The Cleveland Browns came into their Week 14 matchup with the Jaguars with a 7-5 record, having lost their last two contests, and were hanging on to their spot in the AFC Wild Card race. But they came up with a massive win over one of the conference’s top teams, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 31-27, solidifying their standing as they head towards the home stretch of their season.
Joe Flacco Is 4th Browns QB To Win In 2023
Four different QBs have won a game for the Browns this season
The 1987 Patriots (5) are the ONLY team since 1950 to have more QBs get a W in a single season pic.twitter.com/YgOoJKDgh1
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 10, 2023
How the Browns have won 8 of their first 13 games has been impressive. Their defense was historically dominant through the first part of the season, which was a massive reason for their success. There has been a rotating door when it comes to the starting quarterback for the entirety of the season, which started with the injury issues to Deshaun Watson.
But Cleveland was able to make history on Sunday with how many players have been under center so far this season. Joe Flacco got his second start of the season after spending the first 12 weeks of 2023 on his couch, and he threw for over 300 yards and added 3 touchdowns and just 1 interception. In addition to Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and PJ Walker, Flacco has become the 4th different quarterback to win a game for the Browns so far this season.
Only One Team Has Accomplished The Feat Before
Browns’ HC Kevin Stefanski named Joe Flacco as Cleveland’s starting QB for the rest of this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 10, 2023
The last, and only, team to accomplish the feat was the 1987 New England Patriots. That team actually had five different QBs come out with wins that season, a group which included Tony Eason, Tom Ramsey, and Doug Flutie.
As long as Flacco remains healthy (and even if he doesn’t), it doesn’t appear as though Cleveland will be tying the all-time record this year. After the game against the Jags, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Flacco would remain the team’s starter for the remainder of the season.
The win for the Browns helps them immensely in the standings. There are still things that have to shake out around the NFL in Week 14, but teams like the Colts and Texans taking losses will help the Browns efforts in securing a potential playoff spot.
The team’s next game will come against the Bears, which will be followed by a massive AFC matchup with the Houston Texans.