Flacco to make his Bengals debut and face Packers for 2nd time this season

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Cincinnati (2-3) at Green Bay (2-1-1)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS.

BetMGM line: Packers by 14.

Against the spread: Bengals 1-3; Packers 2-2.

Series record: Tied 7-7.

Last meeting: Packers won 25-22 in overtime at Cincinnati on Oct. 10, 2021.

Bengals offense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (29), scoring (29)

Bengals defense: overall (30), rush (24t), pass (29), scoring (30)

Packers offense: overall (14), rush (18), pass (11), scoring (9)

Packers defense: overall (4), rush (2), pass (11), scoring (11t)

Turnover differential: Bengals minus-5; Packers even.

WR Ja'Marr Chase. He had a pair of touchdowns last week and is one away from 50 in his career. A TD catch in Green Bay would be in his 68th game, which would tie him for seventh-fastest in NFL history to reach 50. His 49 receiving TDs since since being the fifth overall pick in 2021 are the most in the league in that span.

RB Josh Jacobs. He has four touchdown runs, but is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry — down from 4.4 yards per rush last season — as he works behind an offensive line that has been missing multiple starters due to injury. A bye week gave Green Bay's linemen more time to get healthy, which could enable Jacobs to have a big game against the NFL's lowest-ranked run defense.

Bengals QB Joe Flacco vs. Packers pass defense. Green Bay's defense is looking to redeem itself after a 40-40 tie at Dallas in which Dak Prescott picked the Packers' secondary apart. Green Bay's defense had been outstanding up until that game. The Packers only have two takeaways so far this year, so they'll be looking to force Flacco into mistakes. Flacco had thrown two touchdown passes and six interceptions with Cleveland before getting traded this week. He was 21 of 36 for 142 yards with one interception and no touchdown passes in Cleveland's 13-10 victory over the Packers.

Bengals: Rookie OG Dylan Fairchild (knee) and TE Drew Sample (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. ... OG Lucas Patrick (calf) is on injured reserve, but has been cleared to practice. ... DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) has been sidelined the past three games.

Packers: OT Zach Tom (oblique) and OG Aaron Banks (groin) didn't play at all against Dallas, but practiced on a limited basis this week. ... DL Devonte Wyatt (knee) and OT Anthony Belton (ankle) weren't practicing early this week.

The last meeting between these teams in 2021 was notable for all the field-goal attempts that were missed. Former Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed three field goals and an extra point before hitting a game-winning 49-yarder in overtime. Cincinnati's Evan McPherson missed a 57-yarder in the final minute of regulation as well as a 49-yarder in overtime. ... Each of the last two Packers-Bengals matchups went to overtime. The Packers won 27-24 at Lambeau Field in 2017 when a 71-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Geronimo Allison set up a 27-yard field goal from Crosby. ... The last six Packers-Bengals games have been decided by seven points or fewer.

Flacco has a chance to become just the second quarterback to beat the same opponent twice in one season while playing for two different teams. Jack Kemp did it to the AFL's New York Titans in 1962 while playing for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers. ... Cincinnati is 0-2 against the NFC North this season after going 2-2 against the division in 2021. ... Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Packers coach Matt LaFleur were on Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams staff in 2017. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator and Taylor the assistant wide receivers coach. ... Flacco has a 2-3 career record against Green Bay with four touchdowns and six interceptions. ... WR Andrei Iosivas had a career-high 82 receiving yards on five catches last week. ... DE Trey Hendrickson has four of the Bengals' 10 sacks this season. ... DE Joseph Ossai has a sack in his last three games against an NFC North team. ... LB Logan Wilson has at least five tackles in 29 straight games. ... This is the Packers' only home game over a 51-day stretch. The Packers played at Cleveland and Dallas before having last week off. Their next two games after this are at Arizona and Pittsburgh. ... The Packers have allowed 24 points or fewer in each of their last nine home games. ... Packers WR Romeo Doubs had a career-high three touchdown catches against Dallas. ... Packers QB Jordan Love threw those three touchdown passes to Doubs and had 337 yards passing with no interceptions in the tie with Dallas. ... Packers TE Tucker Kraft has nine touchdown catches since the start of the 2024 season. The only tight end with more touchdown receptions during that stretch is Baltimore's Mark Andrews, with 13. ... Packers DE Micah Parsons has at least seven quarterback pressures in each of his last three games. Only three times since 2016 has a player had that many pressures in three straight games. Parsons also did it in 2023 and Danielle Hunter also accomplished the feat for Minnesota that year. ... Packers K Brandon McManus made field goals on the final play of regulation and the last play of overtime against Dallas.

While it's probably too ambitious to expect Doubs to score multiple touchdowns for a second straight game, the fact he reached the end zone three times against Dallas shows how vital a role he's playing for the Packers while Christian Watson and Jayden Reed remain out with injuries. He probably merits starting as long as Watson and Reed remain unavailable.

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