The Cleveland Browns got blown out on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, which led to a change under center late in the contest.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski pulled starting quarterback and veteran Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter in favor or third-round rookie and backup QB Dillon Gabriel. Flacco went 25-of-45 for 199 passing yards, one TD and one INT against the Ravens defense, while Gabriel was 3-of-3 for 20 yards and a touchdown, which he completed to rookie running back Dylan Sampson.
Cleveland lost to Baltimore by a score of 41-17, after which reporters asked Stefanski if the change from Flacco to Gabriel will be permanent.
“I don’t think we did good enough.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he is not considering a quarterback change,” Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported via X following the contest. Rookie Dillon Gabriel played the final series.
Oyefusi also quoted Stefanski in the social media post: “I don’t think we did good enough.”
Joe Flacco’s Play Took Step Back Against Ravens, While Dillon Gabriel Looked Competent
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
While Gabriel won’t be moving into the starting role for the team’s third game of the year, which comes against the undefeated Green Bay Packers at home in the early window next Sunday, his performance against the Ravens probably moved him a step closer to the job.
Flacco was solid in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 31-of-45 attempts for 290 yards, one TD and two INTs. However, both interceptions came via dropped passes that were the fault of Flacco’s intended targets rather than his own.
But Sunday in Baltimore was different. The 40-year-old was less efficient on the exact same volume, connecting on six fewer passes. The interception Flacco threw was also his fault this time, while a Ravens defender deflected the QB’s sole touchdown pass into the hands of wideout Cedric Tillman.
Cleveland lost last week’s game to the Bengals by one point, in large part due to a missed extra point and a missed field goal by Andre Szmyt. Baltimore blew the Browns out by 24 points in Week 2, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here as the Packers look like an NFC frontrunner two weeks into the season.
The Browns then go on the road to play the NFC’s reigning No. 1 playoff seed in the Detroit Lions, who just scored 52 points on the Chicago Bears, before hosting the Minnesota Vikings.
Things Only Get Tougher for Browns, Joe Flacco as Packers Come to Cleveland in Week 3
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns
The Packers have an elite defense that will get 10 days of rest before arriving in Cleveland, which is potentially a recipe for disaster for the Browns.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com detailed prior to the season the fact that Cleveland won’t hesitate to move on from Flacco for Gabriel if necessary.
If it’s going well and the Browns are scoring points, Flacco will continue on. But if he’s turning the ball over or taking sacks, the Browns will hand the reins to Gabriel without hesitation,” Cabot wrote on August 31. “They loved what they saw of Gabriel in camp and preseason games, and won’t hesitate to start him even if it’s early in the season.”
Gabriel only came in against the Ravens because it was garbage time, Cleveland had no chance to win and those circumstances provided an opportunity for him to get some work. But he looked confident and competent on his sole drive.
As such, if the Browns continue to struggle, the coaching staff may call upon Gabriel sooner than later.
Browns Make Bold Call on QB Plans After Yanking Joe Flacco for Dillon Gabriel