Browns Send Message on Joe Flacco After Beating Bears

It wasn’t all pretty from Joe Flacco but the 38-year-old Cleveland Browns quarterback made the big plays when it mattered against the Chicago Bears.

Flacco shook off a trio of interceptions to help lead the Browns to a 20-17 victory on Sunday. He played his best football in the fourth quarter, including a 51-yard touchdown strike to Amari Cooper with just over 3 minutes left that tied the game.

“Obviously, Joe made some unbelievable throws there when we needed them,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Just can’t say enough good things about how he played in that fourth quarter.”

It was Flacco’s second consecutive game going over 300 yards and he has 939 yards in his three starts. That ranks fifth all-time for a player in his first three games with a new team.

He also continues to spread the love. Nine different Browns receivers made a catch, with both David Njoku (10 catches, 104 yards) and Cooper (4 catches, 109 yards) both eclipsing the 100-yard mark. It’s the first time the Browns have had two 100-yard receivers in a game since 2013.

“I don’t think enough can be said for how our defense played with all the turnovers we had and the little amount of points they let up,” Flacco said after the win.

The Browns’ defense held the Bears to 236 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers. The unit stepped up when the Browns were down double-digits in the second half, giving the comeback life.

“All it takes is one play,” Browns star Myles Garrett said. “We never shy away from a challenge. We go through scenarios like that in practice all the time. The defense has to make a play or the offense has to score in a two-minute situation. We drill through that and execute day in and day out. When the opportunity presents itself, we’re ready for the moment.”

Part of the motivation for the defense comes in knowing that Flacco can produce if given a shot.

“He’s poised,” Browns cornerback Greg Newsome said. “We have all the trust in him. We knew if we got him the ball back, he’d lead us to victory.”

The Browns notched a trio of sacks and a whopping 11 tackles for loss. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had one of the best games of his career, notching 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 passes defensed and a sack.

The long list of injuries to key players keeps growing for the Browns. Cleveland lost multiple key players this week for the year, including safety Grant Delpit, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, and offensive tackles Dawand Jones and Jedrick Wills Jr. The team may also be without pass-rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo, who is dealing with a pec injury and missed Sunday’s game.

All-Pro offensive guard Joel Bitonio injured his knee early against the Bears, forcing Michael Dunn into action. Bitonio did not return, leaving guard Wyatt Teller as the only member of the original starting line. Still, the Browns pushed forward and picked up the win.

“It just tells you a lot about the guys this organization picked for this roster and in that locker room,” Flacco said. “It just speaks to the character of the guys in that room and I think you have to give credit to the organization for probably doing that on purpose.”

The Browns moved to 9-5 with the win and are now in prime position to lock up a playoff spot. Cleveland faces Houston Texans next week.

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