This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco Reflect on Facing Off as NFL's Oldest Quarterbacks.

Just five days after he was acquired in a trade with Cleveland, Flacco passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in his Cincinnati debut. The Bengals lost 27-18 at Green Bay on Sunday, but they pushed the Packers all the way to the very end.

Cincinnati's offense improved to competent following a scoreless first half. But it wasn't enough to avoid falling to 2-4.

CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins left quite an impression on Joe Flacco in his debut with the team on Sunday. The Bengals lost to the Packers 27-18, but Cincinnati's offense came alive in the second half, scoring on three-straight possessions.

Flacco was certainly an upgrade at quarterback over Browning and he proved that he might be able to save their season, but the problem is that he's only going to have three days to do it. The 2-5 Bengals will be hosting the 4-1 Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in what is essentially a must-win game for Cincinnati.

The emergence of quarterbacks playing at high levels into their late 30s and early 40s represents a significant shift in NFL norms. Tom Brady’s unprecedented success until age 45 may have been the extreme example, but Rodgers and Flacco demonstrate that this isn’t merely a Brady anomaly but potentially a new paradigm for the position.