GREEN BAY – The question on everybody's mind entering the week was whether the Packers would see Jake Browning, Brett Rypien or maybe Sean Clifford this Sunday at Lambeau Field.
And then the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off the first in-season trade within a division in at least 30 years when they acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday.
Less than 24 hours later, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed the 40-year-old quarterback would indeed make a quick turnaround to start against Green Bay.
The decision to go with Flacco over the beleaguered Browning came 17 days after the 17-year NFL veteran started against the Packers, a 13-10 comeback victory that represents Cleveland's lone win on the season and Green Bay's only loss.
"I was not expecting that one, but that's how the NFL is, man," said Packers quarterback Jordan Love of the Bengals trading for Flacco. "Crazy stuff happens. Obviously, it's probably weird for the defense going up against him, pretty close timeline. We'll see. It'll be interesting for him. New team. New situation."
A combination of rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and the Browns' suffocating defense paved the way to the come-from-behind victory, with Flacco throwing for just 142 yards with an interception on 21-of-36 passing for a 55.6 passer rating.
After throwing six INTs in four starts, Flacco finally gave way to rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel against Minnesota this past Sunday in London.
Only two quarterbacks threw more INTs than Flacco in the first month of the NFL season: Las Vegas' Geno Smith (nine) and Browning, the Bengals' third-year backup who had eight in four starts for an injured Joe Burrow (surgery for turf toe).
After Taylor was noncommittal Monday to starting Browning again, the Bengals soon traded for Flacco and cut Rypien. Clifford, Green Bay's fifth-round pick in 2023, remains on the practice squad.
As much as the Packers might be able to glean from their first encounter with Flacco, safety Xavier McKinney sees the situation from the other way around.
"I was thinking about just kind of ways he might try to come into this game having different players and a different scheme, already having seen what we've done this year," McKinney said. "Trying to see if there's going to be different ways where we can mix it up and show different things and play different things."
McKinney, who intercepted Flacco near the end of the first half in Cleveland, said he'll probably re-watch the Browns game to see what the Packers did against Flacco and how he responded.
More than a rematch with a grizzled veteran, Green Bay's defense enters Sunday's meeting with the Bengals with a point to prove. After a stingy performance in the loss to the Browns, the Packers conceded 436 yards and 40 points to Dallas while failing to produce a takeaway in a tie before the bye.
Green Bay has just two takeaways on the year, which is tied with Baltimore for second fewest in the NFL. Safety Evan Williams, who has the Packers' other INT this season, says there's no need to reinvent the wheel.
"Sometimes you have a guy like 'X' on the back end and a guy like Micah Parsons, they're probably coaching some ball security throughout the week," Williams said.
"We try not to take it personally and really stick to what got us here, go back to the basics and attack that ball like it's our last time to ever do it and hopefully some good things will come."
A Bay Area native, Williams knows just how good Flacco can be. He diced up San Francisco's defense during the Ravens' 34-31 triumph over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
One other advantage Flacco has in Cincinnati that he didn't in Cleveland is a pair of premier receiving targets in two-time All-Pro Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who have combined for 51 receptions, 532 yards and five touchdowns on the young season.
"We know they've been a good 1-2 punch for a few years now," Williams said. "I feel like this is one of those weeks we just have to focus on us. However we come out is really what's going to determine the game. We've just been reinforcing our playstyle again, coming out and playing relentless football."
After playing in Indianapolis last season, Flacco is set to join Baker Mayfield (2022) and Joshua Dobbs (2023) as the only QBs to start for three-plus teams in a calendar year since 1950.
He's also attempting to become the first player to start and win against an opponent with two different teams in the same year since Jack Kemp beat the New York Titans with both the Chargers and Bills in 1962.
It's the Packers' job to stop him. Addressing the secondary Wednesday, McKinney reiterated the importance of playing clean football while also capitalizing on any Flacco miscues.
"We've got two turnovers on the year. We're behind, in my eyes," McKinney said. "We've just got to turn it around. The process cannot change. We cannot try to go out here and search for plays. We've just got to keep doing what we do and the ball will find us."
