Getty Images Cleveland Browns head coach is still sorting out of PJ Walker or Jeff Driskel will backup Joe Flacco.
The Cleveland Browns are still undecided on who will backup Joe Flacco as they kick off the postseason against the Houston Texans.
The Browns have started five different players under center this season with $230 million franchise QB Deshaun Watson dealing with injuries. Watson missed all but one quarter during a four-game stretch early in the season. He recently had surgery for a separate shoulder issue, knocking him out for the year.
Flacco has been a lottery ticket for the Browns. The 38-year-old has turned back the clock and has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league since taking over on December 3.
The question now is who will back him up. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson held the duty but landed on injured reserve with a hip injury. The decision comes down to Jeff Driskel or PJ Walker.
“We’re working through that,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Tuesday, January 9.
Jeff Driskel, PJ Walker Have Struggled as Browns Starter
Getty ImagesJeff Driskel started the season finale for the Browns against the Bengals but many of the starters didn’t play.
It’s not the most crucial decision ahead of a playoff matchup. However, it’s a potentially consequential one considering the Browns’ injury luck this year.
Driskel started on January 7 and had a rough go without many of the Browns starters at his disposal. He finished the game with 166 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Browns lost 31-14 and Driskel made no excuses after the game.
“This is a hard league, but there’s no excuses,” Driskel said. “You just got to go out there and figure out a way to get it done and we didn’t get it done today.”
Walker has seen time as the starter this year but struggled with turnovers. He tossed 5 interceptions to 1 touchdown and posted a QB rating of 52.2. Both are currently on the active roster.
Browns QB Joe Flacco Brings Playoff Experience
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco boasts the second most road playoff wins in NFL history.
The reality for the Browns is that if Flacco goes down, their playoff hopes will be nearly extinguished. In five games Flacco has passed for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He’s posted a QB rating of 90.2 and is 4-1 in his starts.
He also comes with heaps of playoff experience. Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2012 season and was named the MVP of the game. He also boasts the second-most road playoff wins in NFL history, behind only Tom Brady.
The Browns are the No. 5 seed and begin their playoff journey on the road against the Texans on Saturday.
“I think it just goes back to doing the basics the right way,” Flacco said on Tuesday, January 9. “Not overthinking what it means to go on the road, just going and playing a good football game. And when the dust settles, like I said, you pick your head up and see where you are.”
The Browns were hit hard by the injury bug this season, with an NFL-high 26% of their cap space on IR. The Browns could have folded but Flacco has seen it galvanize the group.
“It always helps to go through tough times and truly be tested, whether that’s injuries or close games – finding your identity, things like that, they all help,” Flacco said.
Flacco and the Browns opened as a 1.5-point favorite for the Wild Card matchup against the Texans.
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Browns Give 6-Word Statement on QB Situation for Playoffs