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NFL fans got a real treat with “Thursday Night Football” as the Cincinnati Bengals ended their three-game losing streak with a thrilling 31-30 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
The Bengals, desperate to 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 have been well past their prime, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco put on a show like it 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 improved week by week with the Steelers in his first season. He needed just eight plays to go 69 yards for a touchdown to tight end Jonnu Smith from 10 yards out, as he rushed, guarded and threw a strike to his man to take a 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 the third possession saw the momentum Bengals fans had been desperately waiting for since Flacco was traded by the Cleveland Browns to relieve Jake Browning of his starting duties.
Flacco had a 10 play, 72 yard drive where he found Ja’Marr Chase on one of many passes, this one for an eight yard touchdown to make it 10-7.
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Then, Cincinnati’s defense immediately came into its own 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 staying inbounds while doing so. Flacco took advantage of the opportunity and found Tee Higgins, who raced through several Steelers defenders for a 29-yard touchdown.
Rodgers would be picked off again on the ensuing drive, and the Bengals managed to score a field goal before the end of the first half to head to 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 divisional fight. There were five straight drives, including three straight touchdowns, with Flacco finding Noah Fant and Rodgers using 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 try, which he buried to extend their lead to 30-24, but Rodgers had an opportunity late in the fourth quarter to give his team a chance to take the lead they had been chasing since the first quarter.
With 2:21 left, Rodgers escaped pressure and his eyes lit up when he saw Freiermuth alone downfield and he threw him a pass that was caught and it was off to the races. Freiermuth ran 68 yards to tie the game, and the extra point was good to give Pittsburgh a 31-30 lead.
But was it too quick a score for the Steelers given the way Flacco and the Bengals offense were playing? 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 slid into the red zone to waste time and allow McPherson a chance to score the field goal. He made it from 36 yards out and the Paycor Stadium crowd was frenzied as they finally got back into the win column.
Looking at the score from the box, 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 by far the most any player had all season in the NFL.
Higgins also added 96 yards with his touchdown on six catches, while Chase Brown finally had the ground game he wanted with 108 yards on 11 carries after struggling in the first six games.
Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after a touchdown during a Pittsburgh Steelers NFL football game 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 ultimately didn’t work. He finished 23 of 34 for 249 yards with four touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Jaylen Warren totaled 127 rushing yards as well as 31 air yards on four catches, while Freiermuth had his breakout game this season with 111 yards on five receptions.
