BALTIMORE (AP) — Joe Flacco came bearing gifts in his long-awaited return to Baltimore.
The 40-year-old quarterback, who won a Super Bowl as a member of the Ravens, played his first game in Baltimore since being traded after the 2018 season.
It did not go well Sunday for Flacco and his current employer, the Cleveland Browns.
Flacco gave away the football twice, and both turnovers resulted in Ravens touchdowns. Taking advantage of a 61-yard interception return and a 63-yard score off Flacco's fumble, the Ravens rumbled to a 41-17 victory.
Besides Flacco's miscues, the Ravens also blocked a punt to set up their first touchdown.
“We gave them 21 points via a blocked punt, a fumble recovery and an interception,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “It’s hard to win, period, but it’s hard to win when you do that.”
Flacco went 25 for 45 for 199 yards before being mercifully lifted in the fourth quarter. By then, Flacco was probably worn out after bouncing around in a continually collapsing pocket, absorbing many hits after throwing and being sacked twice.
Worse, he was outplayed by the man who replaced him in Baltimore, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
As a result, the Browns are 0-2 for the first time in Stefanski's six seasons as head coach. Losing 17-16 to Cincinnati in the opener was tough, but this blowout defeat was even more distasteful.
“You definitely feel a little bit embarrassed when you lose like this, but that’s what you’ve got to deal with when you’re in this league,” Flacco said. “We have to prove this is an anomaly and it won’t happen again.”
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Stefanski put the blame on the team as a whole and said he would stick with Flacco as his starter ahead of untested rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
“I don’t think it’s fair to talk about that now,” Stefanski said. “We win as a team, we lose as a team.”
Still, Flacco lamented his errant third-quarter throw while trying to get out of a third-down jam. Firing on the run, Flacco tossed the ball into the arms of Baltimore cornerback Nate Wiggins, who whisked past Flacco before finally being tackled at the 5. On fourth down, Jackson threw a TD pass that made it 20-3.
“I take some pride in throwing the ball away and living for the next down, and I just didn’t do that on that one,” Flacco said. “I thought I had a chance there. I didn’t think it would be a pick. I thought if anything it would be incomplete. You can’t let that happen. I definitely want that one back.”
Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Ravens are owns a variety of team passing records. He's still admired by thousands of Baltimore fans and many of his former teammates.
Flacco will always appreciate the time he spent in this city. But on Sunday, his lone focus was getting a victory with his current team.
“I have relationships with this city and guys in that (Baltimore) locker room," he said. "But man, I’m a Cleveland Brown right now and I’m glad to be one. I’m so grateful to be where I am with those guys and glad to go to battle with the side I was on today.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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