EXCLUSIVE: Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski confirms Joe Flacco as starting QB for rest of season
Joe Flacco earned his 100th career win on Sunday.
CLEVELAND – Joe Flacco sent the Browns home with his first career win in Cleveland.
Flacco stole the show, leading the Browns to their eighth win of the year (8-5), passing for 311 yards and three touchdowns. According to coach Kevin Stefanski, it was a good enough performance to earn him the starting quarterback role for the rest of the season.
When asked if Flacco will be the starter for the rest of the season, Stefanski simply said, “Yes.”
“Obviously we learned today that it’s not a playoff game, but it feels like a playoff game because they’re a really good football team,” Stefanski continued. “So we knew what this game was going to be like, what kind of match it was going to be, what kind of fight it was going to be… “Joe has played in big games so we feel comfortable with him leading the football team.”
Flacco added another chapter to his dominant 10-2 record Sunday in Cleveland, this time in a Browns uniform. His 10th win as a starting QB for the Cleveland Browns ranks third all-time among QBs since 1999. Overall, he earned his 100th regular season win.
“I knew about it,” Flacco said of the milestone. “Not during the game, but you know, I’m proud when it’s all said and done.”
Joe Flacco, weeks after being out of the league: “I’m just trying to stay in the moment, appreciate as much as I can and try to get better.”
He also admitted that he knew this was his 100th career win. “I’m proud of him.”
The whirlwind that has been the Browns’ quarterback situation will now be facilitated by Flacco, who became the team’s fourth winning quarterback this year. All of his TD passes went for at least 30 yards, making him the first Cleveland QB to accomplish the feat in a single game since Brian Sipe’s 1980 MVP season.
“We still have to get down to business and continue to get better. That’s my main goal,” Flacco told reporters of the challenges he and the team face. “I don’t want to see the situation I’m in. Look, we’ve still got to go out there and make the most of every opportunity we get.”
With Cleveland now holding the best record among other AFC teams in the wild card hunt, Flacco will now focus on strengthening the Browns’ playoff position. The Browns are one game ahead of Indianapolis and Houston, both coming off losses in Week 14.
“We’ve got a team that’s ready to win no matter who’s quarterbacking us, and we’ve found that we’ve been dealing with injuries just like the rest of the NFL this season,” Stefanski said. “Everybody has to deal with injuries and we always use them as opportunities. I think that’s what we do.”
