It was a night of veteran quarterbacks going vintage, as Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers combined for 591 yards and seven touchdowns in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, completing 31-of-47 passes. He connected with Ja’Marr Chase for a touchdown, with Chase totaling 161 yards, while Tee Higgins added a score on 96 yards and Noah Fant also found the end zone. Chase Brown rushed for 108 yards on the night.
Rodgers battled, finishing with 249 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, completing 23-of-34 passes. He connected with Pat Freiermuth for two touchdowns covering 111 yards and threw a touchdown to Jonnu Smith. DK Metcalf added 50 receiving yards on three catches.
With the home win, the Bengals improved to 3-4 on the season, snapping a four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Steelers dropped to 4-2, suffering their first loss in three games.
Fans praised the two veterans for putting on a show in an epic match on Thursday night.Â
The Steelers struck first in the opening quarter, with Rodgers connecting with Smith for a touchdown on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
Cincinnati lit up the second quarter, scoring on all three possessions and forcing turnovers on two of Pittsburgh’s drives, limiting the Steelers to just a field goal.Â
Rodgers threw two interceptions, while Flacco connected with Chase and Higgins and added a field goal, giving the Bengals a 17-10 lead at halftime.
The Bengals controlled the clock after the break, adding a field goal, and Rodgers responded with a touchdown pass to Freiermuth to cut the deficit to three heading into the fourth quarter.Â
Flacco connected with Fant early in the fourth for a touchdown, but Rodgers answered with a score to Washington to keep the game within three. A field goal by Cincinnati later extended their lead to 30-24.
A 68-yard pass to Freiermuth with 2:21 left gave the Steelers a late 31-30 lead. However, with time on the clock and a deep connection from Flacco to Higgins set up the Bengals in field-goal range and Evan McPherson drilled the game-winning kick.
Rodgers and the Steelers will face his former team, the Green Bay Packers, at home next Sunday, Oct. 26, while Flacco and the Bengals host the New York Jets on the same day.
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