Browns, now 1-5 after a loss on Sunday for Pittsburgh, continued with a newcomer Dillon Gabriel as their QB while Cincinnati started Flacco immediately to encourage success.
Bengals lost to Packers in the Elder’s debut, but held Sunday’s game and cut Green Bay’s lead for six when four minutes left in the game before they fell, 27-18. Flacco did not make any transition, which had been the case of Brownings through three games, and after a slow start, led five straight Cincy drive to close the game that did not end in a point or turnover. The forty QB ended 29 out of 45 which went 219 meters and two contact surfaces.
Flacco has made Bengals (2-4) better and in injuries with injury, more competitive. Tomlin and North-Leading Steelers (4-1) can’t and don’t like it.
“It is fair to expect it to be significantly better at [his second game with Cincinnati]”Tomlin said of Flacco.” He has been on the field with them. They have been at the stadium with him. They understand his behavior, how he deals with circumstances.
“Certainly we have had a whole week ahead of us in terms of minimizing an elder, a skillful talented throw like him. … it certainly has our attention.”
Pittsburgh travels to Cincinnati to take over Flacco and Bengals on Thursday at 20:15 ET, another AFC North game in AFC North in as many weeks.