Can Joe Flacco Save the Bengals?

Let’s answer the question that is the namesake of this article right off the bat. The answer is an astounding no. After starting 2-0, the Cincinnati Bengals have looked dreadful for three straight weeks to fall to 2-3. If we’re being 100% honest, the Bengals didn’t even look very impressive in their two victories even when they had Joe Burrow under center. As bad as Jake Browning has been, and he has truly been horrific with the exception of some garbage time touchdown passes last week against the Lions, he’s not the sole reason the Bengals are as putrid as they’ve shown. Their defense is one of the worst in the league, and it’s clear that without Burrow, the team has been truly uninspired to step on the field every Sunday.

No disrespect to Joe Flacco, but this article is being written in 2025, not 2012, when he led the Baltimore Ravens to the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory. He is now 40 years old, and on Sunday will make a start for his sixth franchise. He has firmly settled into the journeyman role throughout the back nine of his career. So I’m sorry to have upset anyone, particularly Bengals fans, but no, your season is still over.

However, just because the Bengals season can’t be saved does not mean that their players’ fantasy seasons must come to an end as well. For the past three weeks, frustrated fantasy owners of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown have been wondering where to go from here. Many Higgins and Brown owners have opted to bench these guys. Many Chase owners, who likely selected him with the top overall pick in their entire draft, are forced to start him for that reason, but likely haven’t felt great about it. But now, Flacco has the opportunity to offer these players a breath of fresh air.

For anyone that didn’t get an opportunity to watch Jake Browning play, first of all I’m envious of you. But second, there is no way that you can’t consider Joe Flacco a significant upgrade from a fantasy perspective. Even though he’s 40, Flacco still has that rocket arm and gunslinger mentality that gave him success during all those seasons with the Ravens and even as recently as two seasons ago with the Browns. Now he will have the opportunity to work with not just one, but two of the best receivers he’s ever played with in Chase and Higgins. Although he has had elite running backs before in Ray Rice and Nick Chubb, Chase Brown is no slouch himself, and offers another threat for Cincinnati out of the backfield.

If Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is smart, he’s going to notice that his season, and possibly his job, are slipping away very quickly. If the Bengals are not going to have the Super Bowl aspirations they entered this season with going forward, they might as well embrace being frisky and fun. They should allow Flacco to go out there and sling the football all over the field. Get Chase, Higgins, Brown, Gesicki, and Fant all involved in an effort to improve this offense that has been unwatchable for nearly a month now. If they embrace this strategy, there is no reason that Flacco wouldn’t be able to breathe life into each of the aforementioned players. 

While this is far from a prediction or a guarantee, if you’re a fantasy manager who’s experiencing the fallout of Joe Burrow’s injury because it has grounded what should have been an electrifying offense, this Joe Flacco trade offers a reason for hope. At this point, there’s nothing left to do but take an optimistic approach. Let’s see if Joe Flacco can turn back the clock.