Joe Flacco is turning back the clock with the Cleveland Browns. He’s now thrown for five touchdown passes over the last two weeks after putting up 311 yards and three scores in a win against the Jaguars this week.
Danny Parkins and Andrew Fillipponi of the Audacy original podcast “1st & Pod” wondered if Flacco’s performance could open the door for other older quarterbacks to attempt a comeback as well.
“Joe Flacco out of the coach seat to three touchdowns,” Parkins said (26:17 in player above). “How is this happening?”
The Browns signed Flacco on November 20th after injuries to Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
“It’s incredible, man. I thought he would be their best quarterback that they had this season after Watson and maybe even better than Watson because with the offensive line play there they protect him,” Fillipponi said. “But I didn’t think he’d throw five touchdown passes in two weeks.”
Flacco has thrown an interception in each of his two games thus far, but he was able to overcome it this week.
“He’s going to have one mind-melting play per game,” Fillipponi continued, “but he looks like Joe Flacco of seven or eight years ago.”
Given the rash of injuries this season and multiple teams having to start their second or third-string quarterbacks, the guys wondered why it took until now for Flacco to sign somewhere.
“I don’t understand how this happens. The position is in such demand,” Fillipponi said. “When he was in New York, even though he didn’t play particularly well there, it was widely thought that he was a positive influence on other quarterbacks and their offensive team and staff and everything because he’s such a professional.
You’d think if he was interested in playing football somebody just would’ve brought him in as a cheap backup to mentor a young starting quarterback.”
Parkins offered a valid counterargument to that.
“I don’t think he wanted to be a backup,” he said. “I think he’s like I don’t want to deal with training camp. I don’t want to deal with competition. I don’t even necessarily want to deal with 18 games because I’m a statue. But good team, middle of the season, you need me to be your starter?”
Parkins said that he’d take Flacco over Baker Mayfield for one game right now, which Fillipponi noted would put him around the top-20 mark in the NFL.
The guys then offered up some names that may or may not be able to do what Flacco is doing.
Parkins: “Could Matt Ryan do this?”
Fillipponi: “I’m stunned that there’s no conversation or discourse about that.”
Parkins: “Should we take RGIII seriously when he says he wants to play?”
Fillipponi: “No, but he was bad for a long time and hasn’t been good since he blew out his knee.”
Parkins: “Not even to be inflammatory, but Kaepernick?”
Fillipponi: “Any quarterback who had a brief run of success – Cam Newton. These types of performances make you wonder about potential prosperity with those guys returning to the NFL.”
The one thing that may set Flacco apart, however, is his arm strength.
“Flacco’s got the arm. A lot of these guys lose that,” Fillipponi concluded. “Roethlisberger lost it. Eli Manning lost it. Peyton Manning lost it. Drew Brees lost it. He’s like a Randy Johnson or Roger Clemens, pitchers in their 40s still throwing close to 100 miles per hour – or Nolan Ryan. The guy can still absolutely bring it.”
Flacco and the Browns will need to bring it against a tough Bears defense next week.