Browns Send 1-Word Message on Joe Flacco’s Future After Beating Jaguars

The Cleveland Browns have seen enough out of Joe Flacco and will ride with him as their starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

Flacco put together his second solid performance as the Browns’ starting quarterback on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished the game with 311 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Cleveland won the game 31-27 to move to 8-5.

Asked if Flacco will be the starter going forward, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski responded with a simple, “Yes.”

The Browns managed just 82 yards on the ground, putting a lot of pressure on Flacco. He came through, connecting with eight different receivers. David Njoku saw a lot of attention from the veteran QB, snagging six catches for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Played well. I think we expect him to get better as he gets more comfortable in the system with our players,” Stefanski said of Flacco after the game. “Him and all of our guys doing their jobs, giving us their best.”

The numbers Flacco has put up through two games are outstanding. He’s thrown for over 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns in both his appearances, becoming the only Browns quarterback to do so twice since 2021. That includes Deshaun Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed $230 million deal with Cleveland in 2022.

He is one of only five quarterbacks who have thrown a total of five touchdowns across their first two games with a new team, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

The Browns became just the eighth team since 1950 to have four different starting quarterbacks win a game during a single season.

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Browns Offense Clicking With Joe Flacco

The Browns did not name Flacco the starter until just a few hours before the game. After his performance on Sunday, the 38-year-old Flacco can find solace going forward knowing he’ll be the quarterback going forward in Cleveland.

“It feels good when people have confidence in you,” Flacco said. “I’ve been in a bunch of locker rooms, but whenever you walk into a locker room, you still want to gain the respect of everybody. And you don’t know if you quite have that until you can go out there and get a win and continue to do it day in and day out. You try to carry yourself the right way, and you try to do all the right things. But that doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of going out in the field on Sunday. So it feels awesome to go out there and get the win.”

Flacco wasn’t perfect, with a rough first-half interception and a fumble. However, he’s starting to feel things clicking within the Browns’ offense.

“I think you guys can see it and feel it a little bit,” Flacco said. “We have the ability to really start to get over the hump. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re going to work hard and we’re going to continue to get better.”

The victory was the 100th of Joe Flacco’s career and it’s one he’s going to remember. A play that stood out was on a fourth-and-3 call. Flacco faced pressure but hit a wide-open David Bell, who scampered 41 yards for the first touchdown of his career.

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Browns Defense Steps Up on Home Turf

Flacco got some help from the defense. The unit has thrived at home and again stepped up against the Jaguars. Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. notched a pair of interceptions and Greg Newsome II added another.

The interceptions were especially big for a secondary that was missing Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, who missed his third consecutive game with a shoulder injury.

The Browns are still two games back of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North race. Baltimore got a walk-off win in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. However, Cleveland is firmly in the mix for a Wild Card spot.

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