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Nonetheless standing: Then-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (12) shakes fingers with then-Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco (5) after a 2013 recreation. They’re slated to start out Thursday as over-age-40 QBs. Necessary Credit score: Evan Habeeb-Imagn Pictures Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video
FanDuel odds: Steelers -5.5, Complete 43.5
Inside Edge intel: Steelers huge receivers lead the NFL with a median of 8.7 yards after the catch this season. The Bengals have allowed 5.2 yards after catch per reception to WRs this season (third-worst in NFL). Final season, the Bengals allowed 10 TD passes to tight ends.
Sequence Rewind: The Steelers received 11 consecutive video games within the sequence from 2015-2020 and maintain the all-time edge over the Bengals, 71-40 together with a 2-0 report within the postseason.
Beginning QBs Aaron Rodgers, in his first season with the Steelers, and Joe Flacco, in his second begin for the Bengals, are vying to make 40 the brand new 37 in NFL passer parlance. The assembly is the third all-time between 40-something beginning quarterbacks with Tom Brady and Drew Brees — who met twice through the 2020 season — sharing the one prior occurrences.
Cincinnati acquired Flacco previous to final week’s journey to Inexperienced Bay and instantly put in him because the starter. The Bengals had been 2-0 in video games began by Joe Burrow, who’s on IR with a toe harm. Jake Browning threw eight interceptions in three-plus video games and Cincinnati was 0-3 in his final three begins, prompting the maneuver of buying Flacco from Cleveland to start out for his third completely different AFC North workforce (Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns). He threw two TD passes in his debut final week and it is honest to say Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t excited to be taught he’d be seeing Flacco for the twenty sixth time in his profession (the primary 22 as a member of the rival Ravens and final September when Flacco changed an injured Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts).
Rodgers may not be the MVP-level quarterback of a long time in the past, however he has principally loved success in a profession reset with the Steelers. He rolls into Week 7 with 63,973 profession regular-season passing yards and is barely 115 yards again from former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (64,088 passing yards), who’s at the moment fifth all-time in regular-season passing yards. Cincinnati has been hit early and infrequently by massive performs, particularly within the passing recreation. The Bengals’ 43 passing TDs allowed for the reason that begin of the 2024 season is second-worst within the NFL.
Pittsburgh’s offseason investments on the opposite facet of the ball are boosting the secondary. CB Jalen Ramsey will get a one-on-one matchup with Ja’Marr Chase, Flacco’s clear No. 1 goal, because the Bengals attempt to discover a spark within the working recreation. Chase caught his fiftieth profession TD final week and his 2,176 receiving yards for the reason that 2024 season started leads the NFL. Whereas his numbers are down from a superhuman effort in 2024, Chase is averaging seven catches per recreation, tied for No. 3 within the league.
RB Chase Brown’s common of two.7 yards per carry and 1.5 yards after contact are within the backside 5 of the 43 certified NFL backs within the league.
–Subject Stage Media
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