CLEVELAND (AP) — When Joe Flacco arrived three weeks ago, Browns star Myles Garrett had his suspicions about what the 38-year-old quarterback had left.
Those doubts are gone.
“He's one us,” Garrett said. "And as long as he continues what he’s doing, he’s going to stay one of us.”
Flacco passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns — two to tight end David Njoku — in his home debut for Cleveland, and the Browns survived a late rally by Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 31-27 win Sunday.
The 38-year-old Flacco, who was signed on Nov. 20 by the Browns (8-5), delivered the kind of performance he had almost annually as a visitor with Baltimore. Flacco went 26 of 45 and improved to 10-2 as a starter in Cleveland.
Flacco has thrown for 565 yards and five touchdowns in two starts. Although Browns coach Kevin Stefanski never announced his starting quarterback for this week's game, he quickly confirmed that he'll ride with Flacco the rest of the way.
“The guy doing it all,” Garrett said. "He’s just giving it all for this team and got respect from the rest of the guys as well.”
Flacco threw two TD passes in the first half to Njoku and then completed a 41-yarder to wide receiver David Bell in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars gambled with an all-out blitz on fourth down. As Bell streaked to the end zone, Flacco did his best to keep up — for an old guy.
The Browns are the eighth team in NFL history to win using four starting quarterbacks in the same season.
And now they're putting their playoff hopes in the hands of Flacco, who will lead their stretch drive.
Flacco wasn't sure if his career was over before the Browns called last month after Deshaun Watson was lost with a season-ending shoulder injury. Now he's back in a playoff race, something he knows well from his years in Baltimore.
“It’s unbelievable to be out there,” Flacco said after getting his 100th win as a starter. "It’s really a unique experience. To have children that are of the age where they understand what’s going on, and I’m going to remember these things forever.
“I’m just trying to stay in the moment and be as grateful as possible and keep getting better.”
