Joe Flacco has seen nearly everything in his two decades in the NFL. But the Cleveland Browns’ veteran quarterback acknowledged that hearing boos at home is one thing that never gets easier to block out.
The Browns‘ offense was shut out at home for most of the afternoon against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. As the unit sputtered and Flacco continued to miss passes, the boos started to come out at the start of the second half.
“Everybody heard boos. The boos are just a reaction to us not doing as well as we want to. That’s the hard part. You want to react to it, but you can’t,” Flacco said. “Being a pro, you can’t be that guy. You will not survive. You’ve got to be able to rally. You have to be able to rally, at least fake it, and bring it to life.”
The Browns were able to rally late in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on an interception and blocked field goal to pull off a 13-10 victory. Kicker Andre Szmyt came through on a 55-yard field goal as time expired.
Flacco completed 21 of 36 passes for 142 yards with an interception in the victory.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to go out there and play in games like today,” Flacco said. “But that’s what football is sometimes. With the type of defense we have, it’s about going out there and capitalizing on turnovers and not making mistakes. It wasn’t pretty today. It was tough and there were times down the field where guys were open but I just didn’t make it happen.”
Browns Didn’t Consider Benching Joe Flacco vs. Packers
It wasn’t a pretty day for the Browns‘ offense. But Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski never considered benching Flacco in favor of Dillon Gabriel in an attempt to get a spark.
“I’m just focusing on doing what I think is best for the team,” Stefanski said of his reasoning to stick with Flacco.
The Browns‘ offense production from its pass-catchers has been limited, to say the least. Pro Bowler Jerry Jeudy, the Browns‘ leading receiver a year ago, has just 10 catches this season for 134 yards. He had just one catch against the Packers.
“You feel for the group as a whole. Everyone wants to go out there and perform and put up numbers, points, yards, all that stuff,” Flacco said. “Part of your job as a quarterback is to get that done. But also, your job is to win a football game and play your role.”
Browns Kicker Andre Szmyt Comes Through
The Browns made a tough decision after Week 1 to stick with Szmyt. He missed two crucial kicks against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 17-16 loss. But Cleveland didn’t cut Szmyt and it paid off against the Packers.
The former undrafted free agent hit all his kicks down the stretch and could breathe a giant sigh of relief when his 55-yard boot for the win went through the uprights.
“He knows who he is,” Garrett said of Szmyt. “He was ready for the moment and excited to get the opportunity with the game on the line. He made the most of it and couldn’t be prouder of him.”
The Browns will head out on the road next week to take on the Detroit Lions.
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