QB Joe Flacco gets his second start as the Browns face the Jaguars looking to make an impact in the AFC playoffs.
Joe Flacco has been ruled out for the game.
Flacco, who signed with Cleveland as an emergency backup three weeks ago when quarterback Deshaun Watson was lost to a season-ending shoulder injury, has a chance to lead the Browns to the playoffs.
This was a scenario that even he could not have imagined.
“It’s definitely refreshing. “It’s really exciting,” Flacco said.
“This is what you want.”Flacco is expected to make his second start in Cleveland on Sunday when the Browns (7-5) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4), who face a major problem at quarterback after Trevor Lawrence suffered a sprained ankle against Cincinnati. .
Even though he’s limping, Lawrence gained some experience this week, leaving the door open for him to play in a game that could have significant AFC postseason implications.
If he can’t do that, the Jaguars will have C.J. Beathard, who pitched two series Monday night after graduating from Lawrence.
“Whoever’s out there, whoever’s rolling, we want to go full speed ahead,” Jaguars linebacker Evan Engram said. “This is a big game for us.
This is a must win game. “We face a good team on the road and we have to be ready for who the next team is.”
QIf it’s a wild-card game, it’s certain that Lawrence, who returned to the field four days after suffering a knee injury in Week 6, will be back on the field.Honestly, this game is a lot like the playoffs.
The Browns currently hold one of the three wild card spots, but don’t have much to hang on to after dropping road games in Denver and Los Angeles the past two weeks.
One more mistake could put their playoff chances in serious jeopardy, and the game against Jacksonville is a must-win.
The same goes for the explosive Jaguars, who are a game ahead of Indianapolis (7-5) and Houston (7-5) in the AFC South.
It didn’t help that Jacksonville lost Lawrence, wide receiver Christian Kirk and left tackle Walter Little and was plagued by injuries Monday, a week after Brenton Strange and left tackle Cam Robinson went down.
“This is a brutal sport we play,” Engram said.
“Unfortunately, there will be injuries to our team or somebody else, but that’s the nature of the game and the nature of the competition.
It really is the mentality of the next guy. For those who can’t walk, it’s neither easy nor fun.
“It’s just the nature of the competition. “
If someone falls in front of you, you have to be ready to play.
“Flacco has been on the road to Baltimore before, and as a visitor, he’s looking forward to playing in a stadium he knows well, with plenty of danger on the line.
Last season, the 38-year-old stunned the Browns, helping the New York Jets come back from a 13-point deficit in the final two minutes.
This happened in a game in September. It’s December and the stakes are much higher.
Flacco, who passed for 254 yards last week in his first game in nearly a year, said there is something special about playing for Cleveland, where it is a 9-2 starter.
“Smelling grass is just like football,” Flacco said.
“This is always an attractive stadium for me. Smell the grass and feel the football weather.
This is the moment. “We’re in Cleveland in December and it’s going to be pretty interesting.”
pressure packagingMyles Garrett’s left shoulder injury could slow him down.
Cleveland’s top defense leaves no excuses. Garrett didn’t record a tackle last week and the Browns failed to record a tackle for the second straight game. Streak coordinator Jim Schwartz said this has to end.
“That’s not who we are,” Schwartz said.
“We’re not built that way. We have a lot of talent and we’re at our best when we can apply pressure with a four-man pass.”
It starts with All-Pro Garrett, who was double- and triple-teamed in last week’s loss to the Rams.
While he’s not worried about Garrett, Schwartz said the rest of the defensive front needs to step up.He continued, “I expect our D-line to be the driving force of our defense.”
“They are the engine that drives us. “
We have to go back to our quarterback and build everything around a four-man passage.
Philly ReunionJaguars coaches Doug Pederson and Schwartz know each other better than any coach in the league.
Schwartz was Pederson’s DC for five seasons (2016-2020) in Philadelphia.
They have won a total of 46 games since the 2017 season, including the Super Bowl.
This reputation can be good or bad.”If you know him and how he coached and how our defense coached in Philadelphia, you know the structure a little bit,” Pederson said.
“He’s changed a few things schematically over time, but now we have a talented defense and they’re playing really well.”road warriorJacksonville is the only NFL team with a perfect road record at home or away this season.
The Jaguars are 4-0 in actual road games and 6-0 on the road at Everbank Stadium, a perfect record that includes back-to-back wins against London, Atlanta and Buffalo last month.
Jacksonville posted a winning streak for the first time since 2007.
“That’s the focus of training camp that we’ve been talking about and that’s what we have to get right,” Lawrence said.
“We have to keep doing that. Obviously, it’s a big road race.
We will have some big road games to close out the year which we have to win.
“This week is a big challenge for us.”___AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long contributed to this report.___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 12. 3 august 2023, Inglewood, California Terryl)Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Trevor Lawrence, 16, is helped off the field after suffering an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida.
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