Flacco #100 on PFF's Top 101 of 2012 (and why it's ridiculous)

[Lee Van Cleef]

Yes they grade each play, without variables. Flacco in a poorly run offense throwing to Boldin and smith as a top WRs, is being graded equally to Ryan in a better offense throwing to Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. Thats where the issue lies. Its not a 1 on 1 scenario where you can take this performance against this corner or this defense and call it equal. "Ryan was asked to do more and performed better." Id say due those variables and having two legitimate #1 WRs, prototypical ones, and the GOAT TE that Ryan is actually asked to do a lot less on his own and benefits by them excelling at their positions. while PFFs own analysis claims Boldin does not excel at his, yet is ranked that much higher than the QB that his ability effects. I think theres some hypocrisy there and this "result of the play" isnt taking into account those circumstances. Something eyes can do and stats cannot.

Back to my point "but you can't judge a player on what he wasn't doing, you can only go by what he did." The only way to view Flacco's performance is what he did with the system he was in and the players around him. Saying "If he'd had this OC or this TE..." it's supposition. When you're grading/rating past performance you grade/rate the past performance, not how it would have been different under different circumstances. And it's odd that these players around Ryan make him better, and not that his accuracy and ability also helps those players. It's not the one way street you all seem desperate to make it out to be.

It's entirely possible that Flacco plays better next year under a new OC, but that doesn't change what he actually did on the field last season.