Flacco leads Bengals past Steelers in second start after trade

Joe Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and Cincinnati rallied to a 33-31 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday, a win that followed his trade from Cleveland and marked his second start for the Bengals as they fill in while Joe Burrow recovers from turf toe surgery. Flacco arrived in Cincinnati on Oct. 7 and has provided an immediate boost to an offense that had struggled since Burrow was sidelined in Week 2.

Flacco, 40, praised his new receiving corps after the game and in a Wednesday news conference, saying he was struck by JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins' ability to "catch the ball with their hands," calling it "very, very impressive." Chase, who caught a Bengals record 16 passes in the win, said the connection with Flacco developed almost instantly. "It still feels comfortable in a huddle with him," Chase told reporters. The rapid chemistry helped offset the limited practice time Flacco has had with Cincinnati's playbook and personnel.

The trade and immediate on-field success carry financial as well as competitive implications for Flacco. When he signed a one-year, $4 million contract in the offseason, the deal included up to $9 million in incentives tied to playing...