Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Josh Allen

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.

Saturday, October 11, 1:35 PM

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will face his toughest challenge of the season when the team heads to Atlanta to take on the league's top-ranked defense. The Falcons have been dominant, allowing just 244 total yards per game, including a league-low 135 passing yards. Monday night's clash features the NFL's two leaders in time of possession, with Buffalo averaging 34:09 and Atlanta close behind at 33:30, setting up a physical, clock-controlling battle. While the Falcons have padded their numbers against Marcus Mariota and J.J. McCarthy, they did hold Baker Mayfield to just 159 passing yards in Week 1. Allen's dual-threat ability and offensive weapons should still allow him to produce, but expectations should be tempered--he's best viewed as a mid-tier QB1 in what could be a grind-it-out matchup.