See, Cincinnati Bengals can outscore an opponent. They just need Joe (Flacco) | Williams

See, the Cincinnati Bengals can outscore an opponent.

And they didn't even need Joe Burrow to execute Plan A in an entertaining, 33-31 upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at roaring Paycor Stadium.

They did need Ja'Marr Chase, as always. And his franchise record 16 catches. The Bengals also needed the other Joe. This temporary version of Joe-to-Ja'Marr is looking a lot like the permanent one. Joe Flacco-to-Ja'Marr Chase put a stop to a miserable four-game losing streak and has suddently injected a little hope back into the Bengals' season.

"I told you, we were going to get back to this," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. "People having hope. We're 3-4. We've got a ways to go, but this is a good step in the right direction."

If the Bengals somehow salvage this season – most of which will be played without Burrow – they may look back at Thursday night as being the turning point. This was the type of game they lost last season, when their offense scored a lot and their defense couldn't hold a lead. The defense may be worse this season, and it darn near gave another one away.

But the Bengals got the ball back with just enough time and Flacco drove them down the field to set up Evan McPherson's chip-shot 34-yard game-winning field goal.

More over, the Bengals will look back at their rare decision to make an in-season trade and acquire quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.

But forget the rest of the season right now. Thursday's spectacle needs some savoring. It feels like it'll be talked about for a long time around here. The night the Bengals' 40-year-old temporary quarterback refused to let them lose to the hated Steelers, who remain atop the AFC North standings.

The guy who got benched and then castoff by the bumbling Browns has come to the rescue as Burrow recovers from a toe injury. Flacco went for 342 yards and three touchdowns. He led the Bengals to scores on 7 of their last 8 drives of the game. That's the kind of stuff you expect from Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

But Joe friggin' Flacco?

This is just one hell of a story. It's pretty cool to see another Joe Cool win in Cincinnati.

“In Joe 2.0 We Trust," read a homemade sign that a fan held up amid a sea of white-clad Bengals' supporters.

Flacco got to Cincinnati last week. He quickly learned the playbook. And really, he already knew what to do before he even cracked open the Bengals' playbook. Throw the ball Chase. And when he's not open, throw the ball to Tee Higgins. And when neither one of them are open, throw the ball away. All the while staying calm behind a shaky offensive line.

The plan has worked marvelously since halftime of last Sunday's loss in Green Bay. Flacco has completed 26 passes to Chase for 255 yards and two touchdowns since coming to town. Joe-to-Ja'Marr has been the magic elixir for the Bengals so many times in recent years when they desperately needed a win.

Last December, Burrow connected with Chase for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals' win at Dallas. It snapped a three-game losing streak. It sparked a five-game winning streak to end the season.

In 2023, with the Bengals off to a 1-3 start, Burrow turned to Chase for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a win at Arizona. It started a four-game winning streak for Cincinnati.

In 2022, with the Bengals off to a 2-3 start, Burrow turned to Chase on the road against the Saints. Chase had 132 yards and two scores in a win against New Orleans. The Bengals went onto win 9 of their last 10 regular-season games.

Log Thursday's game as another reason why the Bengals made Chase the highest-paid receiver in the league. Just had a different Joe throwing him darts.

"Our whole game plan is trying to get him the ball every which way," Taylor said.

Keep doing that. And maybe, just maybe, Flacco wins enough games to get, ahem, the other Joe back in time for a playoff run in December.

Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Did Joe Flacco save Bengals' season in win over Pittsburgh Steelers?