NFL Week 7 kicks off with a primetime matchup between two of the league’s oldest quarterbacks, as Steelers 41-year-old QB Aaron Rodgers and Bengals 40-year-old QB Joe Flacco square off. Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football tonight in a classic AFC North matchup.
Below, we’ll break down our Steelers vs. Bengals prediction and the top Thursday Night Football picks to target on PrizePicks in this veteran QB showdown at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Rodgers and Flacco bring a combined 39 seasons of NFL experience, 774 TD passes, and more than 110,700 passing yards into this AFC North clash. It's only the second ever matchup of two 40-year-old QBs, following the legendary Tom Brady–Drew Brees battle in 2020.
This matchup doesn't have quite the same aura. Flacco makes his second start on a short week for the Bengals after being traded last week to replace Jake Browning (who was replacing Joe Burrow). Meanwhile, Rodgers hasn't passed for over 250 yards since joining the Steelers.
Let's dive deeper into this Steelers vs. Bengals Thursday night matchup.
Steelers vs. Bengals Prediction, Preview for TNF
These two Super Bowl–winning quarterbacks meet again, with Rodgers looking to stay unbeaten against Flacco in his career. The Steelers enter at 4-1 after three straight wins, sitting atop the AFC North, while the Bengals have stumbled to 2-4 without QB Joe Burrow, losing four in a row despite flashes of life from Flacco since his arrival from the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
For Rodgers and the Steelers, the four-time MVP has steadied the offense, completing nearly 69% of his passes for 1,021 yards, 10 TDs, and 3 INTs. Flacco, meanwhile, is coming off a solid debut with Cincinnati, throwing for 219 yards and two scores in a 27-18 loss to the Packers.
It’s an unlikely headline affair — Rodgers’ third team against Flacco’s seventh — but both continue to defy time and expectations as they lead their respective squads into another physical AFC North battle.
Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
- Rodgers continues to find success in his first season with the Steelers, guiding them to a 4-1 record and has brought the best out of DK Metcalf — who’s hauled in a TD in each of the last four games.
- Pittsburgh’s offense ranks 21st in success rate (42.86%), per SumerSports.
- The defense remains elite under Mike Tomlin, tied for top 10 in defensive EPA/play and 7th in NFL defensive rating.
- RB Jaylen Warren has re-emerged as the Steelers’ backfield leader, recording 52 rushing yards on 11 attempts in Week 6.
- Pittsburgh’s offense has found needed consistency to complement its defense, but its lowly standing — 28th in yards per game (277.8) — could become an issue if they fall behind early.
- The Steelers defense isn't as stout as in the past, but still rank 12th in expectect poi
Cincinnati Bengals Preview
- The Bengals’ offense remains a work in progress with Flacco under center, but the veteran QB showed rhythm in Week 6, connecting with WR Ja’Marr Chase and TE Tanner Hudson for two touchdowns.
- Flacco is making his second start for Cincinnati — and his 197th career start.
- Cincinnati has averaged just 17.2 points per game, though Flacco’s arm might open up the downfield attack on Thursday.
- Defensively, the Bengals have struggled against the run, ranking 27th in rushing yards allowed per game, and will need to contain the Steelers backfield early to keep Rodgers off balance.
- Similar to last week’s game plan, Zac Taylor may rely on quick throws and play-action to counter Pittsburgh’s front led by T.J. Watt.
Steelers vs. Bengals, Thursday Night Football Picks
Below are three top Steelers vs. Bengals same-game picks for Thursday Night Football — Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, and Chase Brown are some same-game PrizePicks player projections to consider.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Projection: 215.5 Pass Yards
- Rodgers has topped 215 passing yards in two of five starts, but TNF might present an opportunity to keep the football in the air.
- The Bengals have allowed 258.5 passing yards per game (31st), and rank 23rd in opponent completion rate (68.47%).
- The Bengals are also 29th in expected points added per dropback and success rateallowed.
- Rodgers has been lethal on early downs, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt on non-play action plays, per PFF.
- Look for Rodgers to exploit the intermediate windows between Bengals linebackers and safeties against a soft zone scheme.
- He’s 2-0 lifetime vs. Flacco-led teams and enters Thursday with a 7:1 TD-INT ratio in that span.
Bengals QB Joe Flacco Projection: 235.5 Pass Yards
- Flacco threw for 219 yards and 2 TDs in his Bengals debut, showing good timing with Chase, despite logging a mere four practices before suiting up last Sunday.
- He’s completed 85.7% of his passes from the pocket in 2025.
- Flacco's time-to-throw was just 2.35 seconds in his first start for the Bengals; that would be lowest by far amongst all QBs with at least 126 snaps this year — next lowest is Rodgers at 2.51 seconds
- Pittsburgh’s defense has forced the third-most takeaways per game (2.0) in the NFL but allows chunk plays downfield (12 completions of 25+ yards).
- Flacco may lean on quick reads and tight end check-downs to sustain drives, which could also turn into a big night for Noah Fant.
- The Steelers have allowed the eighth fewest passes of 20+ yards this season, while Flacco is 30th in completions of 20+ yards despite starting for the Browns or Bengals for most of the season, per PFF.
- If the Bengals fall behind early, game script could favor Flacco, who threw for 148 yards in the second half alone in Week 6.
- Flacco has now played for every team in the AFC North besides the Steelers; this will be Flacco's 23rd game vs. this defense. He's averaged 228.5 yards per game in thos starts.
Bengals RB Chase Brown Projection: 3 Receptions
- Chase Brown is averaging 4 receptions per game over his last four games, with at least 3 catches in three of four games.
- Down the stretch in 2024, Brown had 3+ catches in eight straight games, becoming a key piece of the Bengals passing offense.
- The Bengals have lost four straight since Joe Burrow was injured, and now go on the road to a divisional opponent on a short week — not an ideal spot, which could lead to more passing situations.
- Brown has three times more targets this season than passing-downs back Samaje Perine, who also has caught two passes in each of the last two games.
- Flacco has notoriously been the dump off king this year. At least one RB has caught 3 passes in every game, save for his first start in Cincy. Here are his RB receiving numbers by game in Cleveland, by receptions-yards-TDs:
- Week 1: Dylan Sampson 8-64
- Week 2: Jerome Ford 5-23, Samspon 3-13-1, Judkins 3-10
- Week 3: Ford 4-10, Judkins 1-1
- Week 4: Judkins 4-33, Ford 1-4
- The Steelers defense has been gashed by receiving backs the last three weeks, giving up 6-57 vs. Patriots, 5-58-1 vs. Vikings, and 7-25 vs. Browns RBs.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Projection: 75.5 Receiving Yards
- Chase has quickly become Flacco’s clear WR1, just as he was with Burrow and Jake Browning — posting at least 90+ yards in at least one game with all three QBs this year.
- Chase had a season-high 12 targets in Flacco's first game.
- Chase is the main beneficiary of Flacco's quick time-to-throw — 2.35 seconds in Week 6 — as Taylor is dialing up quick first-reads for Flacco to get the ball to their star WR.
- His 190 yards after catch ranks 5th among wideouts, as he’s repeatedly shown he’s one of the best in football in one-on-one coverage no matter who’s under center.
- Pittsburgh’s secondary has gotten burned thus far by Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Justin Jefferson this year — all of whom recorded 95+ yards.
- Chase is still considered the top wideout in the NFL — averaging 10.0 targets per game over his last three appearances — showing both volume and big-play upside.
Make Thursday Night Football Picks on PrizePicks
Thursday Night Football brings us a rare battle of two 40+-years-old quarterbacks, with Rodgers and Flacco proving that age is only a number in this AFC North matchup.
Pittsburgh looks to keep control of the division, while Cincinnati hopes the veteran spark can stop the skid.
With PrizePicks, you can turn these storylines into real-money wins — just pick players, predict More or Less on their stat lines, and cash in when you’re right.
