Browns QB Joe Flacco talks with reporters on December 7, 2023.
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00:00 >> Do you feel like this week you have a better handle of everything now that you
00:03 played a game, you've gone through that experience and gotten that out of your system?
00:09 >> I think I had that first week that I was here where I wasn't active at all to
00:14 kind of break myself in.
00:16 So every week kind of gets you a little bit more comfortable.
00:19 But I don't really think it's necessarily the process.
00:20 I think it's just kind of now getting with the individual guys and
00:23 getting the feel for the little details more so than the big picture plan.
00:29 >> Is there an area where you look at the first game and
00:31 say, this is where you can take a jump in the second game?
00:34 >> Yeah, listen, in the first game, it was really not a very physical game for me.
00:38 I think our offensive line did a great job.
00:40 I think there was just times where I threw the ball away, which is good.
00:46 But at the same time, I felt like there was a couple different times that maybe
00:49 I could have moved, maybe drug the play out a little bit more,
00:53 did certain things like that.
00:55 And then there were a couple plays where it was just like the little details of
00:59 whatever that play may have been.
01:01 There may have been two or three plays where that kind of, I lost it for
01:05 a second, and we threw it in completion or whatever.
01:09 So those are probably two areas that I can get a little better.
01:13 >> So your time away affected your decisions more than anything physical?
01:19 >> Well, like I said, I think it was a very, I guess it was a very
01:25 easy first game in terms of the physicality for me.
01:28 So I don't know if it's a great measure of how my body's necessarily gonna react
01:33 to the physical nature of it.
01:35 But I mean, listen, I know that I'm not in my 20s anymore,
01:41 but 38 isn't super old in the real world.
01:45 So I feel like I've done a good job of keeping myself in shape.
01:48 But anytime you go and step on that field, and any year really for
01:52 a quarterback, it's kind of week to week how your body feels physically.
01:56 Just because you're not in the middle of the line banging heads every single play.
02:00 It really comes down to how many times did you get, did you land on that ground?
02:04 >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:10 >> No, I made sure I kept my arm in good enough shape.
02:14 And all that other stuff, there's definitely an element to it that's like
02:19 riding a bike, you just get back out there and start doing it.
02:21 >> You're telling us now training camp is completely overrated, right?
02:23 You can run off the couch and do what you gotta do.
02:26 >> Listen, there's definitely parts of training camp I enjoy, and
02:30 there's definitely parts of training camp that I can't say I was too disappointed
02:33 on missing out on.
02:34 I'm sure a lot of veterans will probably tell you, we don't need training camp,
02:38 let's just start the season.
02:39 But there's more to it than that.
02:41 I don't think this is ideal.
02:42 I think you definitely like to kind of rev up a little bit and get yourself going.
02:47 >> I was asking Kevin and Alex how sharp you were on all the little nuances and
02:51 the play action, hand position, all that stuff.
02:54 That stuff all come back naturally, or
02:55 is that stuff you really needed to work on in order to get ready?
02:58 >> I think how I do it, it comes back naturally for the most part.
03:02 You don't realize how much of that stuff is also relying on the back and
03:06 the line, firing off in the back, rolling over and making sure that he's
03:10 as wide as he needs to be or as tight as he needs to be.
03:13 And then obviously with each different coaching staff,
03:15 they have little different nuances on how they do those things and
03:18 how it sets up this play versus that play.
03:21 So like I said, the way I've done it, yeah, it comes back pretty naturally.
03:26 But there's always a little bit of different ways that coaches coach it that
03:29 I need to get up to speed a little bit on.
03:31 >> Can you explain, is this place more difficult than others sometimes,
03:38 because you guys get through some bad weather?
03:42 >> I think when you play in this division, which I have most of my career,
03:46 you just have to get used to the fact that that's gonna be the case.
03:51 Both teams have to deal with it.
03:53 And I don't think anybody, I don't care how long and how much you tell yourself
03:57 that you love playing this kind of stuff and
03:59 try to convince yourself that you can do it.
04:01 I don't think anybody loves it, but you get used to doing it and
04:05 you have your ways.
04:06 I mean, I remember back in the day, coaches made you wear the long studs.
04:10 And fields have gotten better over the last 15 years, but
04:15 that's still a factor.
04:16 You can see out in the practice field, you want to be able to have guys.
04:20 I would think more so than the ball and all that, it's footing.
04:23 And it's getting guys feet in the ground so
04:25 that they can confidently run routes and put their feet in the ground.
04:28 >> Two words, you're with the team and it's been a long time.
04:33 So what do you feel about that responsibility now?
04:36 [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah.
04:39 >> How do you feel about that?
04:40 Is that invigorating or daunting?
04:42 >> Yeah, listen, it's invigorating for sure, it's exciting.
04:48 This is what you want.
04:50 There's always things, like when you're sitting by yourself and
04:52 you're running through things in your head,
04:54 there's always things that you're gonna think about.
04:56 And that's why it is so important and you always hear people say,
04:59 just stay in the moment, be where you are.
05:01 And that's one of the biggest challenges for
05:05 probably professional athletes is to try to stay in the moment as much as you can.
05:09 And just worry about today, doing this interview.
05:13 Tomorrow, after this, going and taking care of my body and
05:15 going to the meeting room.
05:16 And if you let your mind wander five days from now, four days from now,
05:21 three days from now, you're just doing yourself such a disservice.
05:24 And more importantly, you're doing your team a disservice because
05:27 you don't want to think about outcomes.
05:30 You want to think about doing your job and everybody else doing their job,
05:34 side by side, and letting everything else take care of itself.
05:37 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Still in the concussion protocol,
05:41 how much are you really hoping he can rally and get out there and
05:44 help you guys out this weekend?
05:46 >> Yeah, I think we talked a little bit after the game about him.
05:48 He's a special player.
05:49 He definitely pops off the screen, I mean,
05:51 just the way he runs his routes and catches the football.
05:53 So I'm really rooting for him to get out there and help his team out.
05:59 He's a big deal.
06:00 >> Joe, you completed passes on nine different receivers.
06:03 But just stepping in here, what have you learned about this group of receivers and
06:09 how challenging it is for you having to learn that volume of guys and
06:14 just maybe the different ways they like catching footballs?
06:19 >> I think for me, ultimately, when it gets to game day,
06:23 I'm able to kind of put that stuff aside and just go play in rhythm.
06:28 And trust the fact that those guys are gonna be in the spot they are and
06:33 not stress about the fact that I haven't thrown to them for a ton of time.
06:36 The thing I've learned about these guys so
06:37 far is that they put their head down and they work.
06:40 And they're a great receiving group in that way.
06:42 Just wanting to get extra throws.
06:46 And then when we're at practice, just committing to what we're doing and
06:49 going out there and working hard at doing it.
06:51 I think it's a really well-led group.
06:53 They just look, they seem to be mature.
06:55 And even though there's a handful of young guys in there, so
06:59 I really just like the way they work and approach the day.
07:01 >> [INAUDIBLE]
07:11 >> Yeah, hopefully I can get another one
07:13 this weekend and see what happens here.
07:17 >> Joe, you and Elijah obviously had a relationship
07:23 prior to you getting here.
07:28 And on Sunday you returned him like 12 times.
07:31 Was that just sort of in the flow or how much?
07:34 >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, it was.
07:40 Listen, I think also when Amari goes down and he gets put in that position,
07:43 you're gonna be put in some spots where you have individuals.
07:46 And if you're one on one, you're gonna be the guy that's called on.
07:49 So yeah, it wasn't like I was going out and
07:51 targeting Elijah because my kids said, hey, in New York, he was awesome.
07:55 And you gotta keep calling to him.
07:57 It's just kind of where it took me and yeah.
08:02 >> Joe, do you remember your feel today, Joe,
08:04 with being such a legend at MVP level?
08:06 >> [LAUGH] >> 6'6", do we get to see any rollout
08:11 plays that you run into?
08:12 >> [LAUGH] >> Are we gonna see any of that?
08:15 >> I don't know.
08:15 >> [LAUGH] >> Joe, I wanna ask you about Trevor
08:20 Wilson's practice today in Jacksonville.
08:24 So he returned to practice.
08:25 What is it, does that kind of range it up the intensity of the game a little bit,
08:30 knowing that you might be going up against one of the best quarterbacks right now?
08:35 >> Like I said, you can't look forward to that.
08:37 You have to stay in the moment.
08:39 But credit to him.
08:41 I mean, listen, this league's about being tough and
08:43 showing up for your team on Sundays.
08:44 So if that's what he's trying to do and getting out there,
08:48 this is one of those steps is going out there and practicing today.
08:52 And so that's all I would say is it's a credit to him being able to get back out
08:57 there and show up for his team.
08:59 >> Joe, when you first saw your first team, how long did it take?
09:03 [INAUDIBLE]
09:10 >> I don't know.
09:11 I think there's probably times early on where you were able to do it really well
09:14 and times where you just weren't.
09:15 It's something that you constantly have to be on.
09:20 And it's just part of that mental game and
09:24 having that kind of routine that you go throughout the week that keeps you
09:29 on track.
09:33 If you don't have a routine, then you're always gonna kind of be floating around.
09:36 >> So you remember your last trip to Brown Stadium, right, with the Jets.
09:39 But you were here so many times at the Ravens.
09:41 What stands out about,
09:43 are there some memories from those trips that really stand out to you?
09:47 >> I think, I remember my rookie year here for whatever reason.
09:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]
09:57 Listen, the thing that playing in this division and coming here,
10:01 it's not an indoor stadium.
10:04 It's an old school, not an old school, obviously, but
10:06 it's a grass field outdoors.
10:08 You feel the city of Cleveland.
10:10 You usually have some kind of weather, so you know where you are.
10:15 And I don't know, it's definitely, that's the way you like it.
10:19 You smell the grass, it just feels like football.
10:22 And that's kind of this whole division is like that to a certain extent.
10:26 So I don't know, that's kind of always the stadiums that have kind of attracted.
10:33 You know, been attractive to myself is like when you can go out there and
10:36 like I said, smell the grass and feel like it's football weather.
10:39 And that's the time of year we're in.
10:40 We're in December and we're in Cleveland and it should be a lot of fun.
10:42 >> What kind of reviews did you get from the five children?
10:48 >> Not good.
10:49 [LAUGH] I think they had a good time, but they just dwell on all the bad stuff.
10:53 So it's another test that I have to just get over mentally and
10:58 deal with those guys.
11:00 >> Thank you, John.
11:02 >> All right, let's go.