Baltimore Ravens: No more excuses for Joe Flacco

BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 01: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens leaves the field after taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) /

After another disappointing loss, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco faces much deserved criticism for his poor play. How much longer can we continue to turn the other cheek for our man, Joe Cool?

I love Joe Flacco as much as the next Ravens fan. (Terrell Owens’ voice) That’s my quarterback! I’ve always considered it unfair how much blame has fallen upon the former Super Bowl MVP’s shoulders. For years, I have defended Flacco for his sub-par play.

“There is no continuity at the offensive coordinator position.” “The Ravens don’t have a reliable run game.” “The offensive supporting cast isn’t helping Flacco enough.” These are only some of the many things I have stated in defense of Flacco.

No more excuses, Joe.

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The Ravens have a talented roster, more talented than their 2-2 record would indicate. Baltimore boasts one of the league’s strongest defenses, despite their last two outings being poor to say the least. The Ravens even have capable play-makers both at wide receiver and running back this season. So, what gives?

Flacco is without a doubt the greatest quarterback in the Ravens 22-year history and it’s not even close. There’s no debate about it. But how impressive is it at this point?

After all, Flacco has a career passer rating of just 84.2 with 185 passing touchdowns to 121 interceptions. Those numbers are solid, but not for someone who is supposed to be the franchise’s best of the best.

Yes, Flacco’s claim to fame has been his playoff performances. We will never forget about his 2012 playoff run, arguably the greatest four game stretch in NFL playoff history. In fact, that’s the performance that inked Flacco’s six-year $120.6 million contract. Since then? Calling Flacco an above average quarterback has been a huge stretch.

Since 2013, Joe Flacco has thrown 80 touchdowns to 61 interceptions with a passer rating of 82.3. That’s beyond mediocre for a guy who signed what was then the largest quarterback contract in NFL history.

Now in 2017, Flacco already has more interceptions than touchdowns through four games (4/6) and is on pace for a career low 2,404 passing yards. His passer rating of 65.0 is ranked 39th among the rest of the league. Last I checked, there are 32 NFL teams, meaning there are seven back-up quarterbacks with a better passer rating than Joe this season.

The Bottom Line:

While the Ravens have been far from perfect this season, their 2-2 record is as much of Joe Flacco’s fault as it is anyone else’s related to the Baltimore Ravens. But having Flacco toss an interception in ten straight games dating back to 2016 sure doesn’t help the team’s chances.

Sitting at 2-2, the Ravens absolutely need Flacco to step up his game and help carry the offense. The Ravens have capable running backs and solid receiving options. Flacco needs to start throwing the ball with more care and avoid making silly mistakes.

Next: 5 Baltimore Ravens who have been the most disappointing this year

If Flacco can’t find a way to turn it around this season, things look grim. The Ravens could very well end up with a top ten pick in this upcoming draft. The 2018 crop is already being dubbed “The year of the quarterback”, by the way. If things continue to run the course they have been, the Ravens could be looking for Flacco’s replacement sooner rather than later.

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