Bengals’ Ball Security Revolution: Joe Flacco’s Turnover-Free Streak Puts Cincinnati on Verge of Rare Franchise Milestone 🏈🔥

CINCINNATI — Something remarkable is happening in the Queen City — and it’s not just Joe Flacco’s comeback story. The Cincinnati Bengals, long plagued by inconsistency and injuries earlier in the season, are now rewriting franchise history under their veteran quarterback.

Since Joe Flacco took over as the starting quarterback, the Bengals haven’t committed a single turnover — not one fumble, not one interception. In a league where one mistake can swing momentum and define entire seasons, that kind of discipline is rare.

If the Bengals can once again keep the ball out of harm’s way this Sunday against the New York Jets — one of Flacco’s former teams — they’ll achieve something done just four times in franchise history: three straight games without a giveaway.

A Clean Slate in the Joe Flacco Era

It’s been years since Cincinnati has displayed this level of ball security. The last time the team went back-to-back games without a turnover came during the 2022 season, when Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a 20–16 win over the Titans followed by a thrilling 27–24 triumph against the Chiefs.

Before that, you’d have to rewind to 2021, when Burrow orchestrated one of the most efficient stretches in Bengals history — four consecutive games without a turnover, highlighted by wins against the Broncos, Ravens, and Chiefs, and capped off with a meaningless Week 18 loss at Cleveland when starters were resting. That run tied the franchise record first set between Weeks 2–5 of the 1998 season.

The Bengals went 2–2 in that 2021 stretch, but this current run feels different — steadier, more controlled, and led by one of the league’s most battle-tested quarterbacks.

Joe Flacco: From Comeback Story to Record Setter

At 39, Joe Flacco is not just managing the game — he’s mastering it. Known for his rocket arm and cool demeanor, Flacco has given Cincinnati a sense of calm amid chaos. Through his first two starts in orange and black — wins over the Packers and Steelers — Flacco has thrown 92 passes without an interception, setting a new franchise record for most consecutive attempts without a pick to begin a Bengals career.

If he can stay interception-free against the Jets, he’ll join a very exclusive club — becoming just the second quarterback in franchise history not to throw a pick in his first three starts. The only other player to do it? AJ McCarron back in 2015, who threw 83 passes in his three-game stint replacing the injured Andy Dalton.

But unlike McCarron, Flacco’s story isn’t about a brief flash of competence — it’s about rewriting the narrative of a team that’s rediscovering its rhythm.

The Rare Air of Turnover Perfection

Avoiding turnovers in the NFL is a fine art — one that only a handful of teams ever master.

In Bengals history, there have been just four such streaks of at least three games without a giveaway:

1. Weeks 2–5, 1998 – A four-game streak that set the standard.

2. Weeks 15–18, 2021 – Burrow’s late-season heater that tied the record.

3. Weeks 4–6, 2016 – A three-game run (1–2 record) with wins against the Dolphins and losses to the Cowboys and Patriots.

4. Weeks 11–13, 2017 – Another three-game turnover-free stretch, featuring a 2–1 mark with wins over the Broncos and Browns.

Now, Flacco and the 2025 Bengals are within striking distance of adding their name to that elite list.

Putting It in Perspective: How Rare Is This League-Wide?

To understand how special this is, consider the NFL record for turnover-free games: eight in a row, set earlier this season by the Kansas City Chiefs, breaking the previous record of seven held by the New England Patriots in 2010.

Currently, the Dallas Cowboys own the league’s longest active streak at four games, while the Cleveland Browns — ironically another of Flacco’s former teams — sit right behind with three.

If the Bengals keep this up, they’ll soon find themselves among the league’s most disciplined teams when it comes to protecting the football.

A Testament to Coaching and Chemistry

Credit also goes to head coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who have built an offensive scheme that leans on precision passing and situational awareness rather than explosive risk-taking.

The offensive line, once considered the Bengals’ Achilles heel, has shown notable improvement in pass protection. Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been reliable targets, while running back Joe Mixon continues to secure the ball with veteran consistency.

Flacco, meanwhile, has brought a steadying presence to the locker room — his 16 years of NFL experience showing in every audible, every checkdown, every unforced incompletion that prevents disaster.

What’s Next: The Jets Showdown

This Sunday’s matchup carries poetic weight. Flacco, the Super Bowl XLVII MVP, will face off against the New York Jets, the team that gave him a late-career revival before parting ways. Now, he returns as the leader of a Bengals squad suddenly looking like a playoff dark horse.

If Cincinnati wins — and does so without turning the ball over — Flacco will make Bengals history once again, tying them for the third-longest streak without a giveaway in franchise history.

More importantly, it would push the Bengals above .500 and keep their postseason hopes alive in a tightly packed AFC race.

A Legacy in the Making

For years, the Bengals’ story has been one of potential and heartbreak — of big plays and bigger mistakes. But under Joe Flacco, something feels different: composed, confident, quietly efficient.

Whether this run lasts three games or ten, it’s already a remarkable chapter in the team’s 2025 campaign — and perhaps the beginning of an improbable second act for a quarterback who’s proving that experience, not age, might just be the NFL’s most valuable asset.

“Ball security is job security,” as Flacco said earlier this week. And in Cincinnati, that job — and that football — have never felt safer.