In their zeal to create compelling studio television, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez rankled their former boss.

Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees’ longtime general manager and vice president, fired back at criticism of his regime and the handling of manager Aaron Boone in an appearance on an area radio station.

After the Yankees were eliminated in Game 4 of their American League Division Series by the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeter and A-Rod fired some shots from their Fox Sports postgame show perch.

Rodriguez called these Yankees “one of the worst constructions of a roster I’ve ever seen,” after the club won 94 games, defeated Boston in the AL wild card series and succumbed to the Blue Jays, who also won 94 games and claimed the division title on a tiebreaker.

Jeter, while claiming he had no “inside knowledge,” repeated the well-worn claim that Boone merely parrots front office strategy and that in-game maneuvers are scripted by his superiors.

“I’m pretty sure Aaron’s not the one that’s calling every move that they make throughout the game,” Jeter said on air.

Cashman appeared on WFAN, the Yankees’ flagship station, to push back against the two baseball legends who once patrolled the left side of his infield. He intimated that he called Jeter to discuss the criticism.

“Clearly, they don’t know,” Cashman said. “I know DJ said that, I don’t know what he meant by it, he did say he doesn’t have inside knowledge when he said it, but he did say it, for whatever reason. And I think that’s the bugaboo that people get to throw out there when they got nothing else to throw.”

Cashman bemoaned the notion of “analytics, analytics, analytics” and that “none of that is accurate,” though the perception has existed ever since Boone replaced Joe Girardi – who was fresh off a trip to the 2017 ALCS – as Yankee manager before the 2018 season.

Jeter retired as Yankees shortstop after the 2014 season and went on to take an ownership stake and president position with the Miami Marlins before they parted ways in 2022 after five years. He intimated before his Hall of Fame induction that year that he looked forward to being a more regular presence around Yankee Stadium, even if that didn’t involve an official role.

Rodriguez, who Cashman signed to a $275 million extension when A-Rod opted out of an earlier deal in 2008, was ensnared in performance-enhancing drug scandals for two of his last six seasons as a Yankee. 

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Monday night’s battle between the Bucs and Lions in Motown projects as Week 7’s crown jewel.
The league will stage its final London game of 2025 on Sunday morning.
A team in need of a coach will be hosting its former one.

Week 7 of the 2025 NFL schedule will serve up a good-looking lineup … insomuch as a lot of teams will look a little different.

Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the Cincinnati Bengals, who will wear their white tiger uniforms − perhaps in a needed bid to change their luck given the Steelers have prevailed in 10 of their past 12 trips to Paycor Stadium.

The Browns, Chargers, Cowboys and Lions will also be wearing alternate uniforms this weekend, while the 49ers will sport the throwbacks made famous during the march to their last Super Bowl crown during the 1994 season.

No novel unis Sunday morning, when the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars play this season’s final game in London − but don’t worry, the league will invade continental Europe two weeks from now.

Sunday afternoon will feature the first-place New England Patriots traveling to Nashville to visit head coach Mike Vrabel’s former team, the Tennessee Titans, who would probably like to have him back at this point. The Los Angeles Chargers will host the Indianapolis Colts in a meeting of other teams currently residing atop their respective divisions.

The Niners will welcome the Atlanta Falcons, back in prime time again, in a matchup of top-tier RBs Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Monday will bring a true doubleheader, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions clashing in what could be the game of the week at 7 p.m. ET before the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks lock up on the West Coast in a 10 p.m. ET kickoff.

What outcomes should you expect? We can’t speak for you … but USA TODAY Sports’ panel of experts will share their outlooks with these prognostications:

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

NFL Week 7 picks, predictions and odds

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings
Carolina Panthers at New York Jets
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Chargers
New York Giants at Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks

Dallas traded their star edge rusher to Green Bay a week before the start of the 2025 NFL season. Now a Packer, Parsons has helped Green Bay’s defense to a top-10 standing in points allowed entering Week 7 of the season.

At 3-1-1, the Packers are at the top of the division two weeks after their bye. But things could be better. Parsons spoke today about how he’s officiated in the NFL as he enters his fifth season in the league.

“Five years of not getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it,’ he said. ‘I think I just got to keep going… that’s part of the challenges. Like, you just got to keep going. And that’s bothersome. That’s worries them, they know that. Part of being one of the best, it comes with some territory where [there are] parts that you hate and parts that the league lets go.’

Parsons elaborated on what specifically NFL referees are calling one side of the ball versus the other.

‘You can tell how they call the games. They don’t call offsides for offense, but they’ll call it on defense,’ he said. ‘They won’t call offensive pass interference, but they’ll call defensive pass interference immediately. Like, we know what they’re trying to do. They want to load the points up so fans can be happy. They’ll call defensive holding but they won’t call offensive holding.

‘Let’s just wake up. It’s just one of those things that we know with the higher-ups [are] trying to do. The [referee] will say ‘I know that’s a hold’ but what, like, you’re not going to call it? Come on. It’s just one of those things that I’m over and I’m just have to keep going, push through.’

Parsons acknowledged he may be fined for his comments but was willing to speak his mind.

During Green Bay’s Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, tight end Noah Fant poked Parsons in the face while run blocking late in the second quarter.

“Like, what are we doing here?’ Parsons said. ‘A guy can consistently keep putting his hands in my face. This was blatant. It literally popped a blood vessel in my face. I changed my whole facemask. I have to protect my face. It’s brutal.”

Parsons has drawn three penalties this season: two holding calls and a hands-to-the-face penalty. His mentality going into games hasn’t changed much this year.

“They’re going to call what they’re going to call,” he said. “All we can do is hope we get called a fair game. Like I don’t care what the fans want sometimes. If your team holds, they should get better tackles, better guards… don’t blame it on us.”

The Cincinnati Bengals snapped a four-game losing streak in a 33-31 upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase was chasing history throughout the critical victory, which prevented the Steelers from taking a commanding lead in the AFC North standings.

How good was Chase in the Bengals’ win over the Steelers? Here’s a look at his stats from the game.

Ja’Marr Chase stats today

Flacco attempted 47 passes during the Bengals’ Week 7 win over the Steelers. Chase was targeted on a whopping 23 of those attempts, good for a 48.9% target share and the most targets a player has seenin a single game during the 2025 NFL season to date.

Below is a full look at Chase’s numbers from the contest:

Targets: 23
Receptions: 16
Receiving yards: 161
Receiving TDs: 1
Yards per reception: 10.1

Chase’s 16 catches were the most he has posted across his 69 career NFL starts and set a new franchise record for the Bengals. The previous franchise record also belonged to Chase, occurring when he had 15 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.

Most receptions in an NFL game

While Chase owns the Bengals franchise record for most receptions in a game, he couldn’t climb to the top of the NFL’s all-time list. Brandon Marshall still remains perched alone atop that list from his 21-catch game with the Denver Broncos in 2009.

Still, Chase’s 16 catches were good enough to crack the top-10 leaderboard, albeit it in a nine-way tie for ninth place. Below is a look at the players to log at least 16 receptions in an NFL game.

Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (2009): 21
Terrell Owens, San Francisco 49ers (2000): 20
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers (2023): 18
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys (2018): 18
Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (2008): 18
Tom Fears, Los Angeles Rams (1950): 18
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (2015): 17
Clark Gaines, New York Jets (1980): 17
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals (2025): 16
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers (2020): 16
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (2018): 16
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (2015): 16
Wes Welker, New England Patriots (2011): 16
Troy Brown, New England Patriots (2002): 16
Keenan McCardell, Jacksonville Jaguars (1996): 16
Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers (1994): 16
Sonny Randle, St. Louis Cardinals (1962): 16

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have no idea what happened to Shohei Ohtani’s bat.

They can’t tell you who will be their closer tomorrow.

Freddie Freeman has been held relatively in check.

Yet the Dodgers are one game away from a return trip to the World Series.

They once again beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-1, and can complete the four-game sweep Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Simply, this National League Championship Seires has been an absolute mismatch.

Tyler Glasnow was the latest Dodgers starter to shut down the Brewers, giving up three hits and one run through 5 ⅔ innings, with four different relievers giving up just one hit the rest of the game.

The Brewers have now scored a grand total of three runs.

They have only nine hits.

They have played 27 innings and trailed in 26 of them.

Certainly, the Brewers aren’t going anywhere with their top bats disappearing in the postseason.

Cleanup hitter Christian Yelich hit a run-scoring double in Game 1 of the 2018 NLCS against these same Dodgers, but hasn’t driven in a run in the 25 postseason games since. He is 2-for-12 since Game 2 of their NLDSagainst the Chicago Cubs, striking out in his last three at-bats Thursday.

Second baseman Brice Turang is 2-for-23 since Game 1 of the NLDS with 11 strikeouts.

The Brewers’ lone bright spot once again was their pitching, in particular, rookie Jacob Misiorowski. He nearly single-handedly kept the Brewers in the game, entering after Aaron Ashby coughed up a run and could retire one batter in the first inning.

He completely suffocated the Dodgers’ offense for five innings, facing 15 batters and retiring 14 of them, with eight strikeouts.

The Miz was so overpowering that only one player, Mookie Betts, even hit the ball out of the infield until the sixth inning. And the only batter who had reached base against Misiorowski was Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages with a two-out infield single.

Yet, along came the sixth inning, along with fatigue. He gave up a one-out single to Will Smith. He walked Freddie Freeman on a full-count fastball that missed, and then then Tommy Edman made him pay by lining a run-scoring single to center, breaking the tie.

It ended Misiorowski’s afternoon and the Dodgers turned it into a 3-1 lead on Brewers reliever Abner Uribe’s throwing error.

If the Brewers didn’t already have enough offensive woes, their best player, Jackson Chourio, left the game in the middle of his at-bat with a right leg injury in the seventh inning, hobbling down the dugout steps into the clubhouse.

Ohtani, who had been missing since the wild-card series with a 2-for-25 slump, at least joined the Dodgers’ party by opening the first inning with a leadoff triple, the first postseason leadoff triple by a Dodger since the Davey Lopes in the 1977 World Series.

It was Ohtani’s first extra-base of the postseason, snapping a season-long seven-game skid, with optimism that he’ll soon be back to being the most dangerous hitter in the game.

The Dodgers and Ohtani went to extremes to snap him from his slump by having him take extra batting practice, on the field Wednesday instead of his routine in the cage. It’s the first time he took batting practice on the field since joining the Dodgers. They even played  his walk-up song, “Feeling Good,’ from Michael Buble over the Dodger Stadium speakers.

“The other way to say it is that, if I hit, we will win,” Ohtani said. “I think he thinks that if I hit, we will win. I’d like to do my best to do that.”

Ohtani denied that pitching in the postseason has contributed to his struggles, but he hit just .222 with four homers and 21 strikeouts on the days he pitched in 2025 and .147 with two homers and 10 stirkeouts the day afterwards.

His slump began in Game 1 of the NLDS when he pitched six innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts at the plate.

“I don’t know if there’s a direct correlation,’ he said. “Physically, I don’t feel like there’s a connection.”

Yet, the numbers have been loud and clear.

“Certainly, there’s frustration,” Roberts said. “He’s obviously a very, very talented player, and we’re counting on him. He’s just a great competitor. He’s very prepared. And there’s still a lot of baseball left.”

The World Series begins in a week.

The Dodgers should be there waiting.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

Here’s how Game 3 unfolded:

Jackson Chourio injury forces Brewers star from Game 4

Taking a swing in the top of the seventh against Blake Treinen, Jackson Chourio appeared to suffer a leg injury and was removed from the game.

Tommy Edman gives Dodgers the lead

Jacob Misiorowski was cruising but gave up a single to Will Smith and then walked Freddie Freeman to bring Tommy Edman to the plate with two on and out out. Edman, last year’s NLCS MVP, singled to center to bring Smith home and gives the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

Abner Uribe came on to replace Misiorowski and with two outs, made a throwing error trying to check Edman, allowing Freeman to score a crucial insurance run.

Tyler Glasnow comes out in the sixth

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled starter Tyler Glasnow with two outs in the sixth inning after the right-hander walked Andrew Vaughn. Lety Alex Vesia came on and struck out Sal Frelick to end the top of the sixth.

Glasnow finished his day with eight strikeouts and three walks, giving up a run on three hits.

To the sixth: Dodgers 1, Brewers 1

NLCS Game 3 remains tied heading into the sixth inning. Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski has tossed 4 ⅔ scoreless innings since coming on in the bottom of the first.

The right-hander has now retired 10 Dodgers in a row, racking up eight strikeouts so far in his relief outing.

Through three: Dodgers 1, Brewers 1

Jacob Misiorowski has struck out five in 2⅔ innings after replacing opener Andy Ashby and the teams are headed to the fourth inning tied 1-1.

Jake Bauers ties it up in the second

Caleb Durbin hit a one-out triple against Tyler Glasnow in the top of the second and then scored on Jake Bauers’ RBI single with the Dodgers infield pulled in, tying the game 1-1.

Bauers is now 4-for-9 with 3 RBIs in the 2025 postseason.

Bauers proceeded to steal second and then reached third on Glasnow’s error trying to pick him off second – but was cut down at the plate on a brilliant play by third baseman Max Muncy on Joey Ortiz’s ground ball.

Mookie Betts RBI double puts Dodgers in front

Shohei Ohtani led off the bottom of the first with a triple into the right-field corner against starter Aaron Ashby and on the next pitch, Mookie Betts laced an RBI double to center field, bringing Ohtani in to score the first run of the game.

Making his seventh appearance in the Brewers’ eight postseason games, Ashby was replaced by Jacob Misiorowski with one out and the rookie struck out Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez to strand two runners.

Tyler Glasnow works out of trouble in the first

Game 3 is underway at Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles starter Tyler Glasnow worked around a two-out walk to William Contreras and Christian Yelich’s infield single to put up a zero in the first inning.

This is Glasnow’s third appearance of the postseason after posting 7⅔ scoreless innings in the NLDS against the Phillies.

Dodgers lineup today: NLCS Game 3

Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Mookie Betts (R) SS
Will Smith (R) C
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Tommy Edman (S) 2B
Teoscar Hernández (R) RF
Max Muncy (L) 3B
Enrique Hernández (R) LF
Andy Pages (R) CF

Brewers lineup today

Jackson Chourio (R) RF
Brice Turang (L) 2B
William Contreras (R) C
Christian Yelich (L) DH
Andrew Vaughn (R) 1B
Sal Frelick (L) CF
Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
Jake Bauers (L) LF
Joey Ortiz (R) SS

Dave Roberts on Shohei Ohtani’s struggles

Shohei Ohtani is just 2-for-25 (.080 average) since the NLDS against the Phillies began, and mixed up his routine the day before Game 3 by taking batting practice on the field at Dodger Stadium, an extraordinarily rare occurence.

‘The postseason is like a street fight and not like a boxing match. And with that, there’s urgency,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ‘And I think that if this was a regular-season situation and you’re looking at an expanse of small sample – eight, nine games, whatever it might be – he probably wouldn’t be out on the field.

‘So with the urgency, the postseason, then he needs to make an adjustment, wanted to make an adjustment on his own. And that adjustment was getting on the field. So I think that’s a great thing in his understanding and appreciation for playing with urgency.’

Dodgers pitching rotation dominates

Just 24 hours after Blake Snell became the first pitcher since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956 to face the minimum number of batters through eight innings in a postseason game, Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up a home run on his first pitch of the game, and just two hits in his next 110 pitches, striking out seven with one walk. He was so dominant that he permitted just two fly ball outs the entire game, with 15 grounders.

“It’s been incredible,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said after Game 2. “That’s probably the two best back-to-back games pitched ever that I’ve seen.” — Bob NIghtengale

This year’s trade deadline could be full of eager buyers with nearly half the league two games above .500.
Several strong teams not only have draft ammo to consummate a trade but the cap space to absorb a big contract.
One very old and two very young QBs could seemingly use some help.

Half a dozen weeks into most NFL seasons, generally speaking, the cream begins to separate itself – or it’s at least obvious who the primary threats to capture the Lombardi Trophy are.

Not so much in 2025.

This year, it’s readily apparent who’s curdled, the New York Jets still winless while five other teams are stuck on one victory – though even one of them, the decimated Baltimore Ravens, might actually be buttermilk if QB Lamar Jackson and enough of his injured teammates return in time to initiate a salvage operation.

Otherwise? Twenty of the league’s 32 teams are currently sitting at .500 or better – 14 of them amazingly sporting a winning percentage of .667 or better. Aside from being anomalous, this is significant for another reason: if so many squads, including a few surprise outfits, remain highly relevant as the Nov. 4 trade deadline draws nearer, a glutted market of buyers could materialize as clubs attempt to outrun the pack.

Here are seven who could be especially aggressive in the coming weeks:

Dallas Cowboys

What a surreal season already in Big D. Jerry Jones’ trade of DE Micah Parsons in late August set the tone for his season – and seemingly impacting the league at large – while simultaneously fueling the owner’s many critics. Yet Jones’ acquisition of WR George Pickens in the spring is proving to be an inspired stroke for a club that’s 2-3-1 but could easily be 5-1. Armed with an extra first-round draft pick in 2026 and more than $30 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap, to absorb a significant contract if he chooses, Jones indicated earlier this week that he’s willing to be active.

‘We have thought all along that if we see a way to improve this year with a trade at the deadline, then we’ll take advantage of it,’ Jones said. ‘That’s what we positioned for to start this year, was to have ammunition to do things if we have an opportunity.’

Perhaps he’s just playing to his fan base. Perhaps the return of WR CeeDee Lamb and LB DeMarvion Overshown will have the same effect as infusing new players into the lineup. But Jones also knows his Parsons-less defense, which is ranked dead last in the league and currently suspect at every level, is probably untenable for a team that will officially be three decades removed from its last Super Bowl appearance next January. 

Detroit Lions

The only team in the league that’s existed for the entirety of the Super Bowl era, which dates to 1966, but never played on Super Sunday views Dallas’ drought with envy. Yet despite Sunday’s loss in Kansas City, the Lions are again in a solid spot for their long-awaited breakthrough. However, a battered secondary looms as an Achilles for a team that was a No. 1 seed in last season’s playoffs but was fatally undermined by injuries on defense. Whether that means finding another pass rusher to complement DE Aidan Hutchinson, targeting healthy defensive backs or general depth, the Lions have a $27 million slush fund at a time when their historically rare championship window could – and maybe should – be cracked even wider.

New England Patriots

Look who’s sitting atop the AFC East for the first time at any point of a season since 2021. Not only are the Pats scheduled to have at least three additional draft picks in 2026, they have nearly $55 million in cap space – most in the league by far – that would enable them to go big-game hunting, if they so choose, while maximizing the flexibility to juice the roster given ascending QB Drake Maye can’t even begin broaching a raise from his rookie contract until the 2027 offseason. New England doesn’t necessarily have a glaring issue, though – as with most defenses – more production from and depth for the pass rush would most certainly help.

Philadelphia Eagles

Maybe the highly scrutinized issues of the defending champions are a bit overblown – after all, Philly didn’t really begin what turned into an unstoppable roll in 2024 until Week 7. And yet, in the absence of a Zen transplant for WR A.J. Brown, perpetually aggressive EVP/GM Howie Roseman obviously knows his roster could almost certainly benefit from another offensive lineman, depth at wideout and – most notably – help at pass rusher and in the secondary. Roseman might need to restructure a deal or two if he winds up pursuing a bigger fish like Cincinnati DE Trey Hendrickson, but he’s always willing to use his draft capital as ammunition and has an extra third-rounder in 2026 at his disposal.

Pittsburgh Steelers

As many pearls as coach Mike Tomlin has dropped in press conferences over the years, it was pretty out of character for him to single out one of his AFC North rivals – bemoaning the Browns’ intra-divisional trade of QB Joe Flacco, whom Pittsburgh will have to face in its Thursday night matchup with the Bengals in Cincinnati. But being proactive in the market has become something of a necessity in the modern NFL amid a rise of more aggressive general managers and dedicated analytics staffs which can pinpoint prime transactional opportunities. Even the historically conservative Steelers have made six deadline deals since 2020, GM Omar Khan importing both WR Mike Williams and OLB Preston Smith a year ago … for all the good it did.

Entering Week 7, the Steelers are quite surprisingly 2½ games clear of the divisional field. Yet for a team nearly nine years removed from its most recent playoff win and betting big that soon-to-be 42-year-old QB Aaron Rodgers can change that, this isn’t the time to get conservative as clustered as the AFC is and with the dormant Ravens and Bengals banking they can hold out for resurrections when and if their injured QB1s return. Barring some restructures, Khan doesn’t have a lot of financial flexibility (roughly $6 million in cap space). But it likely wouldn’t take much creativity – or money – to import, for example, another off-ball linebacker and/or depth at receiver … say WR Allen Lazard, a favorite teammate of Rodgers with the Jets and Packers who could certainly serve a tactical purpose here.

Seattle Seahawks

They made some lower-level pre-deadline deals last year, coach Mike Macdonald’s first in Seattle, but not enough to get them on the right side of a tiebreaker that cost them the NFC West crown (and a playoff berth in general) in 2024. The ‘Hawks are currently in a three-way tie atop the division and appear like the healthiest and possibly most balanced group relative to the Rams and 49ers. Now in his 16th season as GM, John Schneider has typically kicked over every personnel rock seeking an advantage – never afraid to take a risk in a bid to better the roster and now also much better attuned to what Macdonald wants and needs. And with more than $20 million in the cap bank, it shouldn’t be all that difficult for Seattle to pursue interior O-line help or certainly reinforcements for the second and third levels of a defense that was recently scalded by Tampa Bay and doesn’t have a takeaway this month.

Washington Commanders

Losers of three of five while battling the injury bug, falling to the Cowboys this weekend could drop Washington into a last-place NFC East tie at a time when expectations have spiked coming off last year’s unexpected run to the conference championship game. Like New England, the Commanders have something of a unique opportunity – flush with cap space (more than $25 million) and propelled by a young franchise quarterback, reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, who’s at least two years away from his first significant NFL payday. A young-ish secondary needs to perform better, last year’s pricey acquisition of veteran CB Marshon Lattimore has yet to return much on the investment of multiple mid-round picks. The real issue could be a leaky run defense – one ravaged by the Bears in Monday night’s loss and surrendering nearly 150 yards per game over the past three weeks.

Many believed the Cincinnati Bengals were dead and buried after the team lost four straight games following Joe Burrow’s significant turf toe injury.

Instead, Joe Flacco breathed life into the team by leading them to a 33-31 ‘Thursday Night Football’ upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers in his second start with the team.

Flacco and the Bengals played with poise Cincinnati’s offense hadn’t shown since Burrow exited the team’s Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 40-year-old veteran demonstrated great chemistry with Ja’Marr Chase (16 catches, 161 yards, one touchdown) and Tee Higgins (six catches, 96 yards, one touchdown) throughout Thursday’s contest.

Meanwhile, the rest of Cincinnati’s offense played with a level of desperation it hadn’t previously shown, knowing another loss could do considerable damage to their playoff chances even at this early stage in the 2025 NFL season.

Now 3-4, the Bengals are just a game-and-a-half back of the Steelers in the AFC North race. They will get a chance to claw their way back to .500 in Week 8, when the Bengals face a New York Jets squad that has yet to win a game.

As for the Steelers, they’ll go back to the drawing board, knowing Aaron Rodgers’ two-interception outing coupled with a poor defensive performance cost them an opportunity to keep the Bengals buried.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from this week’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup below:

Bengals vs. Steelers takeaways

Joe 2.0: Maybe Joe Burrow was sharing some of his secret stuff. Joe Flacco did exactly what he should have done: Take advantage of the weapons at his disposal. Big games from both Chase and Higgins helped resuscitate the Bengals offense, and that should give Cincy fans a modicum of hope while Burrow recovers.
Throwback Thursday: While Aaron Rodgers wasn’t quite vintage in this performance, he did move up the NFL’s career passing yards leader list, surpassing Ben Roethlisberger for fifth place all time.
Mike drop? Mike Tomlin now has a relatively curious record on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ The Steelers head coach is 0-7 on the road vs. AFC North opponents on Thursdays, which is oddly specific and probably apropos of nothing. Still, 0-7 vs. anyone in any situation isn’t necessarily a positive.

Bengals vs. Steelers highlights

Bengals win after Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary knocked down

Rodgers’ 41-year-old arm still has plenty of juice, as the quarterback heaved a 70-yard prayer to the end zone. But the pass was knocked down just inside the goal line, giving Cincinnati the stunning win on Thursday night.

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Evan McPherson puts Cincy ahead late

Thanks to Higgins’ play, a few kneel downs and a short field goal off of Evan McPherson’s foot puts the Bengals up with seven seconds left in regulation.

Bengals 33, Steelers 31

Tee Higgins makes high-IQ play

The Bengals wide receiver hauled in a pass from Joe Flacco and had a clear lane to the end zone – but Higgins slid short of the goal line, forcing the Steelers into a predicament.

By sliding short of the end zone, the Steelers are forced to use one of their two remaining timeouts. That will allow the Steelers to kneel out the clock, leaving roughly 10 seconds until they have to try a chip-shot field goal to take the lead.

Steelers take lead after Aaron Rodgers hits Pat Freiermuth for 68-yard TD

For the first time since they led 10-7, the Steelers are back on top. The Bengals lost Freiermuth in coverage and allowed him to catch a deep ball from Rodgers on a second-and-20 and run untouched into the end-zone.

Chris Boswell made the extra point, and the Steelers are now winning 31-30 with 2:21 left in regulation.

Steelers force Bengals punt, get ball back with 2:46 remaining

T.J. Watt finally got more pressure on Joe Flacco, which helped the Steelers force the Bengals to punt. The Steelers get the ball back to their 42-yard line after a nice return by Ke’Shawn Williams with a chance to mount a potential game-winning TD drive.

Joe Flacco rushes for 12 yards on second-and-10

The Bengals pulled out a bold play on second-and-10 from their own territory. They ran a zone read with Flacco, a 40-year-old not known for his mobility. 

It worked to perfection, as no Steelers players expected Flacco to run, allowing him to pick up the first down.

Steelers forced to punt after Pat Freiermuth can’t haul in third-and-4 pass

The Steelers went three-and-out following Cincinnati’s field goal. Aaron Rodgers tried to throw a quick strike to Freiermuth on third-and-4, but the tight end couldn’t bring it in amid tight coverage.

Corliss Waitman’s punt was a good one, checking up at the 9-yard line and being downed at the 10. The Steelers will need to quickly stop the Bengals, who are leading 30-24 with 5:16 left in regulation, to get another shot to mount a game-tying drive.

Ja’Marr Chase stats today

Chase has benefitted greatly from playing with Joe Flacco. The star receiver has been targeted 19 times, the most of any player in a game this season, and has made 14 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Steelers defense limits Bengals to field goal

The Steelers let Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase move down the field, but they ultimately came up with a key stop after Joey Porter Jr. had tight coverage on Tee Higgins on third-and-13.

Evan McPherson came on to attempt a 45-yard field goal. He makes it, putting the Bengals up 30-24 with 6:58 left in regulation.

Bengals 30, Steelers 24

Darnell Washington catches 2-yard TD from Aaron Rodgers

The Steelers have scored three touchdowns on Thursday. All have been by tight ends, with the 6-7, 264-pound Washington joining Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith as scorers on a middle-of-the-field strike from Rodgers.

Chris Boswell’s extra point is good, and Cincinnati’s lead is down to 27-24 with 11:03 left in regulation.

Bengals 27, Steelers 24

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Joe Flacco hits Noah Fant for TD to open fourth quarter

Flacco continues to look sharp, capping off an 8-play, 67-yard drive with a pass over the middle of the field to the wide-open Fant.

Evan McPherson makes the extra point and takes a 27-17 lead with 14:57 left in regulation.

Bengals will face key third-and-goal to open fourth quarter, leading 20-17

The third quarter saw the Steelers cut into the Bengals’ lead thanks to an impressive third-and-18 touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth, but Cincinnati continues to move the ball with ease against Pittsburgh’s defense.

When the fourth quarter opens, Joe Flacco and Co. will be facing a third-and-goal from the 5-yard line. The Bengals are outgaining the Steelers 345-244 and are winning the turnover battle 2-0.

Steelers cut into Bengals lead with 19-yard TD pass to Pat Freiermuth

The Steelers were facing a third-and-18 when Aaron Rodgers finally decided to throw a pass to the intermediate portion of the field. He got time to throw and managed to rip one up the seam to Pat Freiermuth, who was open and managed to catch the score with ease.

Chris Boswell’s extra point is good and the Bengals are now leading 20-17.

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Evan McPherson field goal lengthens lead

The Steelers managed to keep the Bengals out of the end-zone on third-and-goal, but McPherson drilled a 23-yard field goal with ease to extend the Bengals’ run of unanswered points to 20.

The Bengals are now up 20-10 and at up more than seven minutes of the third quarter on their first drive of the half. They have already possessed the ball for 21:45, and should be able to continue wearing out the Steelers’ defense.

Bengals 20, Steelers 10

Joe Flacco pushes ahead for 1-yard gain on fourth down

The Bengals convert their fourth down opportunity after the unsuccessful challenge. Flacco simply pushed ahead for a 1-yard gain on a quarterback sneak to create a first-and-goal opportunity.

Zac Taylor unsuccessfully challenges spot on Andre Iosivas catch

Iosivas was tackled a yard short of the line to gain on a third-and-7 catch. The Bengals lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1, but just one second before the play clock expired, Taylor challenged the spot.

A review revealed Iosivas was, in fact, short of the line to gain, costing the Bengals a timeout. The team had been planning to run a QB sneak with Joe Flacco before the stoppage, so it will be interesting to see if they choose that path again.

Aaron Rodgers stats at halftime

Rodgers started the game strong but threw a couple of interceptions in the second half. Overall, he has completed 13 of 19 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Rodgers continues to have trouble pushing the ball down the field. If he can’t more consistently find and hit his targets in the intermediate-to-deep part of the field, the Bengals will continue to sit on the short routes.

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Evan McPherson makes field goal for halftime lead

After a slow start, the Bengals have dominated the Steelers. Cincinnati has scored 17 unanswered points while forcing Aaron Rodgers into multiple interceptions.

Joe Flacco has been in rhythm all night, completing 14 of 21 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He has shown great chemistry with Ja’Marr Chase, who has seven catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, and Tee Higgins, who racked up three catches for 54 yards and a score.

Meanwhile, Chase Brown has had his best day of the season on the ground already, generating 74 yards on just five carries.

The Steelers defense will need to button things up in the second half after allowing three consecutive scoring drives to close the first half. If they can’t, Flacco and the Bengals will have a chance to snap a four-game losing streak and get back in the AFC North race.

DJ Turner rips interception out of DK Metcalf’s hands

The Bengals have created another big-time turnover. Aaron Rodgers nearly had a first-down completion to Metcalf, but the veteran receiver had the ball ripped out of his hands as he was going to the ground.

Turner managed to gain control of the ball and get a knee down in bounds. The Bengals will now have 40 seconds to mount a scoring drive before halftime. They have one timeout remaining.

Aaron Rodgers climbs to 5th on the NFL’s all-time passing list, passing Ben Roethlisberger

Rodgers has officially climbed ahead of Roethlisberger, a Steelers legend, on the NFL’s all-time passing list after his 15-yard completion to Jaylen Warren.

Below is a look at Rodgers’ present ranking on the passing list:

Tom Brady: 89,214
Drew Brees: 80,358
Peyton Manning: 71,940
Brett Favre: 71,838
Aaron Rodgers: 64,089

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Joe Flacco hits Tee Higgins for 29-yard TD

Flacco and the Bengals offense are starting to heat up. After the interception, the 40-year-old veteran managed to move Cincinnati down the field in a hurry. Chase Brown had a 37-yard carry but the drive was capped off by a strike to Tee Higgins, which saw the 6-4 wideout run straight up the middle after the catch to get into the end zone untouched.

Evan McPherson makes the extra point, and the Bengals are ahead for the first time of the evening, 14-10.

Aaron Rodgers tosses deep-ball interception after overthrowing DK Metcalf

Rodgers tried to create a big play down the field to Metcalf, but the Bengals had quality double-coverage on the play. 

Safety Jordan Battle came over the top to make the interception and had a nice return. However, the return was nullified after review, as Metcalf managed to touch Battle on the helmet as he went to the ground.

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Ja’Marr Chase gets Bengals on board with 8-yard TD from Joe Flacco

One play after dropping a potential touchdown, Chase was able to beat Jalen Ramsey for a score. Flacco managed to drop the lob pass in the bucket to him to get the Bengals on the board.

Evan McPherson makes the extra point and the Steelers’ lead is down to 10-7.

Steelers 10, Bengals 7

Joe Flacco threads pass to Ja’Marr Chase in end-zone, but WR can’t complete catch

Flacco made a near-perfect throw to Chase in the end-zone, but the veteran receiver wasn’t able to secure the ball going to the ground. He was clipped by Chuck Clark in a tight window, which caused him to be unable to secure the pass.

Originally, the officials ruled Chase’s catch a touchdown but it was overturned after an expedited review.

Ja’Marr Chase turns juggling catch into 8 yards

Chase nearly had a bad drop on a quick pass from Joe Flacco. Instead, he juggled it a few times and reeled it in, with his final bobble actually preventing him from being hit hard by cornerback Darius Slay.

How old is Aaron Rodgers?

The Steelers passer is 41 years old, and turns 42 on Dec. 2. He’s the oldest active player in the NFL.

Bengals vs. Steelers score: Pittsburgh settles for field goal

The Steelers got into a fourth-and-1 scenario and were poised to go for it. They were going to attempt a ‘Tush Push’ with tight end Connor Heyward, but the right side of Pittsburgh’s line jumped early.

After the penalty, Chris Boswell trotted out for a 41-yard field goal attempt. He nailed it to give the Steelers a 10-0 lead.

Steelers 10, Bengals 0

Jaylen Warren TD run wiped out by holding penalty

The Steelers briefly appeared to be in the end zone for a second time after a nice cut-back by Warren, but center Zach Frazier was penalized for holding on the play. The Steelers will now face a second-and-11 instead of doubling their lead.

Steelers leading Bengals 7-0 after strong first-quarter showing

The Steelers clearly have the advantage over the Bengals after 15 minutes. Pittsburgh has out-gained Cincinnati 122-44, as the Bengals have been unable to get any semblance of pressure on Aaron Rodgers without Trey Hendrickson.

Rodgers has completed 7 of 11 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. He has been able to extend plays on multiple occasions, including one where he had 8.63 seconds to throw before finding Jonnu Smith for a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Joe Flacco has shown well considering he has been in Cincinnati for just 10 days. He has completed 4 of 8 passes for 36 yards but has been victimized by a couple of drops from Chase Brown and Andre Iosivas.

The Steelers will have the ball to start the second quarter and are already nearing Chris Boswell’s field goal range.

Steelers force another punt after critical Chase Brown, Andre Iosivas drops

The Bengals aren’t helping Joe Flacco much thus far tonight. Flacco did a great job sniffing out a first-and-10 blitz and delivered a perfect checkdown to Brown. The back would’ve had running room, but he failed to reel in the well-thrown pass.

Then, on third-and-11, Iosivas dropped a pass that hit him in the hands, forcing another Bengals punt.

Making matters worse, the Bengals ran into Steelers return man Ke’Shawn Williams while he tried to make a fair catch, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. Pittsburgh will get the ball at its own 27-yard line instead of its 12 as a result.

Steelers go three-and-out on second possession

The Steelers weren’t able to replicate the success they enjoyed during their first drive. They gained six yards on a dump-off to DK Metcalf but followed that up with back-to-back incompletions, including a flea flicker the Bengals snuffed out.

Corliss Waitman’s punt went 39 yards and pinned the Bengals at their own 17-yard line to start their second drive.

Was Andrew Whitworth on the Bengals?

Andrew Whitworth was a second-round pick for the Bengals in the 2006 NFL Draft. He quickly developed into a starter for them at left tackle, spending the 2006 through 2016 seasons in Cincinnati.

Whitworth spent the final five seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams and won Super Bowl 56 against the Bengals in his final NFL game.

Who did Joe Flacco play for?

Flacco played for the Cleveland Browns in 2025 before being traded to the Bengals. Below is a look at the full career timeline for the 40-year-old quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens (2008-18)
Denver Broncos (2019)
New York Jets (2020)
Philadelphia Eagles (2021)
New York Jets (2021-22)
Cleveland Browns (2023)
Indianapolis Colts (2024)
Cleveland Browns (2025)
Cincinnati Bengals (2025)

Bengals forced to punt after first drive

Joe Flacco hit Tee Higgins on an impressive, 18-yard strike to convert a third-and-long and avoid a three-and-out, but a couple of nice tackles by DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill didn’t allow Cincinnati to advance further.

Ryan Rehkow’s punt traveled just 37 yards and Ke’Shawn Williams returned it 10 yards to the Steelers 26-yard line.

Steelers vs. Bengals score: Aaron Rodgers finds Jonnu Smith for 10-yard TD

The absence of Trey Hendrickson showed up in a big way on the Bengals’ first defensive drive. Rodgers had a whopping 8.63 seconds to through on a third-and-6 in the red-zone before finding tight end Jonnu Smith open in the end-zone for a score.

Chris Boswell made the extra point, giving the Steelers an early 7-0 lead on the road in Cincinnati.

Steelers 7, Bengals 0

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers take the field

The Steelers received the opening kickoff in Cincinnati, and take over at their own 35-yard line to get the game underway.

What channel is Bengals vs. Steelers on?

TV channel (national): N/A
TV channel (Pittsburgh market): ABC4
TV channel (Cincinnati market): ABC9

The Bengals vs. Steelers matchup will air on Amazon Prime Video, meaning it will not air on traditional cable this week.

Viewers in the Pittsburgh TV market can catch the game on ABC4, while those in the Cincinnati market can view it on ABC9.

What year was Joe Flacco drafted?

Flacco was selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens chose the Delaware product 18th overall, making him the second quarterback selected after No. 3 overall pick Matt Ryan.

What year was Aaron Rodgers drafted?

Aaron Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The Green Bay Packers made him the 24th overall selection in that year’s draft after one of the most notable draft slides in NFL history.

Many expected Rodgers to be the No. 1 overall pick, but the San Francisco 49ers instead spent the top selection on Alex Smith.

Darnell Washington size, height and weight

Washington – who has started the last three games for the Steelers at tight end – is listed at 6-7, 264 pounds on the Steelers’ official website. His size makes him a mismatch threat at the position and should eventually turn him into a threatening red-zone weapon.

Steelers vs. Bengals kickoff time

Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET | 7:15 p.m. CT

The Bengals and Steelers are set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday night. That’s the traditional start time for ‘TNF.’

Is Joe Burrow playing tonight?

No, Burrow is not playing in Week 7. He isn’t expected to return to the field until mid-December after suffering a severe turf toe injury in the Bengals’ Week 2 win over the Jaguars.

That said, Burrow is expected to be on the sidelines for Thursday’s divisional clash, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Did Joe Flacco win a Super Bowl?

Yes, Joe Flacco won Super Bowl 47 following the 2012 NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 267 yards and a three touchdowns during the game, a 34-31 victory for John Harbaugh’s Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers, then coached by Jim Harbaugh. Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP after posting a 124.2 passer rating during the game.

When will Joe Burrow return?

Burrow had surgery to repair a Grade 3 turf toe injury he suffered against the Jaguars. He is expected to miss a minimum of three months because of the injury.

That said, the exact timetable for Burrow’s return remains unclear. The Bengals have not provided one since the 28-year-old signal-caller got hurt, as Zac Taylor merely made reporters aware Burrow would need surgery to repair the malady.

The three-month timeline would put Burrow on track to return at some point in December at the earliest – barring any setbacks.

Bengals vs. Steelers stream

Live stream:Amazon Prime Video

The Bengals vs. Steelers Week 7 matchup will air live on Amazon Prime Video for national viewers. Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home of ‘TNF’ in 2025 and beyond.

Al Michaels will be on the call with Kirk Herbstreit at his side. Kaylee Hartung will provide updates from the field.

Watch ‘Thursday Night Football’ with a Prime Video subscription

Bengals vs. Steelers prediction

Joe Flacco certainly will do his best to make the most use of the Bengals’ weapons in his second go of it in their offense, but their issues extend far beyond the quarterback position. Cincinnati has had a tough time getting to the passer this year, while Aaron Rodgers has made a habit of getting rid of the ball quickly. That makes for a tough recipe for Cincinnati to defend, even at home. The Steelers win this one by a touchdown.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 17

Bengals vs. Steelers injury report

Bengals inactives vs. Steelers

Trey Hendrickson is the most notable name inactive for the Bengals tonight, as he is dealing with a back injury. The rest of the list:

Steelers inactives vs. Bengals

No real surprises on the Steelers’ inactive list vs. Cincinnati, with Calvin Austin headlining the group:

Bengals vs. Steelers live betting odds, moneyline, O/U

Quarterback is the most important position in American sports. Making your mark at that position is a better way to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other.

Iconic passers like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and John Elway stand out for their success and production on the field. They’ve taken their turns atop the career leaderboard for many statistics.

Brady sits in first for many statistics including career passing yards. At more than 89,214 yards, he covered more than 50 miles worth of distance on the football field.

On ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 7 one of the best quarterbacks of his generation – Aaron Rodgers – moved up a spot in that category.

Rodgers and the 4-1 Pittsburgh Steelers went on the road on a short week to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rodgers, 41, needed a less-than-average night to move up to the top-five all-time in career passing yards. He more than did enough on Thursday in southern Ohio to reach that exclusive club on a pass in the second quarter to running back Jaylen Warren.

Here’s who makes up the top 15 in career passing yards as Rodgers narrows his gap to the top:

NFL career passing yards list

Tom Brady: 89,214
Drew Brees: 80,358
Peyton Manning: 71,940
Brett Favre: 71,838
Aaron Rodgers*: 64,106
Ben Roethlisberger: 64,088
Philip Rivers: 63,440
Matt Ryan: 62,792
Matthew Stafford*: 61,493
Dan Marino: 61,361
Eli Manning: 57,023
John Elway: 51,475
Warren Moon: 49,325
Fran Tarkenton: 47,003
Russell Wilson*: 46,921

* = still active