Browns plot twist: Will the Joe Flacco-led offense have to carry the defense to the finish line?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Browns 36-19 loss to Los Angeles Rams …
1. This Browns season is starting to have the feel of 1989 to me. That was a year of high expectations heightened by an historic lift-off by the defense – a 51-0 season debut in which new coach Bud Carson’s defense forced eight turnovers, scored three touchdowns and sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Bubby Brister six times. They rode that defensive tidal wave with the offense mired in strife – injuries, an NFL suspension to running back Kevin Mack and constant turmoil pitting quarterback Bernie Kosar and young offensive coordinator Marc Trestman v. Carson and his old-school defensive staff. Relations were stressed when the offense suffered consecutive point totals of 14, 16, 10 and 7 in one stretch, and 17, 10, 10 and 0 in another. Three-quarters through the season, though, the defense flamed out. Kosar and Trestman got things patched together and the offense actually carried the team to the playoffs via a 9-6-1 record and the division title, plus a playoff win against Buffalo. This Browns season is resembling a similar course. Jim Schwartz’s defense was “historic” early … “the best in the world,” but has lost its “bad-ass” edge, probably mostly because of injuries to its stars and inexplicable sub-par performances on the road. The offense plodded through turmoil – injuries to four key starters; plugging in three, now four, quarterbacks – and is in the position now of relying on veteran QB Joe Flacco to beef up the point total and ease the load on the defense for the team to reach the playoff finish line. It’s not a role suited for a rookie QB of any pedigree. The Browns are fortunate no quarterback-desperate team got to Flacco before them.
2. Not surprisingly, coach Kevin Stefanski declined to name Flacco his starter even for Sunday against Jacksonville, much less for the duration of the season. Whatever the motive for no statement on his QB plans, it seems unthinkable the coach would return rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the helm. DTR remains in concussion protocol. At some point, he will be cleared and the Browns will have to come to grips with the fact the team’s playoff fate rests with Flacco, who was unwanted by every NFL team until the Browns called him out of desperation two weeks ago. In Los Angeles, Flacco, 38, became the oldest quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in Browns history, surpassing Don Strock (1988) by 300 days. Flacco's two touchdowns v. the Rams matched the season high of Deshaun Watson. The Browns only had nine touchdown passes in the previous 11 games.
The Browns' playoff hopes could rest with the strong right arm of Joe Flacco. Amazing. (Cleveland Browns)
3. In his first game since January 8 with the Jets, Flacco showed no physical rust. He trusted his elite arm and slinged the ball into short windows, executed play-fakes deftly and avoided sacks by throwing away the ball. When I asked what part of his game was most rusty from his long layoff – he was unsigned after last season and didn’t participate in any OTAs, minicamps or training camp – Flacco indicated it was his decision-making. “It’s tough to say,” he said. “It’s going be tough to sit up here and judge some of the things that I probably went through. I think usually you get to go out there in an OTA and make sure that you can read defenses and anticipate throws and things like that, so to do it in a game for the first time … I honestly didn’t really think too much about it. I had the normal pre-game thoughts and all that. I think the one thing I would think about is the decision that I made at the end of the game and that was it. [The time off] does matter.” Flacco took the blame for the interception with 6:32 left and the Browns down, 20-19. He made the decision late to attempt a shot play to Elijah Moore and didn’t see safety John Johnson peering it down. Flacco felt he should have thrown the ball away or just scramble for a few yards.
4. Stefanski had no update on receiver Amari Cooper, who entered concussion protocol after taking a grazed helmet-to-helmet hit from Rams safety Jordan Fuller in the second quarter. Cooper was sandwiched by Fuller and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon after a Flacco fastball zipped through his hands and hit him in the chest. According to profootballreference.com, the Browns have 29 drops – just one off the NFL-worst total of 30 of the Kansas City Chiefs. Per the Website, David Njoku leads the Browns with 10 drops, followed by Jerome Ford (7), Cooper (4), Moore (3), Harrison Bryant (2), Marquise Goodwin (2) and David Bell (1). You might attribute some of the drops to the diversity of quarterbacks the receivers have had to adjust to. Then again, the Chiefs have 30 drops and only one quarterback – two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes. If Cooper can't play against the Jaguars, I would love for the Browns to incorporate preseason-sensation Austin Watkins into the offense. I mean, why not?
5. Left tackle Jedrick Wills is eligible to return to practice, though his sprained right MCL knee injury might keep him out another two weeks. Wills’ injury originally was reported as needing six weeks rehab time. Stefanski said he’ll know more on Wednesday about the status of Wills. Wills has been a player under the microscope since the Browns drafted him 10th overall in 2020 ahead of, notably, two-time All-Pro Tristen Wirfs of Tampa Bay. Attention on Wills intensified when the Browns picked up his fifth-year option in 2024 for a guaranteed $14.175 million. Perhaps no offensive lineman in recent Browns vintage has received more scrutiny than Wills. His replacement, off-the-street free agent Geron Christian, has performed admirably in virtual anonymity for four games at the integral left tackle position. There hasn’t been a peep of discontent expressed about Christian. I don’t know which is the better player. I just know that the noise surrounding that position has been silenced considerably.
