 71-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Geronimo Allison set up a 27-yard field goal from Crosby… The last six Packers-Bengals games have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Stats and stuff
Flacco has a chance to become just the second quarterback to beat the same opponent twice in one season while playing for two different teams. Jack Kemp did it to the AFL’s New York Titans in 1962 while playing for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers… Cincinnati is 0-2 against the NFC North this season after going 2-2 against the division in 2021… Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Packers coach Matt LaFleur were on Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams staff in 2017. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator and Taylor the assistant wide receivers coach… Flacco has a 2-3 career record against Green Bay with four touchdowns and six interceptions… WR Andrei Iosivas had a career-high 82 receiving yards on five catches last week… DE Trey Hendrickson has four of the Bengals’ 10 sacks this season… DE Joseph Ossai has a sack in his last three games against an NFC North team… LB Logan Wilson has at least five tackles in 29 straight games… This is the Packers’ only home game over a 51-day stretch. The Packers played at Cleveland and Dallas before having last week off. Their next two games after this are at Arizona and Pittsburgh… The Packers have allowed 24 points or fewer in each of their last nine home games… Packers WR Romeo Doubs had a career-high three touchdown catches against Dallas… Packers QB Jordan Love threw those three touchdown passes to Doubs and had 337 yards passing with no interceptions in the tie with Dallas… Packers TE Tucker Kraft has nine touchdown catches since the start of the 2024 season. The only tight end with more touchdown receptions during that stretch is Baltimore’s Mark Andrews, with 13… Packers DE Micah Parsons has at least seven quarterback pressures in each of his last three games. Only three times since 2016 has a player had that many pressures in three straight games. Parsons also did it in 2023 and Danielle Hunter also accomplished the feat for Minnesota that year… Packers K Brandon McManus made field goals on the final play of regulation and the last play of overtime against Dallas.
