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Cleveland Browns Refused To Bench Joe Flacco Until It Was Too Late To Avoid Quarterback Controversy

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Dillon Gabriel Joe Flacco Shedeur Sanders Browns Quarterback
© Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images -- © Peter Casey / Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns finally decided to bench Joe Flacco for Dillon Gabriel during a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The timing of the decision was likely on purpose to prevent the calls for Shedeur Sanders from getting even louder.

They do not want to deal with the inevitable quarterback controversy and ignorance is bliss.

It will be interesting to see how the organization chooses to move forward at the position. To make a permanent change at this point in the NFL season would only create even more drama.

Joe Flacco had a rough day.

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cleveland Browns by a final score of 41-17. Joe Flacco completed only 25 of his 45 pass attempts for 199 yards and one touchdown.

All things considered, the box score was not horrible. But it wasn’t good.

The interception was rough.

Even his lone touchdown of the day was ill-advised.

Now, to be fair, the defense allowed 41 points. And it’s not like the Browns’ offensive line gave Flacco a lot of time in the pocket.

However, the (elite) 40-year-old quarterback looked like a (not so elite) 40-year-old.

Enter Dillon Gabriel.

Cleveland decided to swap out Joe Flacco for Dillon Gabriel on its final offensive drive of the game. The third-round rookie finished 3-for-3. They were short throws but a completion is a completion.

Gabriel capped his first regular season drive with his first regular season touchdown.

It looked easy. The Browns moved down the field at will (against the Ravens’ backups).

Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders remained on the sideline next to Flacco.

Shedeur Sanders Cleveland Browns
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The almost Baltimore Ravens backup did not see the field. He is the emergency third-string quarterback, which means he cannot play unless the first- and second-string quarterbacks get injured or disqualified.

Shedeur Sanders is next in the pecking order.

Flacco played late into the fourth quarter. Cleveland did not make the quarterback switch until it was far too late to mount a comeback.

I am fully convinced it was on purpose.

The Browns were never going to win this game. They want to keep Flacco as the starter moving forward.

If they went to Gabriel any earlier than they did, it would’ve opened the door for one of two scenarios:

  1. Dillon Gabriel leads a miraculous comeback to win the starting job moving forward.
  2. Dillon Gabriel fumbles, throws two interceptions and poops his pants.

It would’ve been a lose-lose.

If Gabriel replaced Flacco earlier in the game and won (or at least came close), Cleveland would have no choice but to bench the veteran moving forward. The cries for Sanders would then grow even louder if Gabriel did not play well next week.

If Gabriel replaced Flacco and played horribly, Cleveland would have more pressure to give Sanders a shot as the backup moving forward. And then it would have an even bigger mess on its hands.

By keeping Joe Flacco on the field until garbage time, it makes a statement that he is the guy. Fans are going to want Gabriel to start next week based on his one drive but the team may not agree.

This at least gives them the option to choose. It also keeps Sanders on the bench as the emergency third-string quarterback for as long as possible to avoid the inevitable media circus that comes with him.

The Cleveland Browns did their best to avoid a quarterback controversy by refusing to bench Joe Flacco until it was late. Change my mind.