'That's Crazy!' Former Ravens Joe Flacco, C.J. Mosley Have Unlikely Reunion

Fellow former Baltimore Raven C.J. Mosley was shocked to hear Cleveland Browns fans chant Joe Flacco's name.

Both the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets had the right idea when they squared off at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Thursday night: both hired players well-versed in winning in The Forest City, albeit ones with no prior experience on the Cuyahoga River.

Both Joe Flacco and C.J. Mosley had previously partaken in the Baltimore Ravens' one-sided rivalry with the Browns: Flacco's 18-3 mark against they of the orange helmets was primarily built as the Ravens' franchise quarterback while the first five years of Mosley's career featured plenty of victorious clashes with Cleveland. 

That made chants for one all the more shocking to the other.

Ken Blaze, USA TODAY SPORTS

Flacco is the NFL's latest folk hero for his takeover of the downtrodden Browns' quarterback spot. His spot duty in relief of Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson has pushed Cleveland (11-5) to just its third playoff appearance since its 1999 reboot brought about by the Ravens' formation. 

Flacco, whose name was chanted by the long-suffering Cleveland faithful as the clinch drew near, is now 4-1 as the Browns' starter after torching another former employer. Having spent the prior three seasons with the Jets, Flacco threw for 309 yards and three scores in a 37-20 win on Thursday. 

In addition to clinching a playoff berth, the win also kept the Browns in contention for the AFC North crown, as they currently sit 1.5 games behind, ironically enough, Baltimore. 

"Who would have thought the Browns would be screaming your name?" -@TreyDeuce32RTR

You deserve it, @JoeFlacco. pic.twitter.com/xH5gNNz4Fd

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2023

Mosley, a Jets linebacker, found Flacco on the field in the aftermath of Thursday's game, musing on a turn of events that would feel so unlikely even a mere month ago.

"Who would’ve thought the (bleep)ing Browns would be screaming your name?" Mosley said in video captured by NFL Films. "That (bleep)'s crazy."

Flacco, happy to see his friend, was rendered nearly speechless, merely agreeing with his former compatriot. The duo worked together in both Baltimore and New York, where Mosley has been stationed since signing an $85 million deal in 2019. 

The Flacco resurgence is perhaps one of the most unexpected twists in recent NFL memory. Don't count Mosley among the shocked.

"Everybody always joked, even in Baltimore, was he elite?" He's showing it," Mosley said, per Jake Trotter of ESPN. "Not a lot of guys, especially veterans like him and his age, just coming from home, hanging with his kids, do what he's done. 

"I told him after the game it's crazy to hear the Browns fans screaming, 'Flacco!' That was pretty wild to me, but I'm happy for him. Obviously, we wanted to get the win, but just as a friend, as a fan, I'm definitely happy for him."

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Time will tell if the Ravens run into their old and new enemy in the AFC playoffs. In the meantime, Baltimore (12-3) has a chance to clinch the division and conference's top seed with a win on Sunday over the Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS).