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The Baltimore Ravens have secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and have a bye for the first round of the playoffs. However, former Ravens quarterback, and now current Cleveland Browns QB, Joe Flacco has led the Browns to their own playoff spot and a potential collision course with Baltimore.
The Athletics’ Zac Jackson wrote about how the Flacco comeback story could get even better, and that would be if he faces the Ravens in the playoffs.
Jackson writes, “It has to happen. Divisional round, M&T Bank Stadium. The top-seeded 13-3 Ravens, probably the only team hotter than the Browns, hosting Cleveland and Joseph Vincent Flacco. It just has to.”
The Browns are currently locked into the No. 5 seed and will be awaiting the winner of the AFC South division to face in the Wild-Card Round, according to Jackson.
“None of us know how the fascinating and wildly improbable story of Flacco elevating the Browns and pushing them to the playoffs is going to end, but he’s been good enough to make all of us believe it won’t necessarily end right away once the postseason begins,” Jackson writes.
If the Browns come out victorious in their first playoff game, and assuming the No.2 and No.3 seeds handle their business, then the Ravens and Browns would face each other for the third time this season.
“We all want the Flacco Bowl,” Jackson says.
Playoff Meeting Would Bring Joe Flacco Full Circle
Flacco played 11 seasons for the Ravens and holds most of their franchise records, including 38,245 passing yards, 212 passing touchdowns, 163 games as starting QB and 18 4th-quarter comebacks.
Furthermore, he will always be remembered as a Ravens’ legend for leading the team to a Super Bowl victory in the 2012 season over the San Francisco 49ers and being named the Super Bowl MVP.
“[Lamar] Jackson replaced Flacco as Baltimore’s quarterback in 2018, and the Ravens traded Flacco to Denver [Broncos] a couple of months after that season,” Zac Jackson wrote. The Ravens took Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 draft as their QB of the future.
They made the switch after a slow start to the 2018 season. Flacco then landed with the New York Jets for a few seasons where he was the on again, off again starting QB.
The QB was unsigned to start the season and was not a part of any time for the first half of the season. That changed after starting QB Deshaun Watson went down with a shoulder injury during their 33-31 win over the Ravens in Week 10.
“They [Browns] haven’t lost since Flacco’s first start this season against the Los Angeles Rams,” Jackson writes.
Flacco Would Be Third Browns QB to Face Ravens This Season
If the Browns and Ravens do meet for the third time Flacco would be the third different QB the Browns have sent out to face the Ravens. The first meeting was during Week 4, and the Ravens faced off with Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Baltimore routed the Browns in that matchup 28-3, forcing 3 interceptions and 3.0 sacks. QB Lamar Jackson also had four total touchdowns (two passing and two rushing) against a difficult Browns’ unit.
In their second meeting, the Ravens blew a large second-half lead against a Watson led Browns’ team during Week 10. The 33-31 loss was a wakeup call for the Ravens though, as they have not lost a game since then.
Flacco joined the Browns after the Week 10 matchup, so if they were to meet up in the playoffs it would be his first time seeing his former team as a Brown.
Flacco has faced off with Baltimore previously as a member of the Jets. During Week 1 of the 2022 season the Ravens beat Flacco and the Jets 24-9.
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