QB matchup from the past between Joe Flacco and Matthew Stafford highlights Browns vs Rams
LOS ANGELES — Joe Flacco and Matthew Stafford came into the league one year apart as first-round draft picks.
Flacco was taken as the 18th overall pick out of the University of Delaware by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 NFL Draft. The next year, the Detroit Lions took Stafford No. 1 overall out of the University of Georgia.
They have squared off as starting quarterbacks twice before in their careers, with Flacco's team getting the best of Stafford's both times. However, those were while both were with their original teams.
Their third all-time meeting as starting quarterbacks will not only not be with their original teams, it may be the most unlikely of matchups in the first place. Sure, everyone assumed, if healthy, Stafford would be the starter for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday when they hosted the Browns.
Having Flacco as the Browns' starter was not, however, on anyone's Bingo card. Not even as recently as two weeks ago.
Then rookie starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson sustained a concussion in the Browns' loss last week at the Denver Broncos and was still in the protocol nearly a week later. That opened the door for Flacco, signed to the practice squad on Nov. 20, to be named his backup and, eventually, replacement under center for at least this game.
"He's a veteran guy that played a lot of football in this league," Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald told Los Angeles-area reporters this week. "I remember being a kid watching him when he was with the Ravens playing against the Steelers. He played this game a long time and obviously got a lot of experience. Different quarterback than what they had as far as being mobile and things like that. But as far as the veteran presence, understanding what he's seeing, getting the ball out quick at times, you have to get prepared for that, too."
That's how winding of a journey this season has become. Two long-in-the-tooth, big-armed quarterbacks drafted in the late 2000s squaring off in a game that is critical for, really, both teams' playoff chances.
The Browns (7-4) let the opportunity to have a free-shot of sorts go by the wayside when they lost this past Sunday to the Broncos. With that being an AFC game, the tiebreaker implications were enormous.
The loss in Denver removed a margin for error for the Browns. That means, even though they're facing an NFC team in the Rams, they still need to come away with a win out of their two-game swing through the western part of the country.
"I promise, the sky is not falling, man," safety Grant Delpit said. "Put ourselves in a good position. We're never satisfied, but it could be worse. So we control our own destiny, man. We want to finish our season strong. We want to do whatever we can do to make it there. Once we make it, we got a chance. All that matters, man. We got to keep doing us on defense. Offense got to take care of what they do."
The Rams, meanwhile, are sitting at 5-6, but are in the mix for an NFC wild card spot. The Seattle Seahawks, their NFC West rival, is currently in the seventh and final wild card spot with a 6-6 record.
Individual matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns LG Joel Bitonio vs. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
In one corner, you have the Browns' two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowl left guard. In the other corner, you have the Rams' seven-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. It may not happen on an every-down occasion, but it's going to happen frequently enough it's worth you grabbing your popcorn to watch.
Position group matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns cornerbacks vs. Los Angeles Rams receivers
The same principle applies here as applied a week ago, when the Browns cornerbacks' battles with the Broncos receivers was the matchup to watch. No Denzel Ward again due to a shoulder injury puts additional strain on the group, led by Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr. The former was not at his best in Denver, losing Courtland Sutton on a key crossing pattern early while also giving up a pass interference on the Broncos first drive. The Rams' receivers may even be better than Denver, especially now that Cooper Kupp is back healthy. Puka Nakua has been a rookie revelation, while Tutu Atwell and Tyler Higbee are solid targets Stafford has counted on routinely.
Coaching matchup of the game: Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz vs. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay
Second week in a row, it's Schwartz against a Super Bowl-winning offensive mastermind head coach named Sean. Last week, Denver's Sean Payton got the better of him with a fantastic game plan, especially utilizing quarterback Russell Wilson within the run game. This time, it's not one of the older gurus, but one of the young hotshots in McVay. The challenge, though, is the same. Schwartz's defense, which is as beat up injury-wise as it has been all season, has to slow down McVay's offense to give the Browns a chance.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Joe Flacco-Matthew Stafford QB matchup highlights Browns vs. Rams
