02 December 2023 , 19:37
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The Cleveland Browns have turned to their old rival, Joe Flacco, for Week 13, as he steps in for Dorian Thompson-Robinson who's been sidelined due to injury. The Browns' season has hit a rough patch recently, with a growing list of injured players.
Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion during last week's game against the Denver Broncos and is currently undergoing concussion protocol, missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
To fill the gap, the Browns have called upon former New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winner, Flacco, ahead of Sunday's crucial game against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Interestingly, Flacco's last NFL victory as a starter was against the Browns, securing a close 31-30 win for the Jets at the start of last season. Since then, his time on the field has been limited, but now he has the opportunity to prove why he was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player over a decade ago - albeit for the Browns' arch-rivals, the Ravens.
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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is enthusiastic about his team's latest addition and plans to utilise Flacco's experience in his debut on Sunday. "Joe's a pro," Coach Stefanski told reporters Friday. "I've been around pros, he's right up there. He does his job. Very, very intelligent."
Flacco is buzzing about the prospect of donning a Browns jersey. "It's definitely exciting, the idea of it," he shared. "There's a lot of things about being at this point in my life that make it really exciting even besides just playing the game of football.
Joe Flacco is back in action after signing for the Cleveland Browns (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)"There's so many things that add to it now, having young kids and feeling their excitement about it, and when you are away, it puts things in perspective a little bit." His move to Cleveland will reunite him with his former Jets teammate, wide receiver Eljah Moore.
The quarterback said: "Yeah, I love Elijah. Texted with him a couple weeks ago when I was driving my way out to Cleveland. I think he's a hell of a player. I was with him two years in New York, got to play a couple games with him his rookie year, a little bit last year as well."
"I think he's got a bunch of talent and he's a great kid, so it's definitely nice." Moore returned the compliment, welcoming Flacco to the Browns setup. "He's going to get the job done, but he's going to show you that he can get it done in a controlled environment, which you love because football brings a lot of emotions," Moore stated.
"I feel like that's exactly what we needed. I know we were shopping around for people, and that's a decision that the players don't really get, but I know that everybody's happy."
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