David Njoku Talks Browns’ Toughness After Jets Game: ‘This Team Is Resilient as F–k’

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The vibes for the Cleveland Browns are all positive right now after Thursday’s 34-20 win over the New York Jets clinched their first playoff berth since 2020.

Speaking to reporters after the game, David Njoku praised the team for being “resilient as f–k” for overcoming all of the roster issues that have popped up this season.

“This meant the world, man,” he said. “This team is resilient as f–k, excuse my language. … There was so much adversity this year. But we overcame it. I’m so proud of these guys. But we’re not finished.”

The Browns have used four different starting quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson entered the season as their starter, but he dealt with injuries before a shoulder issue that required surgery ended his year in November.

Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and journeyman P.J. Walker combined to start five games when Watson was unavailable. The trio of Watson, Thompson-Robinson and Walker threw for a total of 2,229 yards, nine touchdowns, 13 interceptions and completed 55.6 percent of their attempts.

Looking for some semblance of stability at the position, Joe Flacco was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 20 and made his first start on Dec. 3. The Super Bowl 47 MVP has thrown for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 60.3 completion percentage in five games.

Few players have benefited from Flacco’s arrival more than Njoku. He has 390 yards and four touchdowns in the past five games, including a season-high 134-yard performance against the Jets.

In addition to the surprising performance from Flacco, the Browns defense has been one of the best units in the NFL all year. They rank first in DVOA , passing yards allowed (165.6) and total yards allowed per game (266.6).

There’s certainly a high level of volatility with Flacco, as evidenced by his high interception total. But he’s elevated an offense that often looked disjointed under the other quarterbacks.

All of the pieces add up to make the Browns a very interesting playoff team in the AFC. This is only the third time they have made the postseason since returning to the NFL in 1999.