What has been a dark, distressing stretch of football could turn a corner toward the light of hope once again if Flacco can prove Taylor right.
“You just know him,” Taylor said. “I don’t know him personally, only met him once before he came here, but know his game. Played against him, I don’t know how many times. A lot of times. Very comfortable with his style. Concepts he’s been good at, things that fit us that we do. A lot of the terminology, there’s a bunch of carryover, more so than I would have anticipated. So, feel like we can get up to speed quickly.”
If Flacco can accomplish a feat similar to the one he pulled off in Cleveland in 2023 — win 80 percent of his regular-season starts while leading his team to a playoff berth shortly after arriving — it will add another magical chapter to the storybook that has been Flacco’s lengthy NFL career. But there are reasons for concern.
Flacco was only available because Cleveland had benched him in favor of getting a look at their rookie quarterbacks. The Browns’ offense, while still a below-average unit, showed some improvement with Dillon Gabriel playing in place of Flacco (as well as the return of starting right tackle Jack Conklin) in a close loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London last Sunday.
The change in Cleveland was necessary after it became obvious Flacco’s lack of mobility would not be sustainable behind the Browns’ leaky offensive line. Flacco also developed a tendency to make some mystifying decisions with the football, producing some of the worst interceptions seen in the NFL this season.
The same circumstances exist in Cincinnati, where the Bengals have not been able to capitalize on their wealth of receiving talent because Browning hasn’t had much time to throw. Like Flacco, Browning has also turned the ball over too often. Even more concerning is the Bengals’ nonexistent running game, currently ranked last in the NFL at a putrid 57 yards per game — nearly 40 less per contest than what Cleveland has averaged through five weeks.
Logically, Flacco might experience the same struggles that got him benched in Cleveland. But Taylor believes Flacco’s skillset alone represents an upgrade over Browning, justifying the move and quick insertion into the starting lineup.
“The No. 1 trait you’re looking for is a guy that can operate your system and throw the football,” Taylor explained. “Joe’s always been a tremendous passer in this league and I’ve seen it. So now we’ve got tremendous weapons that he can play around and I’m excited to see him do it.”
The weapons in Cincinnati — Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas and even previously unheralded highlight producer Mitchell Tinsley — are undoubtedly superior to what Cleveland boasts at receiver. Flacco will need time to throw to them, though, and won’t find the going easy against a Packers defense headlined by quarterback hunters in Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Patience is a limited resource in the NFL. Cincinnati exhausted its supply with Browning; now, it’s up to Flacco to deliver a new source of fuel to the sputtering Bengals.