Bengals QB Joe Flacco's Streak of Passes Without an Interception is Putting Him in Elite, and Surprising, Company

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco joined an extremely short list on Sunday.

By throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, Flacco raised his Cincinnati numbers to 782 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

He is one of only two players in NFL history to throw for at least 750 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his first three games with a team.

The other was Case Keenum, who has 822 yards, seven touchdowns no picks with the Texans after taking over as the starter in Week 7 of his rookie season in 2013.

Keenum had 102 attempts in those games.

Flacco has attempted 126 passes in his first three starts for the Bengals, which is an increasingly significant number in pursuit of a record.

The NFL record for most consecutive passing attempts without an interception to begin a stint with a team is 197 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Jeff Garcia in 2007.

Like Flacco, Garcia was an aging veteran (37 years old) when he set the mark.

Averaging 42 passes per game since joining the Bengals, Flacco could have a chance to break the record if he avoids interceptions in the next two games.

And if he's able to play through a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder.

However, Flacco could find himself in a race as his is not even the longest active streak.

The quarterback he just lost to, Justin Fields, has yet to throw an interception in his first 167 attempts with the New York Jets.

Ironically, it was Jets head coach Aaron Glenn who ended Garcia’s NFL record streak with a pick 6 while playing for the Saints.

Flacco has a little further to go for the overall Bengals franchise record for a quarterback at any point in his career.

Joe Burrow threw 199 consecutive passes without an interception in a streak that spanned the final four games of his rookie season and the first two games of 2021.

That broke Andy Dalton’s team mark of 188, which was set in 2018.

Flacco is the second quarterback in franchise history to avoid an interception in his first three starts for the Bengals.

The only other one to do it AJ McCarron in 2015. McCarron only threw 83 passes in those three starts.

Flacco’s pursuit of the records will come with a hefty challenge Sunday, as the Chicago Bears lead the NFL with 11 interceptions this season.

In another bit of irony, it was the Bears who ended Burrow’s franchise-record streak of 199 in Week 2, 2021, when they picked him off three times in the fourth quarter.

If Flacco can avoid an interception, he could move past Fields in the race to reach Garia’s record as the Jets are on a bye this week.