Two weeks into the NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are exactly where many people thought they would be: winless with fans asking for a quarterback change. The development may have come earlier than expected, but nevertheless, it seemed like an inevitable step. However, the Browns aren’t planning to send Joe Flacco to the bench just yet. Even if they did, it might not make much of a difference.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi explained that in a recent power ranking piece, where NFL reporters named the biggest quarterback takeaway for the teams they cover. For Cleveland, ranked No. 30, Oyefusi detailed how Joe Flacco isn’t even able to mask the fundamental issues with the offense.
"Flacco's second stint in Cleveland is off to a rough start, as he has turned the ball over four times. However, the Browns' offense has issues across the board, including a nonexistent running game (tied for 26th in yards per carry), poor pass protection (23rd in pass block win rate) and plenty of drops (tied for the league high with five). It's part of the reason that coach Kevin Stefanski said he is not considering a QB change at this point."Daniel Oyefusi (ESPN)
Browns problems on offense are bigger than the quarterback position
As Oyefusi pointed out, Cleveland hasn’t been able to run the ball, pass protect, or catch the ball. It doesn’t help that Flacco has also been putting the ball in harm’s way, but it’s hard for any quarterback to find success in an environment like that. If the entire offense doesn’t elevate it’s level, the Browns would only be setting their rookie quarterbacks up for failure by throwing them into the starting lineup.
It also doesn’t help that Cleveland’s schedule doesn’t let up anytime soon. With the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions next up on the schedule, the Browns will likely keep Flacco as the starter in the coming weeks. However, if Cleveland keeps losing, it won’t be able to justify not making a change for long. That means the Browns either need to win some games, or a rookie will be starting, regardless of how the rest of the offense is performing.