Flacco ‘grateful’ despite ending to comeback story

HOUSTON — Joe Flacco signed with Cleveland in late November, then quarterbacked the Browns to four straight wins to propel them to the playoffs. That magical run abruptly ended Saturday.

Flacco threw pick-sixes on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter, and the Houston Texans routed Cleveland 45-14 to advance to the divisional round.

“I was so fortunate to become part of this team — it’s a special group,” said Flacco, who turns 39 on Tuesday. “To be given a chance to do this with those guys, I’m super grateful for it. … Stinks the way it ended. But it was a lot of fun and I’m grateful for the time that we had.”

Flacco, the MVP in the Baltimore Ravens‘ Super Bowl win in 2012, didn’t have a team two months ago. The Browns signed him Nov. 20 following a season-ending shoulder injury to starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Flacco made his first start for Cleveland two weeks later, and from then on, he led the NFL with an average of 323 passing yards per game. On Dec. 28, the Browns clinched their third playoff berth in three decades and arrived in Houston on Saturday as the favorite.

Flacco had another strong start, completing 15-of-19 passes for 172 yards in the first half. But his two pick-sixes doomed the Browns, as Houston jumped to a 38-14 lead to all but put Cleveland away.

“He was trying to make a play,” Browns coach and offensive playcaller Kevin Stefanski said. “I need to put him in better position.”

The first interception came as Flacco was about to be sacked. Instead of just taking the sack, he tossed the ball wildly toward the sideline. Texans cornerback Steven Nelson picked it off and raced 82 yards for the touchdown.

“You’re trying to throw a ball away, not trying to make a bad decision, but at the end of the day you have to be able to live with sacks,” Flacco said. “You have to realize that sometimes sacks aren’t bad things.”

The second interception came on the ensuing drive, as Cleveland went for it on fourth-and-2 from its own 33. Flacco tried to sling a pass to tight end Harrison Bryant, but linebacker Christian Harris stepped in front of the throw and took the interception in for the score.

The Texans went on to hand Cleveland its worst playoff defeat in 56 years.

“I thought I’d be able to jam one in there,” Flacco said. “That’s just a calculated risk at that point.”

During his stint with the Browns, Flacco became the first NFL quarterback to pass for at least 250 yards and multiple touchdowns in his first five games with a new franchise, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Flacco, however, was only signed for this season.

Watson, who still has three years left on the $230 million fully guaranteed contract he agreed to with the Browns last offseason, is set to return from shoulder surgery before next season.

Flacco, who already has said he wants to keep playing in the NFL, was asked if he’d want to return to Cleveland, even if it’s as a backup.

“Listen, I love it here and we’re dealing with so much right now, just going through the emotions of this game and being so excited to be in this position and now to come up empty,” he said. “That’s where my head is. Trying to soak it all in and let this digest a little bit.”