Joe Flacco had only a few days to learn Cincinnati's offense before his first start for the Bengals. Given a full week, the 40-year-old veteran digested enough to feast on the Steelers in a 33-31 win last Thursday night.
The short week ended up being a blessing in disguise for the former Super Bowl champion quarterback.
"It was nice to be able to breathe this weekend," Flacco said Wednesday of the extended break between games, via the team's official site. "We were just out on the practice field, and it feels like I've barely been there. It's good to get back into a normal rhythm of a Monday, Tuesday, and now actually going out there on a Wednesday and feeling prepared."
Considering Flacco's success with minimal preparation time, his future opponents will likely emphasize the importance of their own planning when facing the Bengals. First up on that list: the New York Jets, the only remaining winless team in the NFL.
Some might take such a lowly opponent lightly but not these Bengals, a team that needed to trade for a 40-year-old quarterback just to give it a fighting chance in October. Fresh off a thrilling win, Cincinnati (3-4) has set a new goal: Take command of the game as quickly as possible.
"All three of our wins have been find-a-way-to-win games. They haven't been we race out and we hold the 14-point lead, which I'd love to do at some point," head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday. "But there's also an element it's good that we've had to find ways to win, and we've just got to continue to build off of that. That's a good quality to have, that you've seen yourself do that at the end of the game.
"Now we've got to focus on building a lead early, playing really solid, and putting teams to bed and winning by a larger margin."
While Flacco commanded the headlines thanks to his 342-yard, three-touchdown performance against Pittsburgh, another Bengal is commanding attention: cornerback DJ Turner II, a 2023 second-round pick out of Michigan who seems to be blossoming at the perfect time. Turner has played so well of late, at least one of his teammates -- safety Jordan Battle -- is now confidently referring to Turner as "the best corner in the league."
Turner will need his best against the Jets, who despite starting 0-7 still boast one of the most promising young receivers in the NFL in Garrett Wilson. Fortunately, Turner has plenty of experience covering elite receiving talent thanks to his existence on a team that also features Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
It seems those reps are paying off. Turner might not be leaning into the newfound praise, but his teammates aren't shying from showering him with it.
"I was just telling him, 'Bro, you know you're one of the best, right?" cornerback Josh Newton said of Turner. "He took it like just, 'I know.' That's how you're supposed to take it."
It's remarkable how one important win can change the tone of a season for a club seemingly overnight. The Bengals are basking in the glow of their newfound optimism thanks to the contributions of players like Flacco and Turner.
They'll need both and more to start a winning streak against the Jets on Sunday.
