Bengals fall short in Lambeau, 27–18, despite Flacco trade

GREEN BAY — On a crisp Sunday in Green Bay, with the cold wind swirling and the cheers echoing in Lambeau’s stands, the Cincinnati Bengals walked away with a tough loss, 27–18, to the Packers.

The defeat drops Cincinnati to 2–4 on the season, while Green Bay improves to 3–1–1. If you’re coaching, you teach them that every loss is a lesson — and this one had plenty.

The Bengals’ offense had flashes. Joe Flacco, in his Bengals debut after a trade from Cleveland, completed 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions.

But the ground game barely budged — Cincinnati rushed for only 55 yards total. Second time this season. On the Packers’ side, Josh Jacobs led the charge with 93 yards on 18 carries and 2 rushing touchdowns.

QB Jordan Love was efficient: 19 of 26 for 259 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception.Green Bay outgained Cincinnati 409 yards to 268. 

Scoring by quarter: the Bengals were shut out in the first half (0–10). They made a push in the second half: 7 points in the 3rd, 11 in the 4th — but the Packers answered back with 17 in the final frame to seal it.

One injury note: Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals’ pass-rush force, left with a back issue late in the second quarter and did not return. Losing him hurt their push on defense.

To me, this trade is one of those “bridge-veteran” gambles, a veteran presence to steady the ship in a storm. Cincinnati acquired Joe Flacco from the Browns (plus a 2026 sixth-round pick) in exchange for a 2026 fifth-rounder.

Which I think is a solid trade due to the situation we are in.  The Bengals made the move largely because their backup,

Jake Browning, had struggled — turnovers and inconsistency were haunting the offense.

Flacco, 40 years old, brings a mound of experience — NFL life, locker room presence, and maybe a calming hand. 

Now, critics asked: Why trade a veteran within the division?

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn’t hold back, calling the move questionable. But from my vantage, if you’re playing for something — not just for pride — you sometimes roll the dice on a known presence rather than hoping untested legs carry you through.

We could have traded for their 5th rounder!! That’s my opinion lol. Flacco himself called it “crazy business,” saying: “You have to be ready for anything. That’s kind of what it was.

Definitely didn’t have this on my list of things. He also showed respect to his new receivers — Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — saying they have rare hands, “pluck[ing] balls right out of thin air.”

From a coach’s perspective (and I tell this to my boys), it’s not just about arm talent — it’s leadership, poise under pressure, and bridging a locker room through turbulent times.

Coaching takeaways 

Adaptation matters

Flacco didn’t have weeks to learn the system — he parachuted in. In youth ball, kids sometimes switch positions or fill in gaps; how fast they adapt defines resilience.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

The Bengals’ inability to run the ball hurt them. We teach linemen, backs, receivers — football’s a team game. If your run game is stalling, defenses tee off on your secondary.

Veterans vs. rookies: balance it

Experience can temper mistakes. But you can’t bank on it entirely. You want youngsters learning, but with mentors around.

Ownership of mistakes

When Flacco’s throws weren’t perfect, when receivers dropped balls — these are moments to own it, study film, fix it. That’s the culture I push my boys toward.

Momentum swings fast

The Bengals got into it in the 3rd & 4th, but Green Bay answered. In youth games, you can’t let a bad play snowball into a quarter collapse.

What's next for the Bengals, at 2–4, they can’t afford to be complacent. Flacco has shown enough flashes to justify more starts. But the offensive line, run game, and defensive consistency must improve.

The fans and locker room will be watching — and the charge is now on Flacco and the veterans to steady this ship.

As a coach, I’ll walk into the locker room tonight and tell my boys: “Even when the scoreboard doesn’t tilt your way, you measure growth in effort, adjustment, and how you respond.” That’s all we can ask of any team — youth or pro — and it’s the standard I’ll hold the Bengals to.