AFC North Battles: Andy Dalton Vs. Joe Flacco
It’s Andy Dalton Vs. Joe Flacco In This AFC North Comparison:
Andy Dalton has proven himself as a franchise quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Flacco is the only franchise quarterback the Baltimore Ravens ever had. The question is now, who is the better quarterback?
Related Story: Baltimore Ravens: Life Before Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco is a Super Bowl MVP. He has won more road playoff games than any quarterback in NFL history and has tied a playoff record held by Kurt Warner and Joe Montana. Flacco is the more accomplished quarterback than Dalton, who has not won a playoff game.
Dalton has taken the Bengals to the playoffs five times. Flacco has been to the playoffs six of the last eight seasons. In each Ravens trip to the playoffs, they have won at least one game. Flacco, who steps his game up in the playoffs, is a big reason for that.
More from Ravens News
- Will Baltimore Ravens be rewarded for risky Lamar Jackson decision?
- The Baltimore Ravens Big Gamble
- Ravens Super Bowl odds present fascinating insight on Lamar Jackson’s future
- Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
- Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?
In the regular season, both Dalton and Flacco have been rather comparable. Dalton has one season over 4,000 yards; which is something Flacco doesn’t have. But in his five year career, Dalton has put up similar performances to that of Flacco. Dalton averages 3,601 yards per season while Flacco averages 3,541.5 yards per season.
From a statistical standpoint Flacco and Dalton do not measure up to the Aaron Rodger, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning level. They are very good quarterbacks that have given their respective teams a chance. While the Bengals seem to be the Ravens kryptonite, that has no bearing on the battle between Flacco and Dalton. That has much more to do with the Ravens defensive lapses than anything.
Dalton has had more to work with. Dalton has had one of the best receivers in football, A.J. Green. Green has had five straight seasons with over 1,000 yards. He had two seasons where he almost caught 100 passes. Add on Muhammad Sanu, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and even Jermaine Gresham for a bit, and Flacco has reason to be jealous.
Next: Is Ray Lewis The Greatest NFL Player Of All Time?
So here’s the bottom line. With more talent around him, Dalton has just managed to be a bit more productive than Flacco. While Dalton has not been able to lift his team to playoff success, Flacco has been to three AFC Championship games and won a Super Bowl. Similar production in the regular season, and such a disparity in playoff success, give Flacco the win here.