Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Andy Dalton

Friday, October 17, 12:34 AM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31 of his 47 pass attempts for 342 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also took two sacks. Just nine days removed from his trade to Cincinnati and three weeks removed from his benching in Cleveland, the veteran quarterback showed flashbacks to the peak of his career back in the 2010s. This was Flacco's first performance with three passing touchdowns and zero turnovers since Week 1 of the 2018 season. Perhaps most impressive -- beyond the fact that Flacco dug Cincinnati out of a multiple-possession deficit -- was the veteran quarterback posting such a good performance despite a matchup against a talented Pittsburgh Steelers defense. He didn't let T.J. Watt fluster him, nor did he have much trouble keeping the ball away from a solid secondary. Flacco has shown upside in years past, but he seems to have unlocked a whole new ceiling with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at his disposal. He'll vault into the high-end QB2 range for Week 8 against the New York Jets.

Thursday, August 21, 6:05 PM

Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.