As the Rams, who are very much alive in the hunt for a wild-card berth in the NFC (especially after another Seattle loss), prepare to face the Browns, they have to prepare to face two quarterbacks with very different styles.
Browns starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson will play, if he clears the concussion protocol. If he doesn’t, Joe Flacco gets the nod.
“Well, you got a guy that’s more of a in-the-pocket type quarterback that probably won’t be able to do as much in a running game,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald told reporters on Thursday regarding the drastically different styles of the two Cleveland options. “Then you got a quarterback that’s mobile that can run and that can throw the ball and they can do a lot more with. So you just got to prepare for both. So just watching film on both the guys obviously and understanding if you get a guy like Flacco out there, he’s not going to be as mobile and then you get another guy out there that can run and do things, quarterback runs like that. You have got to prepare for that.”
Flacco’s lack of mobility is offset by his experience.
“Well, he’s a veteran guy that played a lot of football in this league,” Donald said regarding Flacco, who joined the Browns less than two weeks ago. “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. [He’s a] 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. You just don’t know. You just have to get ready for both.”
That’s the challenge for the Rams’ defense between now and Sunday afternoon. And the stakes are high for both teams on the first weekend in December. The winner takes a big step toward making the postseason field; the loser ends up facing a tougher path to one of the 14 playoff spots.