Hall of Famer illustrates just how much Ravens fans don't care about the Browns

The Cleveland Browns made a desperation move on Sunday, starting 16-year NFL veteran Joe Flacco at quarterback in place of injured rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. It went about as well as you would expect.

Flacco completed 23-of-44 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Los Angeles Rams put together a commanding 36-19 victory. Flacco can clearly manage a game and put the Browns' offense in a respectable position behind the league's No. 1 defense, but his days as a reliable starter are long gone.

Prior to Sunday, Flacco's last appearance was in Week 18 of the 2022 season with the New York Jets. Flacco spent three seasons in New York as an on-again, off-again starter. He will forever be remembered, however, for the 11 years he spent with the Baltimore Ravens. Winner of the 2013 Super Bowl MVP, Flacco is more or less a Baltimore legend.

Therefore, it's a bit strange to see him in enemy colors. Baltimore hasn't had to think about Cleveland as a threat much over the last couple decades, but it still takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to watching Flacco throw with a bright orange helmet on his head.

Some fanbases might feel a bit betrayed by a franchise titan joining a division rival. Ravens Hall of Fame defensive back Ed Reed was asked about it, however, and he inadvertently flamed the entire Cleveland fanbase. Oh, well.

"It's not like he's going to the Steelers, man! He's somewhere that actually has a connection to Baltimore. But I'm all for it. It might be a Cinderella thing, it might be awesome, if Joe can get them to the playoffs."

It's clear Reed has no intention of disrespecting the Browns — if anything, it's a sign of respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers — but in the end, this is a pretty deflating statement if you're a Browns fan. It's a frank indicator of how Cleveland is viewed relative to the division powerhouses.

Ed Reed basically admits the Ravens don't care about the Browns

This is a generational problem. The Browns have a long and storied history in the NFL, with four league championships won between 1950 and 1964. Cleveland hasn't always been bad, but a string of losing seasons in the 2010s essentially soiled their reputation in the modern era.

Cleveland can still build back that reputation. Before the injury to Deshaun Watson, the Browns appeared well on their way to a postseason berth. At 7-5, there's still a chance to sneak in with Flacco under center. But, yeah, the Browns never really posed much of a threat to Baltimore during the Ed Reed era. That's a simple fact. It was always Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers who drew the Ravens' ire instead.

Reed is mostly showing support for a former teammate he clearly loves, and he even expresses hope that Flacco can lead Cleveland to postseason success. The Browns may try to derive motivation from Reed's comments, but it's better to ignore the noise and focus on the task at hand. Reed is drawing for his own personal experience. The Browns can't change the past, only the future.