The drumbeat for a QB change is rising, and Joe Flacco’s turnovers are to blame

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Second thoughts on Ravens 41, Browns 17 …

1. In the Browns’ last eight games, all losses, they have scored 32, 14, 7, 6, 3, 10, 16 and 17 points. That’s an average of 13.1 points per game. They have held a lead in only three of those eight games, for a total of 25 minutes, 18 seconds in game time out of a possible 480 minutes – or 5.25% of the time. They have committed 26 turnovers – an average of 3.25 per game. And in those eight games they have started four quarterbacks – Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bailey Zappe and Joe Flacco. Now the drumbeat has begun for the imminent fifth starter, Dillon Gabriel.

2. “I’m not really focused on last season,” coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. Maybe not. But 15 of the 22 starters in Sunday’s loss in Baltimore also lived through the six losses to end the 2024 season. Those six losses in a row were reason enough for Myles Garrett to campaign heavily for a trade during Super Bowl week because he was tired of losing. Now, after two more losses to start the 2025 season, Garrett’s money quote in Baltimore was, “[Expletive’s] embarrassing.” I asked Stefanski how concerned he is about keeping Garrett and other veterans on board with the program as the losses mount. “We obviously have come up short in these first two ball games, and we’ll just keep our head down and get back to work. That’s really what we’ll do,” Stefanski said.

3. As for a quarterback change, Stefanski showed no signs on Monday of hedging on his post-game comments that he’s not thinking of a QB change  (for now). “We didn’t play well enough on offense, and we didn’t coach well enough on offense, and it’s never going to be about one person,” Stefanski said. “Joe knows there’s plays that he can be better, and it obviously starts with protecting the ball in this game, and he understands that, and that’s our focus moving forward.” When the Browns grind their analytics on Flacco’s performance, the number that raises red flags is not his age of 40 but his turnover total of four over two games. Yes, the two interceptions in the Cincinnati game were flukey deflections off receivers’ hands and weren’t totally on Flacco. But the two in Baltimore were wholly on Flacco. And those turnover numbers will accelerate a change to Gabriel as much as wins v. losses.

4. The Browns probably wanted Flacco to pilot the team at least through this opening schedule gauntlet of Cincinnati, Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. If Andre Szmyt makes his kicks v. Cincinnati, the Browns are 1-1 and not 0-2 and Flacco’s “embarrassing” performance in Baltimore – his words – would not be the issue that it is today. One good game and one bad game are not reasonable grounds for a quarterback change. At the same time, however, Gabriel’s seven-play stint in Baltimore – 3 of 3 for 19 yards and a TD on a 65-yard scoring drive – accentuated his energy in getting the ball out, whether on handoffs to backs or passes to receiver; his quickness afoot; his deftness at bootlegging and play-faking; his throwing accuracy; and his uncommon processing speed. Those attributes have some in the Browns’ building salivating to see him play. Gabriel’s time may come sooner than anyone expected.

5. I posed to Stefanski if he would be open to giving Gabriel more game snaps even if he doesn’t depose Flacco as the starter. My thought was it might spark the offense and expose the problem to be Flacco’s lack of mobility. “Yeah, that’s really not our focus,” Stefanski responded. “[Sunday], you understand how the game was and where we were in the game, but that’s really not our focus.”

6. One change the Browns are contemplating is to accelerate running back Quinshon Judkins into the feature back role. After only two real practices since June minicamp, Judkins touched the ball 13 times in 20 snaps in his NFL debut in Baltimore. He rushed 10 times for 61 yards and caught 3 of 3 targets for 10 yards. Despite overall bad reviews of offensive line play, the Browns actually rushed for 115 yards and a 5.2 average against the Ravens. Judkins could be the missing link to Stefanski’s offense absent since Nick Chubb’s career-altering knee injury in Pittsburgh in Week 2 of 2023. Because Dylan Sampson certainly is not that. “I thought he did a nice job with what we asked him to do [Sunday],” Stefanski said. “Obviously get him in here, get a lift, get treatment, see how his body’s feeling, But I think he certainly is capable of doing more and we’ll treat it just like we did last week, in that, we’ll see how he comes through the week and make those types of decisions as the week goes on.”

7. A shoutout to linebacker Devin Bush, who had his best game in two years with the Browns. Bush led the defense with eight tackles, earned a sack and had two PBUs. One of his pass breakups on tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden prevented a Baltimore touchdown on the Browns’ first goal-line stand in the third quarter. On the second one a series later, Bush had a chance to intercept a deflected pass for Derrick Henry in the end zone, but couldn’t hold onto the ball. Lamar Jackson connected with Devontez Walker on the next play for a 2-yard TD and 20-3 Baltimore lead. “I wish I would have got a good grip of it and brought it down and gave our offense the ball back, and maybe it would have shifted the momentum of the game at that time,” Bush said. “All the teams that win on Sunday make those plays and give their teams the best chance to win.” Exactly.