Baltimore Ravens: Breaking down both sides of the quarterback debate

The Ravens may or may not have a quarterback controversy but the Ravens Flock certainly has a quarterback debate going on.

The Baltimore Ravens started the season in a familiar fashion. Joe Flacco was the quarterback and the Ravens won their first game. After a dominant performance against the Buffalo Bills, Flacco and the Ravens fell short against the Bengals. Nothing new there, right? Then the Ravens won battles against the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens were riding high.

Joe Flacco was on pace to have the best season of his career. The Ravens run game never got a full head of steam and Flacco was doing most of the work himself. The Ravens investment in receivers was working for the purple and black. John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead had all had signature moments with their new team. Brown torched the Steelers. Crabtree had a beautiful touchdown reception against the Bills. Snead had been the most consistent receiver for the Ravens through this stretch. Flacco was leading the Ravens and the team had a whole new look.

At 3-1 the Ravens looked like contenders. They just gave the Steelers a dish of revenge and they did it in Pittsburgh. The Ravens way though, is not a straight path towards the promise land. They stumbled against the Browns and lost three of the next four games. That’s when Flacco got hurt. A hip injury sidelined Flacco for three games following the Ravens bye week. Lamar Jackson, who the Ravens took with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft,  went 3-0 as a starting quarterback. While Jackson is coming off a frustrating performance against the Falcons, and he is far from a finished product, he has made this a heated debate. Who should start for the Baltimore Ravens against the Kansas City Chiefs?