Joe Flacco Throwing One of the Most Bizarre Interceptions Against Lions Has Fans Doubting His Credibility – “Time for Sanders”

In four games for the Browns this season, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown six interceptions and eight turnovers.

Joe Flacco Throwing One of the Most Bizarre Interceptions Against Lions Has Fans Doubting His Credibility – “Time for Sanders”

Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco Images via Getty Images, Screengrab via X)

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The Detroit Lions (3-1) cruised to another victory at home, defeating the Cleveland Browns (1-3) 34-10 at Ford Field on Sunday (September 28) afternoon. The Browns looked different from the squad that limited a dangerous Green Bay Packers last week. Jim Schwartz‘s defense crumbled in the Lions’ aggressive offensive explosiveness while the Browns’ offense was touching mistakes like Midas and gold.

Joe Flacco was rather unremarkable with a tepid performance. The 40-year-old former Super Bowl winner couldn’t even complete half of his passes and threw for no touchdowns. To make matters worse, he threw not one but two interceptions. One of the two interceptions has gained some major attention due to its puzzling nature.

Dropping back late in the first half, Flacco floated a pass down the left sideline, only to have it land directly in the arms of a waiting Detroit defender. No Browns receiver was in sight, leaving fans and analysts stunned by the ease of the turnover.

However, replays suggested the miscue was not solely Flacco’s fault. Rookie wideout Cedric Tillman, aligned wide left, appeared to ease up on his route, creating the glaring gap that made the throw look even worse. Nonetheless, it was quite out of place in such a high-stakes game. It also highlighted the bigger picture that hasn’t gained as much debate as it should have received. In the last four games, Flacco has thrown career high six interceptions and eight turnovers.

Needless to say, the glaring mistakes from the day and the broader perspective have reignited debate about Cleveland’s quarterback situation. Behind Flacco, the Browns have two intriguing rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, whose potential remains largely untested.

The Browns have a challenging two-game stretch coming up following Sunday’s defeat. They will play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, two teams that made it to the playoffs last year. The Vikings, who lost the Dublin 2025 game against the Steelers at Croke Park, will be coming at the Browns twice as hard.

Joe Flacco might not be Cleveland’s savior for a second time

There is no doubt that Joe Flacco’s veteran presence has provided stability, but turnovers of this nature invite scrutiny. In 2023, Flacco proved himself in the lakeshore city with a performance that earned them a spot in the playoffs after years. He even became the oldest person in almost six decades to be awarded or selected for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Joe Flacco-2
Joe Flacco (Image via The Cleveland Browns)

However, the Browns might have to consider that Flacco might not be their former hero anymore. These lapses have provoked the fans to call for replacing Flacco with the younger rookie quarterbacks and giving them a chance to guide the offense forward. After all, the coaches have previously admitted that they are confident in these young men.

However, Shedeur Sanders does have a fair share of people against him. A few have pointed out that while he may be better, he isn’t ready to play. With Lamar Jackson sustaining a potential hamstring injury, a few have called out Deion Sanders’ interference, which landed his son in Ohio.

The mounting pressure might have made some waves in the Browns’ coaching room. Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski gave a cryptic answer after the game, suggestive of a potential quarterback change in the next week.

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