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Joe Flacco, the quarterback for the Browns, will start all of 2023.
This is Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the balance of the campaign.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski selected 38-year-old Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback after Flacco turned back time on Sunday, leading the Browns to a 31-27 victory over the Jaguars with 311 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.
After a performance this clutch, Stefanski was asked if Flacco would be at the top of the depth chart the rest of the way. His response was an obvious “Yes.”
Regarding Flacco, Stefanski said, “played well.” “As he grows more accustomed to our system and our players, you anticipate him to improve in those areas. However, we were just discussing how he and our guys were performing their duties and giving it their all, and I believed that was what he had done.”
Flacco was given A six-play, 75-yard scoring drive that featured a 34-yard touchdown pass to an open David Njoku set the tone for the opening drive of the game on Sunday.
The Browns were able to take a two-possession lead on their first possession of the second quarter, which again ended with a 30-plus-yard pass from Flacco to Njoku, after three punts. This was made possible by Cleveland’s defense, which managed to put together a first-quarter shutout.
That was the Browns’ gameplan, as they were able to withstand a late push by the determined Jags and frequently came alive in spurts under Flacco.
According to Flacco, “It was definitely an ugly game,” as he said to CBS’s Evan Washburn. “Both parties made mistakes. I certainly didn’t play the cleanest game, but I get the impression that this team kind of likes it that way. They respond quite well in situations such as those. I’ve been here for a few weeks, and during that time I’ve been watching them on TV, so that’s kind of what I’ve seen. Hey, we’ll grab them by any means possible.”
Even though Flacco passed for two touchdowns to Njoku and one to David Bell in the fourth quarter, his quick chemistry with Amari Cooper was evident the entire time.
The team’s wide receiver was targeted 14 times by the new quarterback for the Browns, which is six times more than any other wide receiver. Together, they caught seven passes for 77 yards.
After the smoke cleared, the Browns improved to 8-5, Flacco earned a victory, making him the team’s fourth quarterback to do so this season, and Cleveland’s offense finished with 389 total yards, which was a season high since Week 2.
All of this is encouraging for Cleveland, which now sits at the No. 5 spot in the AFC after defeating the Steelers, Colts, and Texans. Cleveland also has a full game lead over multiple teams.
Over the last three weeks, Flacco has returned from the sidelines to don an NFL uniform, been promoted from the practice squad twice, and been placed back on the practice squad once.
He is not going off the active roster just yet.
More crucial to the Browns’ chances this season is the cunning veteran’s resume, which includes 16 years of experience and MVP honors from Super Bowls, as he attempts to lead Cleveland to the postseason and beyond.
After the victory, he remarked, “There were so many times when I was just feeling like a 10-year-old kid again.” “And to be able to do that, you just can’t let it be lost on you how special it is to play this game.”
