Bengals can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to the latest Joe Flacco injury update
Cincinnati will face the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Cincinnati Bengals can expect to have quarterback Joe Flacco for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Flacco is “planning to start” despite dealing with an AC joint sprain.
Flacco suffered his injury last Sunday in the team’s one-point loss to the New York Jets. He went into the locker room right before the final drive of the game, but didn’t miss any snaps. Cincinnati held him out of two practices this week, but the 40-year-old QB did throw with the team on Thursday.
Joe Flacco playing gives the Bengals a chance at keeping their season alive
Losing to the Jets was a devastating blow for the now 3-5 Bengals. The AFC remains relatively open halfway into the season, but falling to one of the worst teams in both the conference and the entire NFL was not what Cincinnati needed after ending a four-game losing streak the week prior.
ESPN is giving the Bengals a 12% chance at making the playoffs. All the clubs below them, such as the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins, have at most 1% of making the bracket. Every additional loss Cincinnati suffers can be fatal to its ultimate goal.
Flacco is arguably the biggest reason why the Bengals have life. The offense has been near the top of the league since he arrived via a surprise trade from the Cleveland Browns. They’re fourth in EPA/play, second in success rate since Week 6, and the difference between him and Jake Browning, who would start if Flacco cannot, has been astronomical for the unit.
The offense cannot always carry Cincinnati to success, as seen last week, when the defense allowed 39 points to New York. However, Flacco gives the Bengals the best chance at keeping their season alive. If he can get through Sunday without damaging his throwing shoulder any more and pull out a victory, hope will live on through the upcoming bye week.
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