After helming an unlikely comeback win over the Browns on the road, Joe Flacco explained what went through his mind as his team looked to overcome a 13-point deficit late in the game.
New York trailed 30–17 with 1:55 remaining in Sunday’s contest after Browns running back Nick Chubb rushed for his third touchdown of the day. While the 12-yard TD may have given Cleveland a double-digit lead, Chubb’s decision to score rather than slide and allow the clock to run, combined with Cade York’s missed PAT, opened a slim window of opportunity for Flacco and the Jets to capitalize on. And they would as the 37-year-old quarterback orchestrated not one but two touchdown drives for the win.
After the game, Flacco, who compiled a 18–3 record against the Browns in his 11 years with the Ravens, admitted he was stunned by Cleveland’s clock management.
“I don’t know where this one ranks, but it’s up there,” Flacco said, per the team’s official website. “At one point, I’m sitting on the bench and they have an opportunity to run the clock out. When he scored, I thought OK, that’s not what they’re supposed to do.”
Flacco ended up making the Browns pay for the mistake as soon as New York’s offense re-took the field. He first found receiver Corey Davis on a 66-yard strike on a two-play series after York’s miss before hitting rookie wideout Garrett Wilson for a 15-yard game-winner after the Jets’ special teams recovered an onside kick.
Aside from talking about the controversial ending, the veteran QB also praised Wilson for his poise and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur for his play-calling in the closing moments.
“When Mike called the play in my headset, I had a smile,” Flacco said. “It’s just one of our staples. The safeties played kind of soft and I was trying to get the ball behind the linebackers, it gets you there pretty fast. I was throwing it no matter what, I was going to find some little window to hit him [Wilson]. There was a bit of a window. There’s ups and downs in that game, we had a third down where if he doesn’t get it hit on back shoulder and he doesn’t control it. For him to stay focused and make plays shows his character.”
Now sitting at 1–1 after Sunday’s wild finish, Flacco and the Jets will now head into matchup with Joe Burrow and the slumping Bengals (0–2) at MetLife Stadium next Sunday.
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