Former Broncos QB playing better than anyone in the league

While the Denver Broncos deeply ponder who their next quarterback is going to be, the Cleveland Browns lucked into one who used to play for the team. And while the Broncos are already making preparations for the 2024 season, the Browns have huge 2023 aspirations.

Joe Flacco is setting the entire league on fire and that was never more evident than what he did on Thursday Night Football.

Because of the way Flacco is playing, the Browns look like a team that can beat anyone with the playoffs coming up soon. While many around the league and likely a lot of those residing in Broncos Country waiting for this magic ride that Flacco is on to come crashing down, there are no signs that is going to happen anytime soon.

Flacco, who was sitting on his couch watching the games six weeks ago, has posted these numbers: 1,616 yards and 13 touchdown passes in just five games. The Browns are 4-1 in those five games. And then there was this.... which was just ridiculous.

Currently, Flacco is playing better than Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson or any other quarterback you want to bring up right now. He is almost certainly going to win Comeback Player of the Year and if he kept up this pace across an entire season, he would likely be the league MVP... easily.

Now of course, it's easy to get too excited over this because it will only take one bad game to bring him back down to Earth. But the circumstances behind this story are wild.

The Browns started the season with Deshaun Watson, then went to P.J. Walker when he got hurt. Watson tried to come back but was not fit to play and was shut down for the season. The Browns then turned to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and would most likely not be a playoff team had they stuck with him. So they went for quarterback No. 4 and, obviously looking for someone with some veteran experience, landed on Flacco, who at 38 (nearly 39) years old, thought he was retired.

He looks like he's turned the clock back 10 years. He looks better than he may have ever looked in his long career with the Baltimore Ravens. If none of these words are convincing enough, take a look at this statistic:

That has happened just five times in the last 32 years. And now, Flacco has led the Browns to just their second playoff appearance in the last 21 years.

The NFL can be a very weird place.