Joe Flacco’s fourth quarter in 20-17 Browns win was the stuff of legend
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
After his third interception late in the third quarter seemingly cemented an ugly loss on an ugly day for the Browns, Joe Flacco said, “Part of you wants to crawl into a hole somewhere and hide from everybody … but you can't do that.”
If he had done that, Flacco may have been excused for having his first really bad game on a day the Browns lost Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio to further weaken their decimated offensive line. The Browns would have retained the fifth seed in the AFC playoff field, anyways, with three games to go.
But what happened in the fourth quarter was the stuff of legend -- Joe Cool, Cleveland Browns version.
Flacco caught fire in the fourth quarter like no Browns quarterback has in the last 45 years. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown to lead the Browns to 13 points and a 20-17 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears.
Dustin Hopkins’ fourth game-winning field goal, from 34 yards, and his third in the last minute, was the difference.
But the Browns had to sweat out a Justin Fields’ Hail Mary into the end zone, which somehow was juggled off the hands of Chicago receiver Darnell Moody sitting on the ground – juggled twice, in fact -- and popped into the hands of safety D’Anthony Bell to secure the victory. Fields also had a Hail Mary intercepted at the end of the first half.
“I blacked out,” coach Kevin Stefanski said of the latter one. “I don’t know [what I was thinking]. I mean, honestly, that’s this season.”
T’is this season. It’s as if all the bad luck from decades past has been paid forward and rolled into this season.
The Browns advanced to 9-5 while relying on their fourth quarterback, after losing nine other prominent players to season-ending injuries, including four alone this week, in addition to losing Bitonio, their offensive line rock, early in this game because of pre-game back spasms.
Tight end David Njoku had a career day with a touchdown, 104 yards on 10 catches, and two big plays on the winning Browns' drive. (Cleveland Browns)
During his fourth quarter tour de force, Flacco was being protected – and we use that term loosely – by a backup left tackle who was signed off the street six weeks ago, a backup left guard, a backup center, and a third-string right tackle. Right guard Wyatt Teller was the only starter out there.
"Who could have wrote this story? I mean, not even Dr. Seuss,” said defensive end Myles Garrett. “It doesn't get more abstract than what we've gone through, but hell, we're making the most of it, having fun with it. And man, you just got to be blessed achieving. You're on this roller coaster and we've been through ups and downs, but we're together and that's how we're going to get through what we have and that's how we're going to continue to win."
Having a healthy, strong, experienced leader behind center has changed everything. Flacco has now thrown for 374 and 311 yards in the last two of his three starts for the Browns, both wins.
“Guy’s got ice in his veins,” said tight end David Njoku, who had a career day (10 catches on 14 targets with one touchdown and catch-and-runs of 34 and 31 yards on the winning drive).
Flacco had thrown for only 162 yards, along with those three interceptions, as the Bears held a 17-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. One interception was returned to the Browns’ 1-yard line, which set up the first Chicago touchdown, and the other was returned 45 yards for a Pick 6. Which means the defense gave up only three legitimate points after one of the Browns’ nine punts.
The turnaround started when cornerback Cameron Mitchell tripped up Fields by his shoestrings inches short of a first down on a fourth-down keeper. There was 14:53 to play. A false start on the Browns’ first down worsened the gloom of the moment. I mean, there was no reason things were going to change, only get worse.
Then the big plays started happening.
Flacco connected with neglected fleet receiver Marquise Goodwin for 57 yards to set up a Hopkins’ 33-yard field goal. Bears lead closed to 17-10.
Two series later, Flacco lasered a thread-the-needle pass to Amari Cooper, who broke to the right sideline, turned the corner, and ran it in for a 51-yard touchdown play. Game tied, 17-17.
“Not too many quarterbacks can make that throw,” said Cooper, who had 109 yards on four catches. “That window was small and closing.”
Chicago’s 10th punt gave Flacco the ball at the Browns’ 21 with 1:50 to go.
Flacco hit Njoku for a 31-yard gain on first down. Then, on third-and-15 from the Bears’ 47, Flacco backpedaled from furious pressure and slung it off his back foot to Njoku near the left sideline. The tight end bulled his way forward for 34 yards to the Bear’s 19.
Hopkins game-winning kick into the Dawg Pound came a few plays later. Stefanski had heeded Hopkins’ wishes at halftime to have the offense head toward Dawg Pound in the fourth quarter because of a 15 mph wind in that direction.
Flacco was still in uniform when he strolled into the post-game media room first, ahead of Stefanski.
“There’s had to be games like that I’ve played,” said the 16-year veteran. “We’ve played so many games, ugly games throughout the first 10, 11 years of my career. This was definitely one of them. Wow.”
“Joe’s a veteran,” said Cooper. “I’m sure he’s had a three-interception game before. A veteran understands the ebbs and flows of a game. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
For the record, prior to Sunday, Flacco had seven games in which he had thrown three or more interceptions – all with Baltimore. Only one time had he won a game while throwing three picks.
Teller said he apologized to Flacco for allowing the pressure that led to Flacco’s first interception.
“He’s like, ‘Dude, calm down. Calm down. We all are going to be OK,’” Teller said.
Better than OK.
