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NFL fans got a real treat on “Thursday Night Football” as the Cincinnati Bengals snapped their three-game losing streak with a thrilling 31-30 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
The Bengals, desperate for a win after starting the season 2-0, are now 3-4 while the Steelers fall to 4-2 on the year.
And while they may be well past their prime, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco put on a show that was the early 2010s in Cincinnati.
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Joe Flacco of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
It started with Rodgers, who has gotten better by the week, it seems, with the Steelers in his debut season. He needed just eight plays to go 69 yards for a touchdown to tight end Jonnu Smith from 10 yards out as he scrambled, measured and threw a strike to his man for the seven-point lead.
For Flacco, success didn’t come right away in his home debut with the Bengals, as they were forced to punt twice. But that third possession was the drive Bengals fans have been desperate for since Flacco was traded from the Cleveland Browns to relieve Jake Browning of his starting duties.
Flacco went 10 plays and 72 yards, finding Ja’Marr Chase on one of many passes, this one for an eight-yard touchdown to make it 10-7.
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After that, Cincinnati’s defense came through immediately as the momentum shifted to the home team. Jordan Battle intercepted Rodgers on an incredible play, ripping the ball out of DK Metcalf’s hands and holding in as he did so. Flacco took advantage of that opportunity and found Tee Higgins, who ran through several Steelers defenders for a 29-yard touchdown.
Rodgers would be picked off again on the ensuing drive, and the Bengals were able to kick a field goal before the end of the first half to go into the locker room with a surprising 17–10 lead.
If the first half wasn’t wild enough, the second half blew the doors off their primetime division matchup. There were five straight scoring drives, including three straight touchdown drives where Flacco found Noah Fant and Rodgers used his tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to make it a 27-24 game.
Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter of the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The Bengals were able to give Evan McPherson a field goal attempt, which he buried to move their lead to 30-24, but Rodgers had an opportunity late in the fourth quarter to give his team a shot at the lead they had been chasing since the first quarter.
With 2:21 left on the clock, Rodgers released the pressure and his eyes lit up when he saw Freiermuth alone downfield and he zipped a pass to him that was caught and it was off to the races. Freiermuth went 68 yards to tie the game and the extra point was good to give Pittsburgh the lead 31-30.
But was it too quick a score for the Steelers given how Flacco and the Bengals’ offense played? You bet.
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Flacco dissected the Steelers’ defense once again with a seven-play drive that was capped by a perfectly placed 28-yard pass to Higgins, who smartly slipped in the red zone to waste clock and give McPherson a chance to go off the field. He hit it from 36 yards and the Paycor Stadium crowd went wild as they finally got back into the win column.
Looking at the box score, Chase broke his own franchise record for most receptions in a single game, catching 16 of his 23 targets from Flacco for 161 yards and his touchdown. Those 23 targets were the most by a player all season in the NFL by a mile.
Higgins also added 96 yards with his touchdown on six catches, while Chase Brown finally had the rushing game he wanted with 108 yards on 11 carries after struggling through the first six games.
Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Flacco finished an incredible 31-of-47 for 342 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. As for Rodgers, his patented Hail Mary didn’t work in the end. He was 23-of-34 for 249 yards with four touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Jaylen Warren tallied 127 yards on the ground as well as 31 air yards on four catches, while Freiermuth had his breakout game this season with 111 yards on five receptions.
