3 players Browns should rest and 2 who need the snaps in Week 18

Browns should rest: Joe Flacco, QB

When Joe Flacco was signed to the practice squad following Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury, there was a little bit of excitement. While Dorian Thompson-Robinson led them to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the offense wasn't threatening anyone downfield. Flacco, despite being 38, still possessed a powerful arm and there was hope he could change that.

No one expected him to do so well though. Flacco has completed just over 60 percent of his attempts for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns. He does have eight interceptions (although some were clearly not his fault) but the most important stat is 4-1. That's the team's record when he starts and those four wins have come over the past four weeks.

It would be tempting to put Flacco out there against a Cincinnati team with nothing to play for just to see if he can carve them up. He's thrown for over 300 yards in each of their four wins and with 384 more, he would top 2,000 in just six games. However, the smart move is to let him rest, allowing him to treat Week 18 as a bye, and prepare to face the winner of the AFC South in the Wild Card Round.

Flacco has been the main reason this team has gone from a potential playoff team to one that could make some serious noise. Keeping him healthy and under center should be their main priority this week as they prepare for their second postseason trip in the past four years.

More Browns news and analysis