Former Super Bowl MVP and longtime quarterback Joe Flacco has been called upon to save a season again.
He has been asked to step up big in his previous stops with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns twice, after his strong career with the Baltimore Ravens, where he led the team to a Super Bowl win.
Now, Flacco will attempt to save the Cincinnati Bengals’ season after three consecutive losses since starting quarterback Joe Burrow’s toe injury, which will keep him out for months.
Cincinnati traded with the Browns for Flacco on Tuesday, as the Browns purged the quarterback room a little. Cleveland entered the season with Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders on the roster, and Kenny Pickett was part of the team during the preseason.
Taylor confirmed Flacco will start his first game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, whom Flacco led the Browns to victory against last month. Flacco hasn’t saved every season for teams not named the Ravens, but he did just that for the Browns in 2023 when he led the team to the playoffs.
“That’s why we like him. That’s why we brought him in, because he fits what we do,” Taylor said. “You don’t have to change much. Now you just have to get him up to speed with the full scope of what you have in your arsenal.”
Flacco will get one of the best receiving corps of his entire career with the Bengals, which boasts the dynamic duo of stars J’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In addition, Flacco will have running back Chase Brown and tight end Mike Gesicki to throw to.
After Burrow’s injury in Week 2, backup Jake Browning took the helm but faltered often with a 64.5 percent completion rate for 747 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions. That spurred the Bengals to send a fifth-round draft pick to Cleveland for Flacco and a sixth-round pick next year.
“Yesterday, felt like I said there are 24 hours in a day. I felt like there were 36 hours in yesterday,” Taylor said about bringing in Flacco and getting him ready for Week 6. “We just tried to cover all the base pieces of information. You like to knock out personnel and formations and motions and the easy stuff, and then when you get in here, get the nuts and bolts.”
“We probably talked some run game last night, I think, on the phone too, got into the run game plan and just the easy stuff that he knew, and it all sounds familiar. So he'll be ready to roll,” Taylor added.
Against the Packers in Week 3, Flacco went 21–36 for 142 yards as he led the Browns back from a 10–0 hole in the fourth quarter to win 13–10 at home. This time, Flacco will face the Packers at Lambeau Field, where the team hasn’t lost this season.
“You’ve done seven days of prep already on the team and got out there and played and felt them and understand what their line feels like, understands the basic cover structures and some of the things that they try to do to stress you,” Taylor said. “On top of studying our stuff and watching the tape, usually the quarterback already knows your offense, and so he’s just focused on watching the tape of the opponent.
“Now, at least the one advantage we do have with bringing Joe Flacco in here specifically is he’s watched tape for a week. He’s played this game,” he added. “He‘ll still need to do the same thing, because they played two games since then, but at the same time, it’s at least there’s in the back of his mind. ’I’ve played these guys, and I have an understanding of how they try to attack you.'”
Meanwhile, the Browns will go with Gabriel as the starter after he made his debut in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings.
