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08-26-2009, 05:43 PM #1Veteran Poster
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Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
It seems that all of the idiots/pundits who predict the Ravens to "take a step back" this year cite a "sophmore slump"form Flacco as one of their main reasons.
I guess they fail to realize the improvement Flacco made as the season progressed, and also the fact that in the NFL at the QB position the "sophomore slump" is a figment of many's imagination. Matter of fact,most good QBs significantly improve from their first full season to the next, or at worst have the same or slightly lower numbers than the first year.
Also the fact that Flacco didnt exactly light it up and only put up only about 2,900 yds passing lends more to the argument that if anything his numbers and performance will be better this year and not worse.
Lets take a look at some of the top QB's in the game today and see what happened in year 2....
Peyton Manning - All stats jumped significantly.
Tom Brady - Comp % and rating about the same,huge jumps in Yards and TD-INT ratio
Drew Brees - Only played in 12 games 2nd year,rating was 6 points lower.
Phillip Rivers - All stats dropped off slightly.Rating down by 10 points
Jen Roethlisberger - Only played in 12 games 2nd year. Rating exactly the same.
Jay Cutler - Most stats about the same but 1000 yd jump in yards.
Donavan McNabb - All stats jumped significantly.(only 12 games 1st year)
Carson Palmer - All stats jumped significantly. (only 13 games 1st year)
Eli Manning - Only 9 games rookie year,but rating and comp % both jumped 2nd year.
Matt Hassleback - All stats up significantly (only played in 13 games 1st year)
Brett Farve - Slight dropoff in all stats.
In almost every case their performance went up, in some cases like Manning and Cutler by a LOT. In the other cases where the performance was the same or slightly lower their first year stats were fantastic and alittle above the norm.For example Farve had a 64% comp rate his first year but dropped off to about 61 his second. Same with Rivers, had a great comp % his first year that slightly fell off.
The point is this sophmore slump bullsh%^ is just that, and there is absolutely no history of even a moderate dropoff from year one to year 2. If there is a "dropoff" is usually by less than 5% in all areas or rather insignificant.
The bottom line is most QB's were more accurate, threw many more TD's to INT's and threw for significantly more yards in their 2nd year.
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08-26-2009, 05:46 PM #2
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
There is not a sophmore allowed in the NFL. You have to be a Jr in college or 3 years out of HS to even enter the NFL draft.
Grown ass men do not have sophomore slumps. That is what happens when yu hit the co eds and bong parties instead of practice in the off season.
:T2:
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08-26-2009, 06:23 PM #3
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Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
Don't understand or agree with teh sophomore slump nonsense.
The only players that have sophomore slumps are players that aren't good and have fluke rookie years.
Flacco is no fluke.
The argument just makes no sense...wait until defenses have a full year of tape on him? To me, the more tape he put out there, the better he played. It doesn't take a full year to find a guy's weakspots...it often takes just about 2 games or so.
Conversely, the advances in a players game vastly outweigh any negatives about tape. Things like...already knowing the offense, knowing your teamates and taking more leadership roles, an offseason actually preparing for a full year of football as opposed to training for a combine and workouts, more NFL coaching specifically for your team etc...
Good players get BETTER in year 2, not regressing into a sophomore slump. I think what they are saying is that Flacco isn't that good.
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08-26-2009, 07:14 PM #5
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
Exactly. I have not heard much if any of that stuff about Matty Ice 1 and done in the post season.
If a rookie Qb on any other team in the NFL broke a record for winning playoff games the media Brett Favre s storm would be out of control. You saw how they jocked big jen after his rookie season, but I do not see quite the same level of optimism for Flacco on a team that may be even better than the one the steelers won the Sb with in 2005.
:T2:
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08-26-2009, 07:48 PM #6Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
I do not believe in a sophomore slump.
I also think Flacco will do just fine next year.
One thing I will NOT do is lump him in that group of of QB's. Not yet.
Flacco does not belong on that list yet. He has ways to go until we can make those comparisons without the use of purple glasses.
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Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
I tend to think this supposed slump is the result of complacency and sitting on one's laurels. Everything we've heard about Flacco indicates he's working harder than ever.
At lot has been made of the INTs he's thrown in camp, but camp is the time to throw them. Yeah you're trying to make sure you've got the offense down, but you've also got to test your own abilities to find your limitations. In camp you might throw a ball into a tight spot to see if you can make the play, you don't take those kinds of chances in a regular season game. I think Joe is smart enough to learn from those throws and use camp as a place to test his boundaries in a less meaningful situation. I also think he is smart enough to know that once he crosses the lines for the first game against the Chiefs, he's got to protect the ball better and be more careful with his decisions.
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08-26-2009, 09:24 PM #8
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
I don't think anyone is saying that he is in that category yet, just that good QB's generally don't have a "slump" in their second year, they actually get better.
It's funny how Matt Ryan had a weak performance in the playoffs against a pathetic defense and yet all they keep talking about how Flacco is gonna be the one with the sophomore slump.
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08-27-2009, 12:31 AM #9
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
I wrote an article about this specific topic. You can read it if you click here.
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www.oblongspheroid.com
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08-27-2009, 08:02 AM #10
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
I think if Joe experiences any slump at all it will be because of a lack of support staff. The reason that you don't hear anyone saying Ryan will have a slump is because they have Roddy White and have added Gonzalez.
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There is another theory which states that this - has - already - happened…
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08-27-2009, 09:22 AM #11
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
The stupidest thing is that Sophmore Slump is a term for Baseball, after pitchers learn what you problems hitting, etc.
It was never a football term until it gave the announcers another chance to bash the Ravens.- Section 133 for eternity!
- I know... The family resemblance is uncanny.
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08-27-2009, 09:31 AM #12
Re: Sophomore Slump" for Flacco?? Not likely.
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