The Cleveland Browns’ offensive struggles have reached a breaking point just three games into the 2025 season.
Joe Flacco returned to Cleveland this year after his remarkable 2023 run, but the 40-year-old quarterback has failed to recapture that magic.
The Browns’ offense ranks 30th in scoring at just 15 points per game and dead last in yards per pass attempt at 5.0.
Former Browns player Josh Cribbs expressed his frustration with Flacco’s recent play during an appearance on The ‘Top Dawgs Show,’ asking for the veteran to step up.
“A lot of overthrows, a lot of misreads. I remember Flacco took what the defense gave him underneath instead of what the defense gave him across the field, which is a deep over route on a flea flicker,” Cribbs said.
"A lot of overthrows, a lot of misreads."@JoshCribbs16 says Joe Flacco HAS to be better throughout the season. Do you see the offense improving? #DawgPound
Presented by @smartchoicewin_ https://t.co/X2IWJiKYUJ pic.twitter.com/KLnuMLz0Io
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) September 25, 2025
Flacco’s limitations have become increasingly apparent through three underwhelming performances.
According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks 25th among 34 qualified quarterbacks with only two completions traveling 20-plus air yards.
This conservative approach stands in stark contrast to his 2023 campaign, when he ranked in the top three in intended air yards and aggressiveness over five games.
The current version of Flacco relies heavily on checkdowns rather than the deep shots that made him effective two years ago.
Several factors may explain this decline, including the absence of Amari Cooper, who caught 501 of Flacco’s 1,616 passing yards in 2023.
The departure of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who stabilized a battered offensive line during that magical run, has also impacted the unit’s performance.
Veteran quarterbacks are typically expected to adjust and overcome such challenges, especially with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting for opportunities.
Flacco’s experience keeps him atop the depth chart for now, but continued offensive struggles will only intensify pressure for a quarterback change.
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