Let's Not Be Quick to Push Joe Flacco Out the Door.

[The Fanatic]

I think there's only a few select individuals on this forum that are ready to push Flacco out the door.
Many of us have said we wanted to see Flacco be able to play with legit weapons and solid offensive line play combined before passing complete judgement as to whether or not he should be replaced.
Most of the Flacco supporters have also readily admitted that He was not the type of quarterback that made the receiving corp better the way a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning can/could.

The guy has proven he can more than get the job done if given the proper tools to succeed.
Certainly the Bills game was only one game against a bad team and we shouldn't expect that type of output every week but we all saw the same thing.
I personally plan on stocking up on some popcorn.

[Dragon King Onaga]

While it's true that Flacco is not in the class of an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, I question this idea that he needs to be surrounded with great talent to be successful. Crabtree, Snead and Brown is not a great cast. It's a good cast where the players' skill-sets complement each other well. This is not a cast that is striking fear in anybody. Much like the 2012 cast. It's a decent cast that fits well together, with a QB driving the machine who can make all of the throws. Joe Flacco does not need a Julio Jones to be successful. It'd be nice and likely make life easier on him, but even the Packers and Patriots put good pieces around Brady and Rodgers. They don't leave them with chopped liver from Lexington Market.

[GOTA]

While it's true that Flacco is not in the class of an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, I question this idea that he needs to be surrounded with great talent to be successful. Crabtree, Snead and Brown is not a great cast. It's a good cast where the players' skill-sets complement each other well. This is not a cast that is striking fear in anybody. Much like the 2012 cast. It's a decent cast that fits well together, with a QB driving the machine who can make all of the throws. Joe Flacco does not need a Julio Jones to be successful. It'd be nice and likely make life easier on him, but even the Packers and Patriots put good pieces around Brady and Rodgers. They don't leave them with chopped liver from Lexington Market.

Wait and see if he’s successful with these guys. It’s too early to know.

[SugarRay52]

The city of Baltimore has a history of under-appreciating athletes and pushing them out of the door prematurely. Let's not make that mistake here.

For the first five years of Flacco's career, the Ravens made the playoffs. As good as the Ravens' defenses were historically, it had been seven years since they last won a playoff game, before Flacco arrived. In 2012, that Ravens defense was not up to true Ravens standard. They made some key plays down the stretch. That is true. However, Ravens fans would be hard-pressed to put that 2012 defense in a top ten list of all-time Ravens defenses. Flacco led the way throwing to Pitta, Smith (Torrey), Boldin and Jacoby Jones, with Rice coming out of the backfield. Boldin is a great player, but there has never been a Julio Jones or AJ Green in Baltimore. Boldin had a lot of miles on him by then and performed best when they finally moved him to the slot after Cam Cameron was fired.

In 2013, he was throwing to Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and Tandon Doss. In 2014, he got Steve Smith Sr. and a legitimate OC. They beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs and almost beat New England for the third time. Now, 2015 was already headed downhill, before he shredded his knee. That much is true. In 2016, he rushed back from the knee injury, played bad in the first half of the season, got it together in the second half and got them a lead against Pittsburgh with the division practically on the line. Dean Pees blew it. In 2017, he had a herniated disc in his back, missed all of training camp and couldn't even warm up with his WRs pre-game, because he needed that much treatment, just to be ready to play. He was throwing to, wait for it..........................................Jeremy Maclin, Breshad Perriman and Mike Wallace. Yet and still, he came along in the second half of the season, got them leads against Pittsburgh AND Cincinnati, but Dean Pees blew them both.

This year, he is healthy for the first time in three years. He is throwing to Crabtree, Snead and Brown, which still isn't even a murderer's row by any means, and he looks like 2014 Flacco again.

Now, they have only played one game, but this has been building all off-season. Even the national media have raved about Flacco's training camp. I went back and looked at the Prediction thread. Very few people expected a beatdown of that magnitude. JSmoove made a great point in another thread, emphasizing how impressive it was for him to do what he did in those conditions. There is no question that Buffalo is a terrible team, with terrible coaching and terrible management. However, what Sunday showed me, at the very least, is that things are definitely a bit different this year.

I was talking to a friend yesterday who recently got off of the Flacco bandwagon. I detailed just how difficult it has been for a QB to be successful, when the entire organization wants to win with defense leading the way. From the Owner to the Coach. Steve Bisciotti is on record saying that he'd rather win a low-scoring duel than a high scoring one. We all know Ozzie loves his defense and John Harbaugh is practically a Bo Schembechler disciple. Yet and still, if the Ravens make the playoffs this season, that will make 7 appearances in 11 years with zero one-and-dones.

Whether it is Lamar Jackson or somebody else, that is just going to be hard to duplicate. Especially, again, in an organization that has historically and notoriously cared far more about the defense than the offense.

I bow to your wisdom.

[bacchys]

I'd like to add that in 2015, as I recall, and even 2016 the Ravens had a lead in the Fourth of every game Flacco started.

In 2017, there were two or three games the Ravens didn't have a lead in the Fourth.

Even when he's not played exceptionally well, he's usually played well enough to put the Ravens in a position to win. That was even with below average weapons around him.

I hope he puts together a great couple of seasons and gives the front office a giant headache of a decision in a 2020.

I also hope LJ develops into a stud QB and holds up his part of making that a giant headache of a decision. That's a great problem for a team to have: too many great players.

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[usmccharles]

If Joe can stay healthy and the FO gives him legit WRs no one will be want to push him out except one poster here who is as smart as a Chia pet

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[Iamjacks]

Points to note:

Radio commentators up here in the preseason said that Snead, Crabtree, and Brown were garbage receivers. Even the fair ones say that Baltimore has nothing special at wr.

Baltimore has the fourth from lowest league wide spending on offense this year, including Flacco’s contract.

[BustOfPallas]

Points to note:

Radio commentators up here in the preseason said that Snead, Crabtree, and Brown were garbage receivers. Even the fair ones say that Baltimore has nothing special at wr.

Baltimore has the fourth from lowest league wide spending on offense this year, including Flacco’s contract.

So in a nutshell, we got them off the scrap heap.

[Rygar64]

So in a nutshell, we got them off the scrap heap.

Per usual, with the exception of Boldin and possibly SSR(age). But Joe never makes the guys around him better...

[usmccharles]

I'm good with those WRs. I've always been with the premise of having a group of wrs that compliment each other rather than having an "elite" guy.

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[TheRaven52]

Flacco has never had 3 good receivers that could run good routes and create separation. I could count on one hand in the 10 years prior how many receivers on this team possessed both of those qualities.

The people clamoring to push Flacco out the door better be careful what they wish for.

[Ravenstatsman]

Flacco is around 33 years old. He'll be good for another 5 or 6 seasons. Dead money will not be a factor





Ravens should be drafting a high round stand-tall-in-the pocket type sharpshooter around 2021 or 2022. Have him carry the clipboard for a few years, such as Rodgers did under Favre. Make a smooth transition when Flacco retires.

At age 21 Flacco couldn't beat out Tyler Palko at Pitt and had to transfer to DII.

To write off Lamar Jackson at this point just reeks of bias, of what kind I'm not sure.