The Browns head coach sends a message regarding Joe Flacco.
Cleveland Browns head coach won’t name Joe Flacco as starting quarterback.
The Cleveland Browns did not start Joe Flacco in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Flacco finished the game 23 of 44 for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His only mistake came at the wrong time in the fourth quarter. He found Elijah Moore and threw a deep ball that was scooped up by Rams safety John Johnson III.
Johnson returned the interception 42 yards and both fumbles for the Browns. Cleveland was down 20-19 at the close, but Los Angeles ended the game with 16 unanswered points.
Although the catch was poor, Flacco gave the Browns a rare spark this season. Despite this, Stefanski refused to endorse Flacco as the starter.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Stefanski said after the loss. “I loved him and I thought he made the right decision. We did what we expected of him.”
Flacco doesn’t know what his future holds in Cleveland, but it’s clear he wants to be involved. “I think once you get a taste of football, you want to do it as long as possible,” Flacco said.
The alternative would be rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who missed the game with a concussion. Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion this week but was unable to play in time. His status remains active, but he is expected to appear next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thompson-Robinson provides additional mobility, but the rookies have made mistakes and the offense lacks Flacco’s command.
Joe Flacco is guilty of holding on to someone he cares about.
Flacco was responsible for the game-changing interception. “I’m mad at myself. I know I can play this game. I was disappointed in myself for my mentality,” Flacco said. “I don’t think it’s possible to sit there and think about the positives right now.”
While it was expensive, there were positives in the game. Nine different players caught Flacco’s passes. Elijah Moore, who previously played with Flacco on the New York Jets, had his best game of the season, hauling in four catches for 83 yards. Surprisingly, Flacco played more than half the game without the help of Amari Cooper. The veteran wide receiver suffered a concussion in the first half. Cooper was the Browns’ most productive wide receiver. Leads Browns in receptions (49) and yards (799). He is also the only receiver to average over 10 yards per carry.
Miles Garrett comments on Joe Flacco’s performance
Flacco signed with the Browns in November. 20. There was limited time to perceive the crime. Myles Garrett praised Flacco during the game against the Rams. “He did a good job and led the offense really well for the first time,” Garrett said. “There is always room for improvement in all of us. But we have to act.”
The Browns defense has helped the team overcome some tough situations this season, but it has also dealt with some injuries. Star cornerback Denzel Ward has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury and veteran defensive end Rodney McLeod has missed the year with a forearm injury. Cleveland allowed the Rams to total 399 yards of offense. They face another tough challenge next week against the Jaguars, who average 23.1 points per game.
