Darius Slay Warns Steelers: Joe Flacco Knows AFC North Battles Too Well
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an unusual circumstance coming up: facing a quarterback in the division who has played for their other rivals. Joe Flacco knows this team better than anyone else in the NFL outside of Pittsburgh, and he will have the advantage of playing at home for a
During a pre-practice interview, cornerback Darius Slay was asked about going up against Flacco. He responded with a bunch of different ways this matchup would be challenging.
"Man, Joe has been in the game for a long time," Slay chuckled. "There ain't too much new concepts we can do in this game that he has not seen before. I saw that game getting picked up pretty fast; I can see that connection getting better and better as the year goes on. I'm quite sure that he has felt that he never threw to some guys like that before."
The connection that Slay is talking about is the elite wide receivers that he was given when he was traded to Cincinnati. Covering the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is already a challenge in of itself. It's even more of a problem for opposing defenses now that they have a savvy veteran quarterback, as opposed to a passer that has developed a reputation for being extremely turnover prone in Jake Browning.
That connection also refers to how well Flacco seemed to understand the offense in Week 6. Mere days after he was acquired via trade, the Bengals named him the starter and sent him out to play immediately. While he didn't get the win, he played great for a man still trying to learn an offense on the fly and save a desperate franchise from falling out of playoff contention.
Flacco was drafted into the AFC North in Mike Tomlin's second year as Head Coach of the Steelers. Their teams have engaged in numerous battles, with the most recent one coming in 2024. Flacco came in late in the first quarter after the Indianapolis Colts' former starter Anthony Richardson Sr. left due to injury, and the veteran got the best of Tomlin's defense.
Steelers Could Have Their Own Gameplan Used Against Them
While Flacco may not be the same quarterback he was in the early 2010s, he has still proven to have something left in the tank. As Slay said, there is not much that the Steelers can throw at him that he has never seen before. That includes many of the exotic pass rushes that they have ran over the years. The 40-year-old may be watching tape of what his 41-year-old adversary Aaron Rodgers just did to help with that.
Rodgers dissected the Cleveland Browns' defense by getting the ball out quickly and not letting their elite pass rush get to him. With how weak the Bengals' offensive line is, they may have to do the same to keep Blitzburgh from completely wrecking the game like it did in Week 6. Quick-hitters to Chase and Higgins will likely be the gameplan: just let the stars do their thing.
If the Steelers go into this game trying to take it easy after a convincing divisional win against another bad AFC North team, they could easily go down multiple scores early. Even on a short week, they have to do everything they can to make sure Flacco doesn't dice their defense up like he did in 2024, as well as years past. Don't let the Bengals' record fool you; this will be a challenge all around.
Jannik Sinner Reveals Surprising Cause for Cramps at Shanghai Masters
ATP World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has spent the last few days in Saudi Arabia preparing for the Six Kings Slam. Before the start of the highly publicized exhibition, Sinner spoke candidly at a media event.
Sinner was last seen limping off the court during his shortened match against Tallon Griekspoor at the Shanghai Masters. Cramps were the obvious reason for his retirement, but Sinner's theory about the causes of the cramps was surprising.
When asked about the factors that caused his cramps, Sinner said in Italian (translated to English):
"The cramps in Shanghai? I think they were due to a mental factor. I talked with my team — from that point of view I wasn't perfect, but now everything's fine. The mistake was mine:
The heat and humidity in the Asian Swing of the ATP and WTA Tour schedules wreaked havoc on tournaments. Players debated the scheduling and weather rules as most of them dropped like flies under the sweltering conditions.
However, Sinner's admission that the weather got him down and caused the cramping was shocking. Usually, the four-time Grand Slam champion is extremely careful with the information he shares with the media.
The scheduling debate will continue to rage on as many players are dropping out of tournaments or shutting down their season early altogether.
While it is not yet confirmed, reports suggest that Sinner plans to withdraw from two tournaments and focus on the ATP Finals, as he is unlikely to catch Carlos Alcaraz as the year-end World No. 1. Sinner could also face Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam if they both advance to the final.
Sinner faces Stefanos Tsitsipas today in the first round of the Six Kings Slam, with the winner facing Novak Djokovic on Thursday. The winner of the event can garner up to $6 million in cash prize.
Currently, Sinner has a record of 43-6 with three singles titles. Despite missing three months due to the ban, the Italian superstar has remained near the top of the ATP Rankings throughout the entire year.
The Six Kings Slam runs through Saturday, October 18.
