What If Joe Flacco Were Starting for Jets on Thursday Night Rather Than Browns?

Did New York fail miserably by not bringing in an experienced backup last offseason?

Joe Flacco’s career has been about as crazy as one could think of for a first-round pick and Super Bowl MVP. Once seen as the face of the franchise for the Baltimore Ravens and multi-million dollar quarterback for his playoff brilliance, the once-elite Flacco has seen his career bounce around from place to place in recent years.

A three-year stint with the New York Jets didn't amount to multiple wins through the 2020 and 2022 seasons (1-8 over three years as a starter), but it looks like Flacco has found a new home in a familiar town.

It’s left those in New York wondering what could have been if Flacco had remained their backup quarterback.

Flacco has seamlessly taken over the Cleveland Browns following injuries to Deshaun Watson and PJ Walker. Instead of crashing and burning like some teams with backup quarterbacks (cough), the Browns have won three straight Flacco-led starts and are not just firmly supplanted as a potential playoff team, but just two games out of securing the top seed in the AFC Playoffs.

It’s crazy to think about how far the Brownies have come in a short period. They have suffered massive season-ending injuries to key players like Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, and Jedrick Wills. Their offensive line has been banged up, and yet the franchise keeps winning behind a competent backup quarterback who has played at the highest level.

It’s a far cry from what the Jets have gotten this season from their backups.

On paper, there’s very little difference between what the Jets and Browns had on paper going into the 2023 season. Both teams lost their starting quarterback at some point during the season, both have had tremendous injuries along the offensive line, and both have a top defense in football.

There are some specific differences between the two squads of course (The Jets had a harder schedule, more injuries, etc.), but there’s only one that should be discussed — the backup quarterback role.

Instead of singing a veteran signal-caller to back up four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, the Jets chose to run it back with former second-overall pick Zach Wilson in the hopes he wouldn’t have to play and could learn, behind Rodgers, for an entire season.

Four plays into 2023, that dream for Wilson was shattered.

Rodgers tore his Achilles in the season opener, and it led to the Jets scrounging for answers for the remainder of the season —  answers they weren’t able to solve quickly enough. It left many fans and analysts wondering why the team did not address Rodgers’ backup role sooner, or at all during the offseason.

“Could we have done things better?” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Monday regarding the backup role. “I’m talking about myself and the coaching staff, with regards to, ‘All right, this is our worst-case scenario, now what?’ Absolutely, and it’s something that we will make sure that we do a heck of a lot better within 2024.”

Is it a forgone conclusion though that the Jets would be as successful as the Browns are now if Flacco was still their starting quarterback?

I don’t think it’s truly that simple to say. First, New York has been running with its backup quarterback all season while Cleveland played with their its through mid-November. While the shelf-life of a quality backup quarterback is only a few games, the Jets have been playing on borrowed time for a while.

The other part here that doesn’t help the Flacco-Jets argument is the schedule. New York came into this season with the sixth-toughest schedule in football. Cleveland had the sixth easiest. The Jets have had to go through a gauntlet of top pass-rushing teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins (all rank in the top 10 of DVOA). The Browns' recent stretch with Flacco has seen teams like the Jaguars, Texans, and Bears (All DVOA rankings outside the top 10).

When you play against good defenses with an ailing offensive line, it’s hard for any quarterback to be successful. That’s why it’s hard to believe that Flacco would be the same type of quarterback he is in Cleveland as he would be with New York.

Woody Johnson Makes the Right Call for 2024

It’s just not realistic for a Jets group that has gone through 13 different offensive linemen and 11 different combinations.

As the Jets and Browns prepare for a Thursday night showdown, many fans of Gang Green are lamenting what has been a lost season full of injuries and unacceptable backup quarterback play. 

While their original backup in recent years has those fans wishing they could’ve kept the veteran in the first place, there isn’t always a guarantee that the organization would be as successful as the Browns are right now.

MORE HEADLINES:

Will Jets Feed Their 'Special Talent' in Week 17?

Christmas Monday Game Balls for Jets' Win over Washington

Jets' Rookie Right Tackle Returns to Face Commanders