It is Time for Flacco to Put Up or Shut Up

So the Ravens have made the AFC Championship game and if you are like most of the press, fans, or anyone who knows anything about football, you aren’t giving Joe Flacco any of the credit. At least that is what the fourth-year quarterback out of Delaware is claiming. Flacco’s cries of why he isn’t getting more credit for Baltimore’s success in his four years as a starting quarterback are not only insane but unfounded and let’s take a look at why.

Let’s start with the basic numbers for Flacco. If you look at his end of the year numbers, they actually look pretty solid: 312 of 542 for 3,610 yards, 20 TD’s and 12 INT’s for a 80.9 passer rating. But when you break down the numbers a little more, you can pick apart the reasons why the Patriots defense could be in for a big day.

In the games where defense’s tried to put the onus on Flacco to beat them, he usually failed or his team won despite him. Six times, Flacco had to throw 34 or more times. In those six games, the 12-4 Ravens went 3-3. In the three wins, Flacco ranged from outstanding (37-7 win at St. Louis: 27 of 48, 389 yards 3 TD’s) to average (23-20 win at Pittsburgh 28 of 47 for 300 yards and a TD) to below average (30-27 win vs. Arizona: 31 of 51 for 336 yards and an INT).

Flacco was supposed to be turning the corner after the St. Louis game. Finally the first round pick was going to reach his potential. How did he follow that game up? By going 10 of 31 for 163 yards and an INT against the Jets at home. The Arizona and Pittsburgh wins were sandwiched around a 21 of 38 for 137 yards, TD and INT in a 12-7 loss at Jacksonville and a 29 of 52 for 255 yards, TD and INT performance in a 22-17 loss at Seattle. That loss was important because it was the game where the Ravens finally realized their offense lives and dies with Ray Rice, who had just five carries in the loss to the Seahawks.

Over the remaining seven weeks of the season, Baltimore turned its focus to Rice and reeled off a 6-1 run to clinch the second seed in the AFC. The game they lost? Flacco’s third loss in the 34 attempt club. He wasn’t awful, going 23 of 34 for 226 yards, 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s, but the Chargers stacked the box and limited Rice to just 10 carries. Not surprisingly in the 6-1 run the Ravens had, this was the lone game that Rice didn’t carry at least 20 times and Flacco attempted 34 or more passes.

Now, some Flacco supporters will point to his strong 5-3 record in the play-offs as proof that he indeed has had success when it counted. But when you really look at it, it just supports the fact that Baltimore is indeed winning despite Flacco’s presence.

In Flacco’s rookie season, the Ravens made it to the AFC Championship game before being eliminated by the Steelers. In Flacco’s two wins, he combined to go 20 of 45 for 296 yards and a TD. Both were road wins which is impressive, but when they needed Flacco in a nine-point loss at Pittsburgh, he was MIA. The final line was 13 of 30 for 141 yards and 3 INT’s, signaling an end to Baltimore’s season.

But a rookie helping his team get within one game of the Super Bowl was impressive and the hope was he could build off of that experience. In his second season, the Ravens again won their play-off opener, dispatching the Patriots on the road. Flacco’s line in that game was 4 of 10 for 34 yards and an INT. Not exactly dominating wouldn’t you say? But Baltimore grabbed an early lead and didn’t need him, so let’s look at their next game.

On the road in the divisional play-offs against Indianapolis, with the offense sputtering, Flacco put up this gem of a game: 20 of 35 for 189 yards and two INT’s. He had support from a running game that averaged 4.6 yards per carry (87 yards on 19 attempts) but could not take advantage of a shaky Colts defense, bringing Baltimore season to an end.

At the start of the play-offs of his third season, Flacco put together his best game of his career in the post-season, finishing 25 of 34 for 265 yards and a pair of TD’s. It seemed Flacco might be turning the corner, but Pittsburgh derailed that the following week. The Steelers took away the Ravens running game, holding them to just two yards a carry and put the game in Flacco’s hands. He failed again, going 16 of 30 for 125 yards, a TD and an INT. At what point would you give Flacco credit for the Ravens success beyond the Kansas City game in which his defense limited their opponent to 186 total yards?

This coming Sunday, Flacco will get his chance to prove he is worthy of some credit because there is little doubt that the Patriots will be game planning to take away Ray Rice and Baltimore’s running game. In order for the Ravens to advance to their first Super Bowl since 2000, it will be up to Flacco to back up his words and be the reason his team advances. Alex Smith did it on Saturday with the game of his life. Can Flacco do it? He might never have a better chance than Sunday.


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