The Cincinnati Bengals finally cleared the air regarding who is going to be their starting quarterback in Week 12 against the New England Patriots. Joe Burrow practiced all week but is he ready to roll?
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Burrow won’t be moved to the active roster yet, remaining on IR this week. Hence, Joe Flacco will be the starter against New England in Week 12.
However, all signs point to Burrow being back next week at Thanksgiving. The Bengals’ NFL Playoffs hopes are hanging by a thread. If they can’t beat the Patriots, they’re almost eliminated from contention. Still, they won’t risk Burrow.
Flacco won’t have his best weapon
Joe Flacco is not responsible for the bad Bengals season. As a matter of fact, he has kept the offense explosive. He has guided the Bengals to three 33+ point games in five of his outings. Flacco has 1,453 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions with a 96.2 passer rating with the Bengals. Still, this will be a tough test given he won’t have Ja’Marr Chase, his best receiver, due to a suspension.
Joe Flacco was traded to the Bengals during the 2025 season.
Chase spat on Steelers’ cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the NFL punished him by suspending him for this game. Without Chase, Tee Higgins should be getting plenty of looks. Still, much of the offensive playbook relies on Chase, so it will be a tough outing for the Bengals.
see also
Joe Flacco unveils plans for his career amid Joe Burrow’s imminent return to the Bengals
The Bengals defense will suffer
The Patriots offer two big threats to the weak Bengals defense. First, MVP contender Drake Maye who is burning defenses left and right with his arm. Bengals are the 31st-ranked passing defense in the NFL.
The other big threat is rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson. He has 492 yards and five touchdowns in only 100 attempts. Also, Cincinnati has the worst-ranked rushing defense in the league. Hence, the Patriots have everything to score easily on the Bengals.
