Joe Flacco adds salt in the wounds of Browns season after Bengals debut

The Cleveland Browns created some mildly shocking headlines last week by trading Joe Flacco to the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow remains out, Jake Browning looked unplayable, and the Bengals made a call about the veteran.

The Bengals were desperate and decided to make Flacco the starter right away Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Browns fans will note Flacco had already beaten the Packers once this season. He and the team pulled off a miracle, with that unforgettable finish being the only reason the Browns aren't 0-6 on the year.

The veteran heading to Cincinnati meant Dillon Gabriel was firmly entrenched in his spot as the starter. While the Browns don't appear to be anything close to a contender this year, it was fair to see how the rookie did compared to the veteran this week. Could Flacco have turned things around? Was Gabriel the rightful starter all along?

The answer is likely a resounding "no" for both of those questions, for different reasons. It is highly unlikely Flacco would have turned things around had he stayed. He looked immobile and nowhere near the 2023 version of himself Browns fans fell in love with. He was also dealing with a horrible situation at both offensive tackle spots and seemed to be getting rookies lined up properly on a weekly basis. The overall situation was a mess.

But his departure did not change that reality for Gabriel. He was forced to throw 52 times in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with zero touchdowns and nine total points on the scoreboard. He was sacked six times, hit incredibly hard multiple times, and just stood no chance with the revolving door at both tackle spots.

Several key drops from his receivers only added to Sunday's misery.

Ja'Marr Chase makes an INCREDIBLE catch to make it a one-score game 😳 pic.twitter.com/O9KifDxP1u
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 12, 2025

Flacco, meanwhile, showed what having some talent around a quarterback can do. The Bengals did fall by a final score of 27-18. Yet the veteran signal-caller had two touchdowns and a passer rating of 90.9, his best mark of the year. That was helped by the 15 combined receptions had by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

For Gabriel and the Browns? The team's No. 1 receiver, Jerry Jeudy, has not exceeded five receptions or 66 yards in a game this season. Any hope of him even sniffing 1,000 receiving yards seems to be long gone.

The Bengals lost by giving up 27 points. The Browns defense held the Packers to just 10 points in the Week 3 shocker. What Flacco did today was play steady enough to at least have a shot to win. This level of play could easily have the Browns at 3-3 or even just 2-4.

It is only one game, but it's clear Flacco is not as bad as he seemed in four games with the Browns. Perhaps he, and any quarterback, just needs some moderate talent around them to even have a chance.

For the Browns, anyone considered even remotely talented may be traded between now and the next three weeks. That does not set up Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Bailey Zappe, or anyone the Browns may add to the infamous quarterback jersey, for any success.