Well, the Joe Flacco renaissance was nice while it lasted.
The Cleveland Browns are on their way to being forcibly eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Texans, and if Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud’s brilliance wasn’t enough to make that happen, Flacco threw pick-sixes on back-to-back drives.
There was this Steven Nelson 82-yard return touchdown with 6:05 left in the third quarter, predicated by pressure from Derek Barnett:
2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/YXXK1iLNQ5
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 13, 2024
And then, this 36-yarder from linebacker Christian Harris on a throw Flacco telegraphed like Samuel Morse.
READ THAT ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ubhy0LFLTr
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 13, 2024
Flacco is the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw two pick-sixes in a postseason game…
QBs in Super Bowl era to throw multiple pick-6s in a playoff game:
Brett Favre 3 vs Rams 1/20/2002
Rich Gannon 3 vs Bucs 1/26/2003
Joe Flacco 2 vs Texans today
Todd Collins 2 vs Seahawks 1/5/2008
Jim Hart 2 vs Rams 12/27/1075— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) January 13, 2024
…and he may be the only quarterback to do so on back-to-back plays.
The last time a QB threw Pick 6s on consecutive possessions before today. @NFLResearch has gone as far back as 1991 and is still computing the last time it happened in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/yLhWaoklJE
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) January 13, 2024