At this late stage of his professional football career, Joe Flacco doesn't have the respect of his peers like Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The older veteran quarterback hasn't been consistently effective in years.

CINCINNATI — Joe Flacco got plenty of worthy praise from his head coach and teammates following another strong outing in a Bengals uniform. Cincinnati needed competent, level quarterback play, with Jake Browning floundering, and they've gotten much more than that out of Flacco.

Joe Flacco turned back the clock on Thursday night, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He completed 31-of-47 pass attempts for 342 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

In 25 regular-season and postseason starts against the Steelers, Flacco now has 12 total wins. That ties him with Tom Brady for the most ever by a quarterback against Pittsburgh. The asterisk is that last year’s off-the-bench win with the Colts gives Flacco a 13th.

Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett wasn't shy about speaking his mind surrounding Joe Flacco's big day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The man who entered the league as a clean-shaven prospect out of the University of Delaware now sports a strong patch of gray in the stubble around his chin. Flacco is 40. And on Thursday, he'll be the younger of the two starting quarterbacks.

Then there’s Flacco, who former ESPN analyst and “First Take” commentator Jay Mariotti endorsed for the Hall of Fame on Friday night. The praise came after Flacco threw three touchdowns in a shocking upset over Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday’s thrilling 33-31 finish.

The Browns' decision to trade Joe Flacco within the division was a questionable one, and after his success in Week 7, they may be regretting it.