Despite DTR being in the concussion protocol, Joe Flacco is set to start on Sunday against the Rams: “It’s very thrilling.”
LOS ANGELES Joe Flacco has a much tougher audience to please than his new teammates on the Browns. His five children, four of whom are sons, are eager to see what kind of playtime their father has left in him.
In addition to simply playing football, there are many other aspects of Flacco’s life right now that are incredibly exciting, he said on Thursday. “Having young children and experiencing their excitement about it are just two of the many factors that add to it now. Additionally, it helps to put things in perspective when you’re not there. You simply try to be as prepared as possible and let these opportunities take care of themselves.
He’s coming, ready or not. With rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson still undergoing the concussion protocol, Flacco, 38, is anticipated to start Sunday’s game against the Rams. For the second day in a row, Thompson-Robinson skipped practice on Thursday. Unlike on Wednesday, he didn’t even work outside during the session.
This implies that Flacco, a 16-year veteran, will probably assume leadership of the 7-4 Browns and work to keep them competitive for the postseason. They are now the sixth seed, and a lot of teams are vying for their spot.
It’s undoubtedly thrilling, Flacco remarked. I simply mean the chance. I enjoy playing this game a lot, and I’m currently doing that whenever an opportunity sort of arises. All you have to do is be patient and see what’s in store for you.
A little more than a week ago, Flacco kept himself prepared by playing catch with his brother Tom Flacco, a quarterback who also played in the Canadian Football League, and by tossing a smaller football to the kids in the yard for fun.
“It’s like my brother and I are out there on the field, spot catching, spot throwing for each other, maintaining the strength in our arms, running a little bit, and strengthening our legs,” Flacco remarked. But it wasn’t like it was extremely wild when it came to throwing. It was two or three times a week, just to make sure I wasn’t going overboard. All you need to do is have faith and confidence that the guys will be in the right place.
He was waiting for the phone to ring at home, and whatever he was doing, it worked perfectly. Running the first team offense on Wednesday and Thursday, Flacco—the former MVP of the Super Bowl—impressed Alex Van Pelt, his new offensive coordinator, to no end. Van Pelt actually concurs with Flacco that he is still capable of playing.
Van Pelt remarked, “He’s very self aware, and I think he’s correct.” “That tank still has a lot of fuel left in it. Observing him exhibit the accuracy, velocity, footwork, and other skills that he displayed yesterday.
In the first portion of practice that was accessible to the media over the previous two days, Flacco—a pocket passer who stands 6-6, 245—threw the ball with exceptional spin and placement.
Van Pelt declared, “There’s no doubt about it—he has an elite arm.” “On a scale of one to five, I would rate him at five. At every level of the field, his ball flight and velocity are extremely impressive. But the guys became enthused. The guys in the back were pretty enraged after he threw a few balls against the scout team the previous week.
Amari Cooper, who hasn’t performed well with Thompson-Robinson (7 of 19 targets, 66 yards, 0 touchdowns, long catch of 16), will be happy to hear that. With Flacco in command, he should be getting more passes downfield.
Cooper stated, “Making big plays and getting good field position so that we can score points is what the game is about.”
Additionally, he has a seasoned quarterback (180 starts) who can get into the weeds with the intelligent Cooper on the subtleties of running routes and outplaying defensive backs.
Yeah, Cooper agreed, it’s really cool. “As a veteran, I am confident in his extensive knowledge base. He was surrounded by many excellent players in addition to excellent receivers. As you can imagine, being surrounded by excellent players on the defensive end of the ball could teach him more about his position, what not to do, and other related things. Above all, he’s one of those guys that I just want to listen to when I talk to him. since I am aware of him All I want to do is listen. since I am aware that he has much to teach.
In addition to the 6-8 that occurred in the previous week’s 13-10 victory over the Steelers, the former Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco, witnessed another flurry of dropped passes while watching Sunday’s 29-12 loss to the Broncos from the sidelines wearing street clothes. Although he is aware that the receivers will find it difficult to get used to having their fourth starter this season, he has had little trouble thus far.
He remarked, “I’m not sure if we’ve had any drops.” “I’ve missed a couple guys and a few guys. I believe that yesterday and today, I overlooked Elijah Moore during a double move. Other than that, though, I’m not sure. At times, when you’re trying to play well offensively and put points on the board, you may press a little too hard or fight a little too hard, which can cause your body to become slightly off.
Though it can be turbulent at times, he hopes that his fifteen years of experience will help calm the waters for the 27th-ranked passing game.
He remarked, “Listen, I hope it’s not necessary, but I definitely believe it’s the quarterback’s job to make sure that he’s somebody that people can look at and see how they should react if they’re not sure how to react to a situation.” Therefore, as I mentioned, let’s hope we don’t require too much of that. However, these NFL games are all difficult. We’re going to have moments when we have to battle through things, and maybe I can be the one that they turn to when they need it.
When asked about Flacco’s arm, which helped the Ravens win the MVP award in 2012 and go 10-5 in the playoffs, Cooper’s mouth dropped open.
It appears good, he remarked. “He throws a really attractive ball.” The whole motion, when he drops back and lets it go—I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not—is like poetry in motion. It appears nice.
When Flacco steps onto the field for the first time since January of last year, he issued a warning that things might not always look nice. The last time he actually threw a touchdown pass was in Week 2, in the Jets’ thrilling 31-30 comeback victory over the Browns. In that game, he completed four touchdown passes, two of which came in the final eighty-two seconds. In his previous 17 starts, he is also 3–14, and nobody else offered him a chance.
He remarked, “I’m not going to come out here and make every throw and not make mistakes just because I have a lot left in the tank
”
But after losing the game, he returns to the field with a newfound sense of gratitude and a desire to show everyone—including his kids—that he is still a talented NFL quarterback. He is looking forward to the excitement of the game, despite the fact that three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald will be going after him on Sunday.
“I got to play against Miami in the season’s final game at the end, and you remember why you’re doing it and how awesome it is,” Flacco remarked. It does give you the opportunity to pause, think, and realize that, “Man, this is just a kid’s game,” when you have a little period of time where you are unable to do what you love. You also acknowledge how fortunate we are to be able to do what we do and how much you truly love it.
And Flacco is eager to get back in the saddle after having fun with the family for the previous year.
