Browns
Browns QB Joe Flacco said he’s not concerned about the team’s quarterback competition and whether or not he will be named the starter.
“I’m not worried one bit,” Flacco said, via Browns Zone. “I’m just out here enjoying it and doing the best I can every single day, trying to show these guys that: ‘Man, I can do it. You should have confidence in me.’ When I talk to my wife at night, maybe she’s not as patient. But, listen, I’m having a lot of fun just going out there and slamming it around at practice right now, and I’m doing a good job just kind of keeping my feet where they are, and that’s all I can do right now.”
Flacco added that he’s not getting too excited about getting first-team reps and said that he’s learned that teams will distribute reps without having a set starter in mind.
“I’m not trying to look into too much,” Flacco said. “I can say that when you get a little bit more (reps) you can start to feel like yourself, get in the groove and you calm down a little bit. It’s just human nature. When you’re getting two reps, three reps, ‘oh, this has to be perfect.’ And when you feel that way, you’re not going to be as good. So to be able to relax a little bit, let it loose and get a little bit more, it just feels right. So I’m not going to look into what it means, but it definitely feels good to be out there.”
Jaguars
One of the top reasons new Jaguars HC Liam Coen was hired was his reputation as an offensive play-caller and his work getting a career year out of Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield in 2024. He’ll be tasked with pulling the same potential out of Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, and he’s already deep into a plan to sharpen Lawrence’s game, specifically his ability to get through multiple reads.
“We’re working the heck out of progression drills,” Coen said via ESPN’s Dan Graziano. “What our defense does, which is nice, pre-snap to post-snap it’s different looks. So what you may have pre-snap completely changes post-snap. So we’ve tried to put him in enough positions that he has to progress and move on to No. 2, No. 3 and sometimes No. 4 in the read. And also, hey, man, like, let’s get used to using your legs as a weapon a little bit too. Like, you can run…”
“So much of what made us successful last year with Baker was his ability to run, to make plays. So that’s something that we’ve been working hard at. Our defense doesn’t give you the No. 1 read open all the time, so he needs to work on it. And it’s happening organically. Where he’s at with that, I can’t really say. But definitely we know, and that is something we are working on.”
Ravens
Ravens’ sixth-round K Tyler Loop faces the task of replacing Justin Tucker as Baltimore’s starting kicker. When asked if he’s feeling pressure to succeed, Loop said he is just focusing on what he can control.
“I think it can be pressure if you focus on it,” Loop said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “But if we’re focused on what I can control, my process, all that stuff, it just, it’s one of those things.”
John Harbaugh said Loop has looked good thus far, but the job will ultimately be determined by his performance this preseason.
“He’s kicking well enough to win the job,” Harbaugh said. “But as we know, it’s going to be the [preseason] games that’s going to mean the most.”
Loop said he’s just trying to stay loose and have fun.
“One thing we talk about is just staying loose and just enjoying it,” Loop said. “Really, this is such a short time for us. The more that we can control what we can control, and one of the things is our emotions and our response to things. So if I can get out there and just have fun, that’s special and a big thing for me. I’m enjoying it.”
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