Less than two weeks after arriving in a trade from the Cleveland Browns, quarterback Joe Flacco was a central figure in the Cincinnati Bengals' 33-31 upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco was understandably in a great mood after leading his team to an upset win over Aaron Rodgers' Pittsburgh Steelers last night. After Flacco's big win, he had a message for the future Hall of Famer.

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.

What did Joe Flacco think of his 12-yard scramble? "Trying to get enough yards and find enough space to get down without getting my head taken off."

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.

That's where the previously-2-3 Bengals came in, giving the Steelers a high-scoring challenge behind new quarterback and old Ravens friend Joe Flacco. The Baltimore icon-turned-jo

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.

Flacco shared what its like playing for the Bengals after years of competing against them during a post-game press conference Oct. 16.

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.

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.