Dawgs By Nature
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco brings a lot of positives to the team.
Now in his 18th season in the NFL, Flacco has seen it all, which provides a calming voice to an offense filled with untested players at the skill positions, and a much-needed perspective for a team that continually finds ways to lose.
Sunday was another example as the Browns dropped their season opener in frustrating fashion. Dropped passes at key moments. A pair of interceptions that bounced off receivers directly to Cincinnati defenders. Missed kicks from a rookie kicker.
Add it all up, and it resulted in a loss for a team, especially on offense, that has little to no margin for error.
After the game, Flacco pointed out that there are some good things that the Browns can build on as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 (quotes via a team-provided transcript):
“There’s definitely things that we’re going to be able to look at and build off of for sure and say, man, like, look how well we did that. We just can’t let the things that were negative affect you. You know, like this league can be harsh when you don’t win, and it can come down on you hard. But at the same time, it is week-to-week. You go out there and you play the way you know how to play the next week, then that last week is forgotten about, and you’re feeling really good.
“So, it’s just that balance of like trying to take the confidence from the things that we did do well and the things that we didn’t do well, those things seem to stick around and kind of invade your mind a little bit easier than the good things. So, it’s a matter of just not letting that happen.”
What about kicker Andre Szmyt missing a field goal and an extra point? Flacco chose to prop up his teammate, knowing they may need him as soon as next week:
“If you’ve played this game long enough and you love this game, we’ve all been in that situation where you, you know, don’t perform exactly the way you want to for your team. I know how that feels. And I can look at every guy in that locker room, and they know how that feels. We’re in it together.
“So at some point this week, yes, I’ll be in the office throwing darts with him and look him in the eye and make sure that I can give him the confidence to go out there and do his job. Because we’ve all done it. This isn’t going to be the last time that he’s going to have to deal with something like this. You know, when you play as much football as you want to play, if you’re able to do that, then you’re going to have to deal with these things every now and then.”
Winning is obviously the...
