Joe Flacco is the gift that keeps on giving for the Cincinnati Bengals at the expense of their AFC North rivals.
Thanks to Flacco's electrifying performance on Thursday Night Football, Cincinnati beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-31 to kick off Week 7, snapping a four-game losing skid in the process. More importantly, Flacco proved he could get the job done until Joe Burrow returns to the lineup.
In fact, prior to the Browns trading Flacco less than two weeks ago, he was under center for Cleveland in the season opener, which resulted in a 17-16 Cincinnati victory.
All of these developments were bound to trigger even the most measured Browns fan, as their team continues to dwell in the division cellar. Thank goodness for that, because we got an all-time radio rant coming out of Cleveland Friday morning.
ESPN Cleveland's Tony Rizzo shreds Browns for trading Joe Flacco to Bengals in epic tirade
As somebody who grew up primarily in Columbus and attended Miami (Ohio), I followed both the Browns and Bengals to an extensive degree in my formative years. That was only heightened when a prospective career in sports media came into focus.
For the uninitiated, ESPN Cleveland host Tony Rizzo is among the most passionate voices you'll ever hear for any NFL team. This man has suffered through years of Browns futility, and is at his wit's end on any given day.
On top of appearing in the movie Draft Day, Rizzo is known for his incredible on-air rants. The veteran jockey delivered yet another one after the Bengals' huge win to move to 2-0 in the AFC North.
Rizzo took aim at Cleveland GM Andrew Berry to start, calling for his job.
"I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER THE OWNER IS GOING TO WATCH THIS CRAP, BECAUSE THE FANS HAVE HAD IT, WE DESERVE BETTER," - Rizz is OVER it after last night. pic.twitter.com/rZkA6Xs2ME
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 17, 2025
"How could you do that, Andrew? How could you do it? Why on Earth did you feel the need to trade this guy to a division opponent for a fifth-round draft pick? Fireable offense! That is a fireable offense! I want to know how much longer the owner's gonna watch this crap. Because the fans have had it. We deserve better!
It really does feel like Berry gets a pass due to the mere fact that he has an Ivy League diploma. The same goes for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. They're viewed as these 4D chess-playing figureheads who've come to Cleveland to outthink and outsmart the rest of the NFL.
Sounds like it's going swimmingly! No but for real, to kick Baker Mayfield to the curb, sell your organization's soul for Deshaun Watson, and have it blow up in your face? That's a fireable offense to all involved in and of itself.
Never mind whatever the heck Cleveland has done for its QB situation since then. Flacco led the Browns back to the playoffs in 2023, only to let him go to give Watson one more shot. Then, they drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this year, benching Flacco for the former after a 1-3 start.
Cut to Flacco slinging it all over Paycor Stadium and destroying the Steelers' defense for 342 yards and three TDs in prime time. That had Rizzo hot on the mic, pondering aloud how Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could let this football injustice stand.
"You're worried more about your stadium than you are your football team. That's the perception, Jimmy! And you allowed these people to do this. You have the worst offense in the league. Your GM screwed this quarterback thing up like I've never seen. In my life, I've never seen anything like it. Kids that play Madden could've done a better job. Truly. That's not hyperbole. It's a joke. It's a joke. This franchise has become a joke — and I'm sick of it."
Indeed. Think about how many Browns quarterback-related disasters Rizzo has witnessed, especially since the franchise returned in 1999. He's calling this the worst debacle he's ever seen. That's saying something.
Cleveland has two rookie QBs without any idea whether one of them is the answer for now or the long haul. Thanks to the Browns, the Bengals have a highly capable starter in Flacco, with a superstar in Burrow waiting in the wings to return in mid-December and possibly lead a deep playoff run.
Glorious, isn't it? Browns gonna Brown.