Ravens QB Joe Flacco is picking up the flak
Ravens QB Joe Flacco is picking up the flak
Updated: January 21, 2012 2:07AM
Days before the AFC divisional playoffs, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco lamented his Catch-22.
"I'm sure if we win, I'll have nothing to do with why we won, according to you guys," Flacco said at his news conference Wednesday.
The 18th overall pick in 2008, Flacco has fulfilled many of the expectations of a franchise quarterback.
He's a winner, posting a 44-20 record. And he's durable, not missing a start in his career.
But his performance in the Ravens' 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans was good, not great. He completed 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Numbers befitting a solid quarterback, not a star quarterback.
This week, Ravens future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed created a stir when he criticized Flacco's play against the Texans in an interview. He insisted Thursday during a conference call that his comments had been taken out of context.
But here's the thing: Reed is right.
The Texans dared Flacco to beat them, focusing instead on Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice. And Flacco did hold on to the ball too long several times. And Flacco will have to play markedly better if the Ravens have any hope of upsetting the New England Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
"It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense," Reed said.
Flacco might have a grasp of the Ravens' offense, but he doesn't excel in it the way other elite quarterbacks do.
And he doesn't lack the weapons.
He has a stout offensive line. He has Rice out of the backfield. His starting receivers are Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans, with the electric rookie, Torrey Smith, coming off the bench.
Not to mention a strong defense.
In his three postseason losses, Flacco has one touchdown pass and six interceptions. Overall, his postseason passer rating is 66.2.
Asked if winning a Super Bowl will change how he's perceived, Flacco said, "I don't care.
"I will be wearing a ring, and we will be holding a trophy. The perception probably won't change, but it does not really matter."
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stands in his way. He dominated the Denver Broncos last weekend, completing 26 of 34 passes for 363 yards with six touchdown passes and one interception.
The Ravens' defense is much better than Denver's, but how much better?
Baltimore's unit ranked third overall, but it had some ghastly outings, including a 34-14 loss Dec. 18 to the San Diego Chargers and a 31-24 victory Nov. 20 over the Cincinnati Bengals in which it conceded 483 yards.
In that game, Flacco was 17-for-27 for 270 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception, and he connected with Smith on a 38-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
While the Ravens spent a few days doing damage control after Reed's comments, the Patriots quietly cruised through the week, refusing to say anything remotely controversial. On Thursday, they gushed about Flacco.
"Flacco has a great arm, and that's first and foremost," Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. "He has great poise in the pocket. He's probably one of the toughest guys in the pocket, and even though he may get hit at times, he'll stand in and take the lick and hang on to the football.
"He's a great passer, and he's a leader for those guys, also."
Flacco symbolizes the organization, linebacker Terrell Suggs said.
"This team, as a whole, we've never been anybody's favorite,'' Suggs said. ''I think he fits right in with us, kind of with our persona. He is right there in the locker room with us.
"We're a different kind of group with some special cats around here."
They'll get a chance to show just how special Sunday.
Source