In Week 3 of the NFL season, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Green Bay Packers, and one mainstay sports analyst had an outspoken opinion about the Browns’ signal-caller, Joe Flacco.
Skip Bayless Calls Out Joe Flacco, Calls for Shedeur Sanders
The Packers and Browns were in a dog fight (no pun intended, Browns fans) all afternoon long. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Packers, who were favored in this game from a sports betting perspective, led 10-0.
Then, with 3 minutes, 38 seconds to go, the Browns put their first points on the board following a 35-yard field goal from former Syracuse Orange and St. Louis Battlehawks kicker, Andre Szmyt.
He was two for three on field goal attempts through two weeks.
At that time, former ESPN and Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless took to X to unleash on Flacco’s ability. “Joe Flacco is washed. If Shedeur Sanders were playing QB for the Browns today, they’d be beating Green Bay, which leads 10-3 with about 4 minutes left,” Bayless said.
Bayless has been high on Sanders for quite some time. He even criticized the Tennessee Titans for selecting Cam Ward over him in the 2025 NFL Draft. Flacco, 40, had a rough afternoon with the Packers’ pass rush led by edge rusher Micah Parsons. In all, he was sacked only twice, but the Packers’ defense made it difficult for them to move the ball.
However, with about 3 minutes, 10 seconds to go, the Browns picked off Packers quarterback Jordan Love, setting them up in exceedingly good field position.
The QB Grant Delpit picked off for his 7th interception at LSU: Jordan Love
The QB Grant Delpit picked off for his 7th interception in the NFL: Jordan Lovepic.twitter.com/lXLMvdLZmV
— Shea Dixon (@Sheadixon) September 21, 2025
They then tied the game thanks to a one-yard run from rookie running back Quinshon Judkins.
This is where the game started to get crazy.
The Packers had the ball back and set themselves up with a game-winning field goal with less than 30 seconds to go. Well, the Browns had other plans. They blocked the kick and had the ball back with 21 ticks left on the clock.
BROWNS BLOCK THE POTENTIAL GAME-WINNING FG 😱
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/0rhR1t22KD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 21, 2025
Instead of going into overtime, the Browns got in good enough field position to give Szmyt a shot at a 55-yard field goal. He nailed it as time expired, and the Browns won the game 13-10.
THE FG IS GOOD. BROWNS WIN. BROWNS WIN. pic.twitter.com/hQOdYyOr1G
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Now, as for Bayless’ claim that if Sanders were in the game, the Browns would’ve been beating the Packers by a larger margin, ultimately, the Browns ended up winning. Flacco did have a rough afternoon, though. He finished 21 of 36 for 142 yards and one interception.
We’ll never know if the game would’ve been different with Sanders in the lineup. My hunch is that it could’ve gone a lot worse. That is a stout Packers defense to face in your first live regular-season NFL action.
A win is a win, but that was a wild Week 3 game.
