Ebony Bird
FanSided

Baltimore Ravens: Breaking down both sides of the quarterback debate

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens passes the ball while teammate offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 blocks against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 27, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens passes the ball while teammate offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 blocks against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 27, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Joe Flacco side of things:

Joe Flacco wasn’t having a bad season and he wasn’t the biggest reason for the Ravens losing four out of five games. Flacco may have been the most convenient scapegoat (next to John Harbaugh) but the Ravens have a ton of issues that don’t have to do with number 5. The Ravens offensive line has had an up and down year, but they were mostly down with Flacco. The Ravens run game was hard to spark without putting Jackson in the game as more or less a wildcat quarterback. Michael Crabtree dropped a game winning touchdown pass in a loss to Cleveland. The defense held the Saints to 24 points, but struggled to get off the field and 17 of those points came in the fourth quarter. The defense couldn’t stop anything against the Carolina Panthers and the Steelers game was a total mess all around.

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It’s lazy analyzing to point out that the Ravens are 3-0 with Jackson and then point to the fact that Flacco had just lost three straight. There were a lot of factors in the losing streak and Jackson isn’t the only reason the Ravens had a winning streak. The Ravens defense bailed Jackson out against the Falcons. The Falcons didn’t even have 150 yards passing and the defense scored a touchdown. Jackson still passed for less yards than Ryan. Jackson hasn’t passed for over 200 yards in a game this season. He misses throws that Flacco consistently makes, even on his worst day. While both quarterbacks are mistake prone, Flacco is experienced. If the Ravens fall behind in a game and the passing game has to be on point, Jackson’s offense would hinder the Ravens.

Jackson proved that his style can win games in this league, however he isn’t beaten a good team yet. The Cincinnati Bengals fell back down to earth like a meteorite. The Oakland Raiders are in line for a high draft pick and the Falcons are underwhelming. Flacco could have easily gone 3-0 in this stretch. The Ravens are in a playoff push right now. They have to play the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. There is a strong argument to be had that Flacco should get his job back.

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