The Bengals hoped for a better run after Joe Flacco took over the starting job. Till halftime, they led by 10-0, but the Packers started pushing their limits in the 3rd quarter and ultimately won by 27-18. The ace receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, gave a blunt message on the chemistry with his new quarterback after the game.

“Yeah, and no. I mean, we’re all trying to figure out what we can get to, how we can get the player to make us the ball, how much time Joe has to get the ball out of his hands,” the WR replied when asked about his chemistry with the signal caller. But he admitted that they got late. “We were trying to figure it all out in that first two possessions, but it was too late when we found out,” the WR added.

The Bengals are now 2-4 after 6 weeks. There was one moment in the Bengals’ loss to Green Bay that said it all. Down 24-10 late in the fourth, Joe Flacco, who’d been with the team for less than a week, fired a 19-yard dart to Ja’Marr Chase for a touchdown. It cut the lead to six, but more than that, it showed something deeper.

Chase was blanketed by two defenders, yet he still pulled it in with one arm, his right one pinned tight. That play wasn’t just luck; it was trust. Right before the snap, Chase told Flacco to scrap the original call and switch it up after noticing how the defense was playing. Flacco listened. And just like that, a QB who barely knew his receivers connected with a star who barely practiced that week due to illness. The touchdown was special, but the belief it sparked? That’s what really mattered.

In fact, this recent one was a great game for the receiver personally. Chase’s 19-yard touchdown cut Green Bay’s lead to 24–18. He logged 10 receptions for 94 yards and 1 touchdown. It was his 50th career TD.

Yes, Chase logged his highest target total since Joe Burrow (toe) has been sidelined. This means the relationship is there. But the concerning part is, it came very late. On the other hand, Joe Flacco, too, did his best to keep the Bengals in the game, but Cincinnati struggled badly in the rushing department.

Flacco threw the ball 45 times, completing 29 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He stayed calm under pressure and took just one sack for six yards. However, the Bengals’ ground game never got going.

Chase Brown led the team with 9 carries for 42 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per run. Samaje Perine added only 16 yards on 6 attempts, while Ja’Marr Chase lost 3 yards on his lone carry. Overall, Cincinnati managed just 55 rushing yards on 16 attempts, an average of only 3.4 yards per carry, and no touchdowns.

On the other hand, the Packers controlled the ground game. Josh Jacobs ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while quarterback Jordan Love added 26 yards on 7 runs. Green Bay finished with 153 rushing yards on 33 attempts, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Even though Flacco threw two touchdown passes and kept the passing game moving, the lack of a consistent run attack made it hard for the Bengals to balance their offense. And that might make them reconsider their decision, because Flacco wasn’t the only option.

The Bengals also looked for a veteran before signing Joe Flacco

After backup quarterback Jake Browning struggled in three starts, the Bengals realized they needed help fast if they wanted to save their season. According to NFL Media, Cincinnati started calling teams right after their Week 5 loss to the Lions, asking about every quarterback option available.

NFL reporter Ian Rapoport said the Bengals called “every team that had three quarterbacks or a viable practice squad option.” Their search even included one retired player – Derek Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler who announced his retirement in May.

Carr played 169 games in his career, completing 3,765 of 5,785 passes (65.1%) for 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns, and 112 interceptions. His career passer rating was 92.8, and his longest completion went for 87 yards. Carr spent most of his career with the Raiders (2014-2022) and later played for the New Orleans Saints (2023-2024). He was still under contract with the Saints, and a trade for him would have been hard to manage financially. Plus, he was still recovering from a shoulder injury, so it wasn’t clear if he could even play.

The Bengals also checked in on Davis Mills from Houston and Sam Howell from Philadelphia. But they didn’t show interest in Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston. In the end, Cincinnati made the deal for Joe Flacco.

His performance didn’t lead to a win. But it gave the Bengals a small boost of confidence heading into Week 7 when they’ll face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.