Zac Taylor Responds to Tomlin’s Criticism, Stands Behind Flacco Trade
On Monday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin raised eyebrows when he said that he felt it didn't "make sense" that Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry was willing to give a division foe a temporary starting quarterback when Berry traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 7.
Later on Monday, Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor was asked about Tomlin's comments as the 2-4 Bengals prepare to host the 4-1 Steelers this coming Thursday night.
Bengals are "happy" Browns were willing to trade Joe Flacco
"I was happy," Taylor said about the Flacco trade, per Tim Bielik of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "That’s my only comment."
Taylor and Co. were hoping that Jake Browning would be able to keep Cincinnati in the playoff hunt after starter Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury in Week 2. However, the Bengals became desperate for a fill-in option after Browning played poorly in three straight defeats.
Meanwhile, Flacco had been relegated to backup duties with the Browns after he lost three of four September starts. After spending less than a full week with his new Bengals teammates, the 40-year-old signal-caller passed for 219 yards with two touchdowns in a 27-18 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Bengals will "continue to press the envelope" with Joe Flacco
According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Tomlin said on Monday that he thinks "it is reasonable to expect [Flacco] to be significantly better" in his second game with the Bengals. Taylor also touched upon what he and his staff will put on Flacco's plate in the few days leading up to the Pittsburgh matchup.
"We'll continue to press the envelope," Taylor explained, according to Dave Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We don't want to overwhelm [Flacco]. We don't want to get to the point of diminishing returns where now we've got too much, and we're forgetting what this means and that means. I think he's shown he's capable of taking on a little bit more."
Shortly after Taylor offered his comments, ESPN BET had the Bengals listed as 5.5-point home underdogs against the Steelers. If Flacco can build upon what he accomplished in the second half of the Green Bay contest, he could put on a show in his first game at Paycor Stadium as Cincinnati's QB1.
Mike Tomlin Critiques Browns’ Front Office After Dominant Steelers Victory
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has always been one to make his thoughts known.
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated.
When meeting with reporters in Pittsburgh on Monday, Tomlin let his thoughts be known on the current state of the Browns.
“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 of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has always been one to make his thoughts known.
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated.
When meeting with reporters in Pittsburgh on Monday, Tomlin let his thoughts be known on the current state of the Browns.
“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 of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Prior to facing the Steelers, the Browns traded team captain Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth-round pick. On Wednesday night ahead of facing Pittsburgh, Berry kept the trades coming, sending starting cornerback Greg Newsome II to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, several sources around the NFL believed the Flacco trade marked the Browns waving the white flag on the season. It certainly sounds like Tomlin agrees with that reporting.
Trading Flacco paved the way for the Browns to get a look at third-round pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Through two starts, he’s underwhelmed as Cleveland’s offense continues to sputter without any direction.
Stefanski admitted that he was surprised that Cincinnati called the Browns to trade for Flacco. Berry sent a sixth-round draft pick and his Week 1 starting quarterback on a three and a half hour drive down south, where Flacco would immediately take over the reins for the struggling Bengals.
The Bengals were desperate, as Jake Browning flailed in relief of Joe Burrow, who is expected to be sidelined until December with a toe injury. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor desperately needed a quarterback to keep the team afloat until Burrow is healthy.
Flacco played his best game of the season during his debut with the Bengals in Green Bay against the Packers. While it was far from perfect, his 29-of-54 passing attempts for 219 yards at least gave Cincinnati a chance against one of the NFC’s most talented teams. Flacco’s two touchdown passes matched his production through four weeks in Cleveland. And he did not throw any interceptions.
While Berry and Stefanski have had a lot of public support during their struggles throughout six seasons running the Browns, it certainly feels like the tides are starting to turn.
A future Hall of Fame coach like Tomlin blasting what was previously considered a young, promising executive in Berry shows the entire world how the NFL currently views Cleveland’s front office.
