The Jets won't say who their quarterback is Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals know their quarterback is making only his third start with them, but for Joe Flacco it's his most normal prep since he's been in Cincinnati.
His first two starts came within nine days. It didn't prevent him from committing NFL history. (Via OptaSports, he's the first to throw for at least 550 yards, five touchdowns with no picks while completing 65% of his passes through his first two games with a team.)
Now Flacco gets a full week of preparation, which began in earnest Wednesday.
"It was nice to be able to breathe this weekend," said Flacco after the workout of the time off back in New Jersey with his family of five children.
"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."
Jets coach Aaron Glenn isn't saying if it is Justin Fields or old Flacco backup Tyrod Taylor. The injury report said a lot. Taylor (knee), who relieved Fields in last Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Panthers, went limited Wednesday and reports said Glenn indicated it was related to an injury from the summer.
Taylor, who was in the Ravens quarterback room with Flacco for four seasons, faced him in the 2016 opener in Baltimore and quarterbacked the Bills' 13-7 loss in which Flacco outpitched Taylor, 258-111 yards.
It's A Jungle Out There
The Jets come into The Jungle winless, but the Bengals are saying all the right, wary things.
"Like a wounded animal," said safety Jordan Battle. "That one time he reacts and comes back. We understand they're going to give us their best. We have to make sure it's a dominant win, not a close one."
That's how the Bengals have lived, winning their three games by a combined seven points and going ahead in the last two wins with 18 and seven seconds left, respectively.
Head coach Zac Taylor is still seeking a game where all three phases click and they can tuck some teams in.
"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," Taylor said Wednesday before practice. "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."
Burrow Checks In
Yes, Joe Burrow has been around as he rehabs his turf toe. And not just for last Thursday night's win that he spent on the bench. Flacco, 0-2 against Burrow in his career, likes it on this side.
"He's sat in a couple of little meetings, or it's been right in our little locker room area, kind of hanging out," Flacco said. "There's been times where it's been like, 'Hey, just so you know, here's how maybe I would do that, just in case you're in that situation. These guys are familiar with this type of communication.'
"And then other than that, it's just been kind of shooting the breeze and just kind of catching up a little bit and getting to know each other a little bit."
The day Flacco made his first NFL start in 2008 against the Bengals, 11-year-old Joey Burrow was getting ready to lead coach Sam Smathers' Athens Bulldogs youth footballers against some arch-rival like Nelsonville.
"You always look at him as a fellow competitor and now you look at him as a teammate," Flacco said. "Just still trying to get to know each other."
In DJ We Trust
The most alluring name on both injury reports belongs to dangerous Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee), who still has four touchdowns despite not practicing at all last week and missing the Panthers' loss on Sunday.
Wilson didn't go Wednesday, either, but the Bengals have the NFL's 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year in their sights.
"His catch radius is insane. We have to understand that," said safety Jordan Battle. "We'll have a plan for him whether he's out there or not. We've got the best corner in the league, so we'll be just fine."
No doubt he was referring to the torrid DJ Turner II. And no doubt Michigan's Turner dueled Ohio State's Wilson at some point.
In the last two games, Turner has tied Johnathan Joseph's club single-season record with five passes defensed and followed that up with Thursday night's highlight video pick of D.K. Metcalf.
Cornerback Josh Newton is right there.
"I was just telling him, 'Bro, you know you're one of the best, right?" Newton said. "He took it like just, 'I know.' That's how you're supposed to take it."
Turner got his hands on two more balls against the Steelers, upping his NFL lead to 13 passes defensed. Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon and Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell are next with ten each.
Slants and Screens
Second-year edge rusher Cedric Johson, cleared to practice after missing more than two months with a calf injury, is still on injured reserve but had a full practice Wednesday. Edge Cam Sample, who hurt his knee last Thursday, didn't work, and neither did cornerback Marco Wilson (hamstring).
Two guys who missed last Thursday night, edge Trey Hendrickson (hip) and tight end Tanner Hudson (concussion) looked to be on track when they went limited …
Flacco has been so taken with the hands of receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and he was asked not to compare, but if they reminded him of anybody.
"Anquan Boldin," Flacco said. "Hands-wise, when he had people on him, you could throw the ball around him and knew that he was going to go fight for the football and be able to catch it with his hands."
Boldin played three of his 14 seasons with Flacco in Baltimore, and in his best season with the Ravens had 65 catches for 921 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. In seven games, Chase has a league-leading 58 catches for 629 yards and five touchdowns …
