The Cleveland Browns remain committed to starting quarterback Joe Flacco, despite his performance in a 41-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday that dropped the team to an 0-2 record. Ravens inactives Head coach Kevin Stefanski clarified that he is not going to switch starting quarterbacks. He’s not reading the stars, he’s staying with Flacco these next few games.
Flacco, the presumptive starter coming into the game against Baltimore, looked absolutely horrible. He threw a really bad interception on the first play of the third quarter. The Ravens made them pay and turned it into a touchdown, extending Cleveland’s lead to 20-3. Late in the fourth quarter, Flacco fumbled, with linebacker Roquan Smith returning it 64 yards the other way for another touchdown. In addition, Flacco has three interceptions and four total turnovers in only two games this season.
Through all of those hurdles, Flacco said he wasn’t thinking about job security. He touted his efforts to hone his act and get himself on the right path as team leader.
“It’s honestly not on my mind. I got to go out there and just play my game, play the way I know how to. Lead this team the best I can,” – Joe Flacco
It was rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel who earned the call on the final series as he replaced Flacco. Stefanski may have dedicated the sepulchral Flacco to another year, but Bagent at least yielded hope with his first NFL touchdown pass. When asked if he might make a quarterback change this week, he said “no.”
That means the Browns’ offense is scrambling to find its rhythm. In fact, they have failed to break the 20-point barrier in both of their season opening contests. This presents a potentially disastrous long-term trend for the franchise. They’ve been shut out or failed to score 20 points in 16 of their last 19 matchups.
The Browns’ defense has gone into overdrive. They bogged down the Cincinnati Bengals in their Week 1 loss to only 7 net yards in the 2 nd half and they limited Ravens stud RB Derrick Henry to 23 rushing yards in their Week 2 game.
Flacco acknowledged the team’s overall shortcomings, stating, “I don’t think we did good enough. I think that collectively as a team, we as an offense, we as the coaching staff, all of us didn’t do a good enough job.”
This week, the Browns are preparing to welcome in the undefeated Green Bay Packers in a Week 3 Thursday night game. They’ll be looking to put their early-season woes behind them.
“We don’t have to go score 50 every night, but we can play good football and put up enough points and let those guys on defense pin their ears back and go do what they do,” – Joe Flacco
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