Due to Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s continued absence from practice on Thursday due to concussion protocol, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is expected to start for the Browns on Sunday against the Rams.
This week, Flacco has been practicing with the first team, and according to star wide receiver Amari Cooper, the 38-year-old quarterback looks excellent.
According to a team transcript, Cooper observed on Thursday, “He throws a very pretty ball.” “I’m not sure if it’s deliberate or not, but the entire action is like poetry in motion as he lowers back and lets it go. It appears nice.
Flacco just signed with the Browns last week so the quarterback hasn’t had much time to build chemistry with the team’s receivers. But Cooper noted that Flacco has stressed communication and being on the same page with routes.
“I wouldn’t say it’s difficult, because with him being a veteran, with me being a veteran, we kind of know what the connection on certain routes is supposed to look like,” Cooper said. “We can eliminate a whole bunch of scenarios already.
Cooper added Flacco’s experience is “utterly important” since most of the game is played through your mind and what you know.
“When you’ve been playing a game for almost 20 years, you have so much knowledge,” Cooper said. “That knowledge is power and it just makes things easier out there. So the game is going to be very slow to him, 100 percent. It’s just better.”
If Flacco is indeed the first QB on the field for Cleveland, he’ll be the fourth starting quarterback the Browns have had this season, joining Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, and Thompson-Robinson.
Cooper continued, “Flacco’s experience is “utterly vital” because the majority of the game is played with your knowledge and thoughts.
“You have so much knowledge when you play a game for almost 20 years,” Cooper remarked. “Knowledge is power, and it simply makes life easier.” For him, the game will therefore be extremely slow. Simply put, it’s better.
Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, Thompson-Robinson, and Flacco will be the Browns’ fourth starting quarterback of the season if he is the first quarterback on the field for Cleveland.
