This is something that no one thought Joe Flacco could do.
The AFC has a bunch of teams with records of 7–6 all grouped together. The Cleveland Browns are not one of those teams.
Because Flacco, who is 38 years old, is using his golden arm to get the Browns’ attack going.
Deshaun Watson as well as Dorian Thompson-Robinson were both hurt, so Joe Flacco filled in as the starting quarterback.
Flavio is going to be the starter for the rest of the season, even though Thompson-Robinson is now okay.
On Sunday, they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31–27, even though Trevor Lawrence was hurt. With that win, the Browns moved up to 8-5 and are now the fifth spot in the AFC. They are still in the running for a division title, though.
He didn’t hang in the pocket and throw a 50-yard pass to a sprinting Jacoby Jones that helped the Steelers beat the Broncos within the playoffs 10 years ago. That wasn’t one of his best plays.
The runs were timed, and some of them led to long touchdowns. David Njoku worked hard for him, catching six passes for 91 yards as well as two touchdowns.
The Browns were on the Jags’ turf and had a 14-0 lead. On that drive, they might have made it impossible to win.
The Browns were only one point behind the hot Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 because Flacco played adequately until he dropped a deep pass with Elijah Moore. The ball went back deep into Browns territory after it was intercepted.
It’s part of Flacco’s job to make mistakes. He threw more than 10 picks every season as a starter for the Baltimore Ravens, when he was not at his best. In the second quarter, Flacco threw one against the Jaguars.
By giving Flacco the position for the rest of this season, the Browns know that he will give the ball away some times.
Last season, he played three games against the New York Jets while Zach Wilson healed from a knee injury.
In Flacco’s last game, he made just under 54% of his passes, fired two interceptions, as well as lost two of the three fumbles he had. After Aaron Rodgers got hurt this season, the Jets didn’t even add him back to the team.
That, along with losing Nick Chubb for the season in Week 2, meant that the Browns needed all the glue and tape in Northeast Ohio to continue to hold their offense together.
For the next few games, that’s Flacco’s job. They want him to keep the attack from falling apart. Flacco is capable of handling this for a couple of weeks since he is an experienced quarterback alongside a good arm.
The win over the Jaguars gives the Cleveland Browns some breathing room in the playoff race, even if he throws a stinker later this month.
Flacco threw for 311 yards and three scores, and Lawrence’s hurt ankle had nothing to do with it.
The Cleveland Browns then called after Deshaun Watson, their $230 million star player, hurt his shoulder and would miss the rest of the season.
He made his first start last week and did okay, but he was much more useful than the Flacco that we saw play over the New York Jets last year.
It might even be very good. When it comes to Flacco, it won’t be a jaw-dropping fireworks show, particularly in this point in his career. But man, is he strong.
When the game was over on Sunday, he was 26 of 45 for 311 yards, three scores, and one interception.
During the first drive, he was smart enough to get the defense to bite on a fake pass to Kareem Hunt. This left the tight end David Njoku wide open to score the first of his two touchdowns.
Flacco made some mistakes and missed some chances, but for the most part, he played like a seasoned and steady game manager. In the win in the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 31–27, Flacco was better, more than average.
With the Browns at 8-5 and a good chance to make the playoffs, a steady game manager behind center might be enough now. After all, when healthy, Cleveland’s defense is scary, quick, and good enough to win a title.