Joe Flacco enlists his wife’s help to adjust to Bengals offense
Quarterback Joe Flacco speaks on overcoming learning curves with Bengals offense during a press conference with the media at Paycor Stadium.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, acquired Oct. 7 in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, shared his reaction to the unexpected few days he’s had, ahead of his expected start in the team’s NFL Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
“Crazy business,” Flacco said. “You have to be ready for anything. That’s kind of what it was. Definitely didn’t have this on my list of things that were gonna happen. But hey, that’s this league. And I’m a player. I think most players would say the same thing. I like to play football. If that’s in Cincinnati right now, then I’m all for it.”
Flacco was asked how his first couple of days in Cincinnati have been.
“My head’s spinning a little bit,” Flacco said. “But just trying to come in here and have an open mind and figure out what we’ve got going on.”
Flacco was asked about the most challenging adjustment so far.
“I feel like I’ve done a good job,” Flacco said. “It’s a little bit different to call because some of the terminology’s a little bit different. I think that’s the biggest issue is kinda making sure I get in and out of the huddle the way I want to.”
Flacco was asked about the opportunity to play with the Bengals’ talented receiving corps.
“Everybody can see what they’ve done throughout their careers and the kind of players they are,” Flacco said. “I think it’s exciting for anybody to kind of go out and see them play. So when you’re the guy who gets to throw to them, it’s just another level.”
Flacco said he has spoken to injured starter Joe Burrow, and considers him a resource to help him.
“I feel like I have a lot to offer a football team,” Flacco added. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work to this point. I feel like I’ve worked really hard to be a guy that gets to play in the NFL. I still feel like I can play the game at a high level.”
Flacco led the Browns to a stunning win against the Packers in Week 3, Cleveland’s only win this season and Flacco’s only win in four starts before Dillon Gabriel replaced him.
“The biggest challenge (for me) is probably still just the Green Bay Packers,” Flacco said. “They’re a talented team that plays good football. I think all the other stuff you can use as an excuse. But we still have to go play the football game on Sunday, and they’re the ones that stand in front of us. … It’s probably a little bit helpful (to have faced them earlier in the season), the fact that you’ve been able to watch them on film and kind of see what they do and actually go out and play against them and kind of see how physical they are and all that stuff. I still think just like any other football game though, it’s about kind of focusing on ourselves and what we can do best.”
Flacco talked about his strategy as he approaches the situation.
“I think honestly I can get in trouble kinda thinking I know everything,” Flacco said. “I think the best way for me to deal with it is keep it simple. I think a lot of the times when you’ve played a lot of ball and when you’ve been around a lot of ball, you can get to the point where you overcomplicate things, and you’re just making things harder on yourself. So honestly I think my experience in this regard is gonna help me in the sense that I don’t have all the answers. Just keep it simple. Go play football. And I think that’s the best way that we can play consistently, stay ahead of the chains and do all of those things.”
Flacco practiced with the team for the first time shortly after head coach Zac Taylor announced Flacco will replace Jake Browning as starting QB.
Receiver Ja’Marr Chase said he thought Tee Higgins was joking when Higgins told him the Bengals traded for Flacco. Browning reacted to the news as well.
Flacco talked about the drive from Cleveland to Cincinnati after the trade.
“It was good. I was tired,” Flacco said. “I would have drove down myself but they were nice enough to kind of take us down with me. And Zac got on the phone with me kind of going over some of the basic things. … And then honestly I just crashed a little bit, like with my wife next to be, and just got a little bit of rest. We just got back from London and waking up is easy, but like at 8:00 I was hitting a wall. It was nice to just be able to just kinda get a little bit of rest on the drive after talking to him a little while. … A lot of the times when you’re going through things as a player, you just adapt. You just go with it. … The people that care about you, they almost wear it on their sleeve all these different emotions more than you do. … Honestly like when this ended up happening, there was a little bit of excitement from her. And yeah, sure, we looked at each other and were like ‘what the hell?’ But I think it was ultimately excitement on what the future holds.”
The Bengals shared video of the No. 16 jersey Flacco will wear.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Bengals had pre-trade chatter about adding Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock or Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Howell. ESPN analysts Marcus Spears and Dan Orlovsky slammed the Bengals, insisting that switching from Browning to Flacco at quarterback would not be an upgrade.
Flacco started at quarterback when the Bengals defeated the Browns in Week 1. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Week 18 at Paycor Stadium.
If Flacco starts in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football for the Bengals, he could oppose 41-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the only active starting QB older than Flacco.
The Bengals’ Thanksgiving night game on NBC could pit Flacco against the Baltimore Ravens, the team for which he played the first 11 of his 17 NFL seasons and earned Super Bowl MVP honors in Feb. 2013.