Returning as a veteran quarterback to face the team that drafted you might be the most nostalgic and emotionally stirring thing for a player. For someone who’s coming face-to-face with the situation this Sunday, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco is handling it surprisingly well.
The Cleveland Browns travel to Maryland this Sunday to face the Baltimore Ravens in their Week 2 matchup. More importantly, the Browns travel there under pressure for a desperate win after a 0-1 start to their season.
Keeping all that aside, this particular matchup would be kind of personal for Flacco, since the Ravens were the first NFL team he ever played for as the franchise that drafted him 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Joe Flacco is Pretty Composed
Instead of the nostalgia, Flacco is focusing on being a team player. After a humiliating loss last weekend, the veteran quarterback is not letting emotions cloud his judgment.
Even though he spent his first 10 years in the NFL there, Flacco knows the stakes are high for this one.
“I’d probably say no (it’s not the most emotional) because there have been so many important games that I’ve played in my career,” he said per Mary Kay Cabot.
Plus, the team has almost completely changed ever since the Ravens traded him to the Denver Broncos in February 2019.
“But I don’t think you can answer that until you go there and you kind of feel what it is. There’s very few guys that I recognize on that team anymore.”
For what it’s worth, it will still be under the guidance of the same head coach, John Harbaugh, with whom Flacco started his NFL journey. But that’s not going to make Flacco emotional either. He has his own reasons.
“Even if I’m not, you’re not going to know,” Flacco said. “I’ve been criticized my whole career for not being able to show any emotions, so I think that’s the last thing you have to worry about with me.”
Returning to M&T Bank Stadium is a Different Story
Playing against his former head coach might not be as big a deal, but doing so on the turf he used to call his home ground for 10 years might be a different story, perhaps a bit more nostalgic, for Joe Flacco.
“I got to play them a couple years ago (in 2022 in New York with the Jets), but going back to Baltimore is definitely a little bit different story,” he said Wednesday.
“It’s somewhat surprising, honestly, because I‘ve been gone a decent amount of time, so the fact that I haven’t had a chance to go back is a little surprising.”
Knowing exactly what it feels like to play for the electric crowd of M&T Bank Stadium, Flacco is thrilled to return. A crowd of about 71,000 fans would be cheering for their teams on Sunday.
“Obviously, I’ve never done it as an away player, but it’s going to be a lot of fun and definitely a challenge.”
As the Browns’ starting QB, Flacco knows this one is a must-win. Winning against his former team as the underdogs would mean a big deal for Flacco.
The Ravens host the Browns on Sept. 14.
Main Photo: [Sam Greene/The Enquirer] – Imagn Images
The post Joe Flacco on Why Facing His Former Team Ravens Will Not be ‘So Emotional’ appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.