Browns Is Forced to Bench DTR Despite Passing Protocol
The Cleveland Browns will have to choose between less-than-ideal options at quarterback as they prepare for this weekend’s road game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson remains in the concussion protocol, backup PJ Walker continues to struggle every time he enters a game, and Joe Flacco is still 38 years old and has never played a regular season game for this team from Cleveland. The Browns lost to the Denver Broncos, 7-4. They will miss their second consecutive game in the AFC playoff race.
Mary Kay Cabot argued Tuesday, Nov. 28, that Flacco is the best of the three options, adding that even if the rookie is healthy enough to play, the Browns should start him over Thompson- Robinson.
Chances are, Thompson-Robinson wouldn’t be cleared until late in the week anyway, but regardless if he is or not, the Browns should announce Flacco as their starter and move forward with everyone getting on the same page and knowing what to expect from the jump.
Cleveland.com
If Thompson-Robinson were a longtime veteran, he might be able to miss most or all of practice and still be ready to start. But as a rookie, it would be a tall order for him to implement and assimilate the game plan with mostly mental reps and meetings.
Thompson-Robinson has completed 53.2% of his 109 pass attempts for 429 yards, 1 TD and 4 INTs this season, but three of those attempts came in his first start against the Baltimore Ravens. He also rushed the ball 12 times for 65 yards and compiled a 1-2 record as a starter, according to Pro Football Reference. There is no guarantee that Joe Flacco is the right safety valve for the Browns.
No Guarantee Joe Flacco is Adequate Safety Valve for Browns
Cabot’s suggestion has some internal logic given the size of Sunday’s game, but Flacco’s selection on Sunday remains potentially problematic on several fronts.
The first is that if the coaching staff inserts Flacco into the starting lineup, there is no telling which player Cleveland will play. He is 1-8 as a backup for the New York Jets over the past three seasons and has never won as an NFL quarterback, including in 2017 with the Baltimore Ravens.
Second, Flacco has only been a member of the Browns organization for nine days. It’s hard to imagine him understanding the fundamentals of the offense better than Thompson-Robinson, who has been studying it since last May. Sure, the game plan changes every week, but it’s all part of a bigger picture that Thompson-Robinson understands better than Flacco.
Ultimately, if the Browns expect Thompson-Robinson to start this season or install him as Deshaun Watson’s primary backup, it doesn’t make sense to stunt the rookie’s growth and negatively affect his confidence. Both outcomes are possible in the next few years.
Browns’ Playoff Chances Grow Precarious with Loss to Rams
After the loss to the Broncos, which dropped the team to third in the AFC North, the Browns fell to 19th in the power rankings, according to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI). More importantly, FPI still projects Cleveland to have a 68 percent chance to win 10 games and make the playoffs before this weekend’s matchup with the Rams (5-6).
However, given the scheduled schedule, the game against LA became the deciding factor. It’s unfair to call this a must-win, but the Browns must face the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, two AFC playoff contenders, before finishing the year at the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals will be without quarterback Joe Burroughs for this game, but the Browns will have to try to avoid having to win a game on the road in the final week of the season to qualify for the playoffs. Beating the Rams on Sunday would go a long way toward that goal, making the decision between Flacco and Thompson-Robinson on who should start under center that much more important.
