Joe Flacco looked sharp in Week 1, but next week, things changed. The veteran couldn’t find rhythm, and the Browns’ offense stalled. Rookie Dillon Gabriel briefly entered late and went perfect through the air, ending his drive with a touchdown. Yet the scoreboard told the bigger story. A 41-17 blowout left Kevin Stefanski frustrated. “No. I don’t think we did good enough,” the coach said. That single line summed up how flat Cleveland looked on both ends.

Still, Stefanski and his staff don’t seem particularly eager to hand the QB keys to Gabriel. And Flacco’s numbers continue to show struggle. He went 25-of-45 for 199 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, good for a 65 passer rating. Meanwhile, Gabriel went 3-for-3 for 20 yards and a touchdown, posting a 132.6 rating in his small sample. On the airwaves, even 92.3 The Fan’s Nick Wilson and Jonathan Peterlin asked the head coach to switch gears.

Critics aren’t buying Stefanski’s patience. Wilson put it bluntly: “I need Kevin to show me that he can pivot in season without using it to buy him security, without, you know, being forced to do it. Because I think that’s, I think Kevin’s camp, and I’m gonna say his agent has done a good job of getting us out there, maybe Kevin has as well, they’ve done a good job of hiding behind the perceived dysfunction with everybody else, which has allowed Kevin to go untethered and untouched from any criticism. The decision on Dylan and how soon they play him, that’s gonna have a big bearing on whether I truly expect at some point to see Shedeur.”

The conversation isn’t just about Flacco anymore; it’s about Stefanski’s ability to adapt. In fact, Wilson suggested the rookie could be starting sooner rather than later. He predicted the Browns might be just weeks away from rolling out Gabriel. And if losses pile up, it won’t matter if he’s fully ready or not. The reality of another lost season could push the franchise to see what they have in both Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. At some point, Cleveland will need answers. Waiting too long risks losing both games and momentum.

However, Stefanski is sticking to his stance. On the Ken Carman show, Jeremy Fowler backed up the coach’s cautious approach. “They feel pretty good overall where Flaco’s at. And they’re trying not to totally rush this thing, is my understanding. But it gets to a point in this league where it’s week to week, and you have to try to win. And I think Gabriel’s mobility eventually will help him get in the lineup.” For now, the Dawg Pound has to wait, but the pressure on Stefanski is only getting louder. However, Flacco remains calm.

Joe Flacco not panicking after offense’s tough start

The Browns are 0-2, the offense has been lifeless, and the pressure is rising. Yet Joe Flacco insists on staying steady with the ball in his hands. After the 41-17 loss to the Ravens, he reminded everyone that the defense is good enough to win if the offense just cleans things up. By midweek, he doubled down on discipline and stressed not forcing plays.

“You always talk about playing complementary football, and sometimes when it’s not pretty, it doesn’t mean it’s not good,” the 40-year-old quarterback said. “There’s going to be times where you’re going to have to punt the ball and pin ’em back and rely on those guys to get a stop and get us good field position. It’s realizing some of those things throughout the course of a game that sometimes even though things don’t feel great, that it still may be a positive, and then when we do get our chances, just taking advantage of that.”

However, the defense has carried more than its share. The Browns held the Bengals to just 141 yards in Week 1, including only 7 after halftime. Still, two missed kicks and dropped passes flipped that into a loss. Against Baltimore, they gave up only 242 yards and now lead the league at 191.5 yards allowed per game. A blocked punt gave the Ravens their only first-half touchdown, but the backbreaker came when Flacco forced a ball into double coverage. He admitted it’s the type of mistake this offense must erase.

Still, Flacco dismissed the idea that limited offseason work has slowed him down. He pointed out that reps and timing with receivers aren’t an issue despite the four-man quarterback battle. He said communication is steady, and chemistry is growing. Now it’s all about Week 3, where the Browns need their veteran, steady hand to finally sync up with the team.