Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Deshaun Watson

Friday, October 17, 12:34 AM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31 of his 47 pass attempts for 342 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also took two sacks. Just nine days removed from his trade to Cincinnati and three weeks removed from his benching in Cleveland, the veteran quarterback showed flashbacks to the peak of his career back in the 2010s. This was Flacco's first performance with three passing touchdowns and zero turnovers since Week 1 of the 2018 season. Perhaps most impressive -- beyond the fact that Flacco dug Cincinnati out of a multiple-possession deficit -- was the veteran quarterback posting such a good performance despite a matchup against a talented Pittsburgh Steelers defense. He didn't let T.J. Watt fluster him, nor did he have much trouble keeping the ball away from a solid secondary. Flacco has shown upside in years past, but he seems to have unlocked a whole new ceiling with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at his disposal. He'll vault into the high-end QB2 range for Week 8 against the New York Jets.

Wednesday, October 15, 12:02 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) has been sidelined since Week 7 of last season, but is reportedly doing "great" in his rehab, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski didn't have an update on whether Watson was any closer to having his practice window opened, but he's made progress in his recovery. Watson's road to recovery was delayed when he re-tore his Achilles tendon later on and still doesn't seem that close to playing anytime soon. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Watson is still "a good month away" from being cleared to participate in any football activities. For the time being, rookie Dillion Gabriel will continue starting for Cleveland, with rookie Shedeur Sanders as his backup.