The Cleveland Browns were the recipients of some harsh comments from Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for trading Joe Flacco within the AFC North.
The Browns agreed to send Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals last week. The Bengals were desperate for a solution with Joe Burrow out with a turf toe injury and backup Jake Browning struggling. Cleveland got a 2026 fifth-round pick in return for Flacco.
Tomlin didn’t mince words when discussing the move, taking a direct shot at Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough to make your opening day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area. But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Tomlin is not wrong and there’s a reason trades so rarely happen within the division. It was the first trade between the Browns and Bengals since Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999.
The Browns had nothing to say in response to Tomlin.
“I don’t have a comment on that,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday.
Ex-Browns QB Joe Flacco Has Decent Debut With Bengals
Flacco debuted with the Bengals on Sunday after just a few days of practice. He passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns, but Cincinnati lost 27-18.
The Steelers will face Flacco and the Bengals on Thursday. Tomlin is expecting the 40-year-old quarterback to look better after logging some extra practice reps.
“It’s reasonable to expect him to be significantly better in [his second game with Cincinnati],” Tomlin said of Flacco. “He’s been in the stadium with them. They’ve been in the stadium with him. They understand his demeanor, how he deals with circumstances.
“Certainly, we’ve got a full week’s work ahead of us in terms of minimizing a veteran, savvy talented thrower like him. … That certainly has our attention.”
The Steelers lead the AFC North with a 4-1 record. The Bengals enter the matchup at 2-4, while the Browns and Ravens each have one win apiece.
Browns Offense Continues to Struggle Post-Flacco
The Browns replaced Flacco with rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. However, the offense has continued to sputter. The Browns have not scored more than 17 points in 11 straight games dating back to last season. Cleveland put up just three field goals during a 23-9 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“For us the focus is on being better as an offense, and that goes into a bunch of different areas,” Stefanski said. “I know I can be better for this football team. I know I can certainly be better for this offense. But our focus is on making sure that we all do our part in getting this thing going.”
The Browns have an opportunity to get back on track this week against the 1-5 Miami Dolphins. Cleveland is a 2.5-point favorite at home for the matchup. It’s the first time Cleveland has been favored in a game this season.
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