Story by
Joe Flacco is only answer for Cleveland Browns current QB question | Chris Easterling
- Story by
- Joe Flacco is only answer for Cleveland Browns current QB question | Chris Easterling
BEREA — Joe Flacco didn't lie when he was asked if he wanted to remain the Browns starting quarterback this Sunday when they play the Jacksonville Jaguars .
"I think anytime you get a little taste of playing football, you want to keep that going for as long as possible," Flacco said after the Browns ' loss at the Los Angeles Rams .
Advertisement
Flacco is the fourth starting quarterback the Browns have used this season. All of it stems from injuries to the original starter Deshaun Watson , injuries which twice this season have left them looking for ways to fill the most important position in football.
P.J. Walker filled it for two starts and one successful relief appearance during Watson's original shoulder injury. Yet, the fourth-year pro wasn't the first one to get a shot at the job.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson has twice been given the chance to fill those shoes. The first time, on just hours' notice, the rookie just wasn't ready; the second time, after Watson's season ended with a Week 10 injury, may have ended after one game and three-quarters of another when he sustained a concussion 10 days ago in Denver .
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) gestures against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.
"May have ended" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, because nothing said by coach Kevin Stefanski either immediately after the game or in Monday's typical day-after Zoom call with the media indicates he's ready to make a public declaration. The closest hint came when he did acknowledge Thompson-Robinson was, as of Monday, still in concussion protocol.
Advertisement
Stefanski offered up his standard answer to Monday questions about the starting quarterback job, which is, "We'll work through that."
As long as Thompson-Robinson remains in the protocol, there's no question about who's the starter. If he's not in the protocol, that's where the questions remain.
The problem is, considering what's at stake for the Browns over the final five games of the season, there's only one answer to that question. It's the 38-year-old, 16-year veteran who almost literally came off his couch and, two weeks later, guided the Browns offense effectively in a regular-season NFL game.
Did Flacco made the one big mistake near the end? Absolutely he did with a poor throw that John Johnson III intercepted.
Dec 3, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) celebrates with guard Joel Bitonio (75) after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Did Flacco play a big part in that play mattering? Absolutely he did, with three-plus quarters of a similar kind of quarterbacking that he showed over much of his career.
Advertisement
The stats won't be the ultimate selling point for Flacco, were finished 23-of-44 passing for 254 yards with two touchdowns, one massive pick, two sacks — including a safety at the end — and a 75.4 passer rating. However, the way Flacco played and the way his teammates seemed to truly connect with him absolutely is the selling point.
"He was very cool, calm, and collected in the huddle, you know what I'm saying?" tight end David Njoku said after the game. "He was learning it the right way."
Flacco was also throwing the ball with a confidence. The deep shot to Elijah Moore that Johnson ultimately intercepted was the kind of chance a quarterback has to take at times to win big games.
It wasn't even just that throw. There were at least five throws Flacco had that hadn't been seen all season, save for those occasions when Watson was at healthiest and best.
Los Angeles Rams coach Kevin Stefanski, right, celebrates with quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and other players after a touchdown catch by Jerome Ford against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 3 in Inglewood, Calif.
That's why Flacco needs to start Sunday when the Browns play host to the Jaguars. It's why he needs to start the week after that against Chicago Bears , and the week after that at the Houston Texans and throughout the rest of the season.
Advertisement
Is it weird that the quarterback who gives the Browns the best chance to be playing beyond Week 18 wasn't with a team before Week 13? Sure, but what about this Browns season hasn't been weird?
The Browns might as well full-on lean into the weird to solve maybe the biggest question hanging over this team the final month of the regular season. It might as well roll with Joe Flacco .
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Joe Flacco is only answer for Browns QB question: Chris Easterling
