Joe Flacco is going to want that one back.
On Sunday, the 40-year-old quarterback threw a pick-six that was so bad it was almost staggering.
The Bengals led the Patriots 10-7 midway through the second quarter and were moving the ball out of their own end. On second-and-5 from their own 36-yard line, Flacco dropped back, surveyed the field, and decided to dump the ball off to running back Tahj Brooks, who was his safety valve on the play. It was a horrid decision.
What Flacco didn’t see was how New England cornerback Marcus Jones had read the play perfectly and baited the throw to Brooks. He timed the release, broke on the ball, picked it off, and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. He could have walked into the end zone.
The play is below.
.@MarcusJonesocho takes it the other way ➡️
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 23, 2025
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/Qizl29fiu3
It is staggering how bad that read was. That’s something a first-year quarterback does, not a guy in his 18th season.
Flacco has been rough all season, first with the Browns, now with the Bengals. Things have gotten better since being traded to Cincinnati, as he has completed 63.4% of his passes for 1,453 yards, with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in his first five games with the team. But that interception showed his limitations.
Joe Burrow return timeline
While Flacco continues to play, Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow is itching to get back on the field. The 28-year-old has missed all but two games this season following surgery for turf toe. He was a full participant in practice this week, but has been held out.
Burrow should be back soon, which would put Flacco back on the bench where he fits best.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joe Flacco Threw One of the Worst Pick-Sixes You’ll Ever Seen Against the Patriots.
