The Quarterback controversy has officially begun for Ravens

A poor showing from the Ravens offense and a bad day from Joe Flacco has officially jump-started the quarterback controversy we all feared.

From the moment the Baltimore Ravens selected Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, fans knew that eventually this season we would face a quarterback controversy. It seemed completely inevitable, no matter what happened. The media fed into it, as everyone was head-over-heels for Jackson’s athleticism, and fans have clamored for a new quarterback for quite sometime.

Then the season started, and Joe Flacco looked like a new quarterback. Although mistakes were bound to happen, Flacco nonetheless looked dedicated and confident in his play. The new weapons brought in and established chemistry with his Offensive Coordinator have obviously played a factor in this, but Flacco entirely looked like a remade man.

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The once 4-2 Ravens have dropped two-straight games because of numerous failures throughout the team, particularly due to a defense that has been bent over sideways. But as the “franchise leader,” the blame will fall on Flacco’s shoulders. To an extent, this is rightfully earned. In Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, Flacco tossed two interceptions, both of which were extremely avoidable. His receivers didn’t do him too many favors, but Flacco played poor throughout the game.

Because of this, Lamar Jackson would wind up seeing time at quarterback to end the game. And I don’t mean in trick-plays with Flacco out wide at receiver. I mean Flacco was on the sidelines. The Lamar Jackson era may have begun.

In garbage time, a point well after the game was decided for Baltimore, Jackson looked sharp and threw his first career touchdown pass to fellow 2018 first round pick Hayden Hurst. Jackson showed off solid poise and looked more comfortable than he has throughout the season. But such a small sample size must be taken with an even lighter grain of salt.

Believe it or not, Baltimore’s decision to bench Joe Flacco to end the game and let Lamar Jackson take over has significance. We all know that Jackson is the future, and the Ravens are interested in finding out what they have sooner rather than later. At 4-4, there’s not much room for error for Flacco to guide Baltimore back to the post-season, and there’s even more pressure on his chest now with coaches and fans wanting Jackson to come in more and more often.