OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- After 137 games in the NFL, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will play his first meaningless one.

Flacco and the Ravens (8-7) finish their season at the Cincinnati Bengals (5-9-1) after being knocked out of playoff contention last Sunday. With nothing on the line, it has become a hot topic around Baltimore why a franchise quarterback sporting a knee brace is starting this game.

Is coach John Harbaugh worried about starters getting injured in this type of game?

Joe Flacco said sitting out Sunday's game wasn't an option for him despite the Ravens being out of playoff contention. "There is no way in the world that I wouldn't want to play in this game," he said. Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports

"I'm always worried about injuries," Harbaugh said. "To me, you just can't be thinking that way. You're going to play a game, and you want to play really well. It's just not who we are, to run scared. It's just not. That's not what we're going to do."

Harbaugh has maintained a strong stance that the Ravens are going to win this game and every healthy player will suit up. But the dangers of a team losing a starting quarterback at any time were reinforced last week, when Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota both broke their legs.

The Ravens understand the long recovery process that comes with a quarterback suffering a significant injury. Flacco tore two ligaments in his left knee 11 months ago, and Baltimore was without him until the first day of training camp.

On Sunday, Flacco will be playing an offensive line whose right side includes guard Vladimir Ducasse, who wasn't on the team for the first five weeks, and tackle James Hurst, who was pushed back into Flacco's knee on Nov. 22, 2015 (which led to the season-ending injury).

Baltimore could play it safe and give pending free-agent quarterback Ryan Mallett the start. But Flacco fully supports Harbaugh's decision to let him suit up.

"I love football, and my job is to play. That's what I want to do," Flacco said. "There is no way in the world that I wouldn't want to play in this game. It shows a lot about who you are as a team and who you are as a person if you go out there and play well."

This is an unusual finish for Flacco. He helped clinch playoff berths in the regular-season finales in 2008, 2009 and 2014. He was in contention for the AFC North title in the final games of 2010 and 2011. He was eliminated from the playoffs in 2013.

The only game that came close to a meaningless finale for Flacco was in 2012, when the Ravens had already clinched their second straight AFC North title. There was a scenario in which Baltimore could've moved from the No. 4 seed to No. 3 with a win in the final game, but the Ravens were playing host to a playoff game anyway. In that game, Flacco was pulled after two series.

There's no indication that Flacco's playing time will be limited heading into a game that has no hope of impacting the postseason.

"It’s probably a little bit of a different experience at this point," Flacco said. "Come Sunday, I don’t anticipate it being too much different, because it’s going to be a hard-hitting, physical, tough NFL game. We better come ready to play.”