Browns OC Tommy Rees issues blunt assessment of Joe Flacco’s struggles vs. Ravens

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco struggled in his return to M&T Bank Stadium while facing his former team, the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns lost 41-17, wherein Flacco completed 25 of 45 passes for 199 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. His overall passer rating was 65.0 before he was replaced in the fourth quarter by rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees gave an assessment of Sunday’s quarterback play.

“Never got into sync with the guys, whether it was, you know, us not getting the right pre-snap look, or just being off-kilter pressure, whatever it was, just never got into a rhythm,” Rees said on Thursday. “I think the quarterback position is so important to get into the flow of the game, to be able to feel confident in what you're doing while you're back there.”

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Joe Flacco’s performance was uneven from start to finish. In the first quarter, he went 5-for-9 for 23 yards. In the second, he completed 7 of 14 passes for 70 yards. He threw the touchdown in the third quarter but also threw the interception, going 5-for-9 for 53 yards. In the fourth quarter, before being pulled, he went 8-for-13 for 55 yards.

He also faced immense pressure from the Ravens’ defense. He was sacked twice, hit eight times and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

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How did Joe Flacco’s team fare against the Baltimore Ravens?

Cleveland Browns’ defense started strong, holding the Baltimore Ravens to just a field goal in the first quarter and making things difficult for Lamar Jackson. However, the offense couldn’t get going, and early mistakes began to pile up.

Cleveland was missing one starting offensive tackle, and then benched another, leading to issues in protection. A blocked punt gave the Ravens a short field, leading to a touchdown and a 10-0 deficit. The Browns finally got on the board with a field goal before halftime, making it 10-3.

The defense continued to fight, stopping the Ravens after a big play and holding them to a field goal. But the offense gave the ball away again, with Joe Flacco throwing a poor interception that led to another Ravens touchdown, stretching the lead to 20-3.

Cleveland had a lucky touchdown when a tipped ball landed in wide receiver Cedric Tillman’s hands, cutting the lead to 20-10. But the Ravens then made another touchdown to go up 27-10. Later on, Flacco fumbled on a sack, and the Ravens returned it for another score, making it 34-10.

In the fourth quarter, Dillon Gabriel came in and threw his first career touchdown after a long run by Quinshon Judkins set up the drive. Gabriel found Dylan Sampson in the back of the end zone for the Browns’ final points.

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Also Read: Browns HC Kevin Stefanski makes feelings known on replacing Joe Flacco with Dillon Gabriel after getting shut down 41-17 by Ravens

Edited by Garima