Kevin Stefanski isn't saying Joe Flacco's job is safe. He's just not saying it isn't.
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After Sunday's loss to the Lions, the Browns head coach was asked if a quarterback change was on the table. He brushed it aside at the time. But when the same question came up Monday, his answer carried a little more weight.
"I understand the question," Stefanski told NFL reporters, via Pro Football Talk. "We have to play better as an offense. We have to coach better on offense. It's not about one person. There are so many things that we need to do better and obviously quarterback included, but this is not about one person."
Pressed directly on whether Flacco would remain the starter, Stefanski again declined to give a firm commitment.
"Yeah, my focus is on making sure this offense plays better," he said.
That kind of language usually means a coach is at least thinking about a switch. And there's reason to. The Browns haven't scored more than 17 points in a game this season. They've managed 13 and 10 over the last two weeks, and Flacco hasn't helped much. He's completing just 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
Rookie Dillon Gabriel would likely be next in line. The third-round pick saw brief action in Week 2, completing 3-of-4 passes for 19 yards and a touchdown in garbage time against Baltimore. Stefanski wouldn't say whether Flacco would slide to the backup role if a change is made.
The Browns fly to London on Wednesday for Sunday's matchup with the Vikings. Stefanski's non-answers suggest a decision could come before then.
