Browns HC explains QB decision after 0-2 start

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is sticking with 40-year-old Joe Flacco as his starting quarterback over rookie Dillon Gabriel, even though 0-2 Cleveland seems to be headed toward yet another losing season. 

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Stefanski insisted Flacco isn't solely to blame for all that went wrong for the Browns' offense over back-to-back losses. 

Why Kevin Stefanski is sticking with Joe Flacco

"We didn’t play well enough on offense, and we didn’t coach well enough on offense, and it’s never going to be about one person," Stefanski explained, per the Browns website. "Joe knows there’s plays that he can be better, and it obviously starts with protecting the ball in this game, and he understands that, and that’s our focus moving forward."

According to StatMuse, only Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young committed more turnovers (five) than Flacco (four) over the season's first two weeks. Per Pro Football Reference, Flacco began Tuesday ranked 29th in the NFL among qualified players with a 36.7 adjusted QBR and 30th with a 70.1 passer rating for the campaign. 

Nevertheless, Stefanski seems confident Flacco can be part of a needed offensive turnaround. 

Can Joe Flacco make Cleveland offense better?

"We are definitely going to be playing better as a team as this season goes on, and certainly the goal is to always get better as the calendar turns," Stefanski added during his comments. "So that’s what we’ll focus on. Obviously, there’s things that we know we need to do better. Not scoring enough points in the first two games, and that’s a combination of things. It’s run game, it’s pass game, it’s what we’re asking the guys to do."

The Athletic's Jason Lloyd pointed out that Flacco had "his worst start as a member of the Browns and his worst start with any team since 2017" when he was responsible for an expected points added per play of -0.50 in Cleveland's 41-17 loss at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Flacco will now spend the midweek preparing to face a Green Bay Packers defense that has looked like a championship-caliber unit with star pass-rusher Micah Parsons in the lineup. 

As of Tuesday morning, ESPN Bet had the Browns as 7.5-point home underdogs against the 2-0 Packers. One can't help but wonder if Stefanski could turn to Gabriel if Sunday's contest becomes a laugher in the second half.