No player on the Ravens roster generates more high and low reviews than quarterback Joe Flacco. One minute he's opening the season with 3 touchdown passes and a QB rating of 117.6 against the arch rival Steelers, and he is finally becoming a top NFL quarterback. The next, he's throwing 2 interceptions with a paltry 46.9 completion percentage and a QB rating of 51.2 against Seattle. Now he's just an average quarterback who needs a strong supporting cast and a great defense to win at this level. But who is the real Joe Flacco? Which quarterback is he? The guy with ice in his veins who can drive down the field for the game-winning touchdown pass in Pittsburgh? Or is he the inconsistent, overthrowing, holding the ball too long QB that he sometimes becomes?
Some critics describe Flacco as simply a serviceable quarterback, a game-manager at times. Someone who wouldn't have nearly the amount of success he has attained if he were on a team without the type of defense that the Ravens have. I'm not buying that. Kyle Boller had the Ravens defense on his side too.
Some, like John Clayton of ESPN describe him as elite. Any fan of Flacco's surely loves to hear that, but I'm not agreeing with Clayton either. An elite quarterback can make a bad team great. Just look at what happened in Indianapolis this year for evidence of that. If Flacco were quarterbacking a team such as this years Colts, I don't think he'd be taking them deep into the postseason.
So where does Joe Flacco fall? He is undoubtedly the best QB to put on a Ravens uniform. Not saying much, I know, but he is a very good NFL quarterback. The type of quarterback no team could afford to give up because very good NFL quarterbacks are very hard to find. He's not Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers, or Drew Brees. But he's certainly not Kyle Boller, or Trent Dilfer, or Elvis Grbac. The Ravens recent success has somewhat spoiled the fanbase. They have won at least one playoff game each of the last three years, and this year made the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. Additionally, this year also included the AFC North division crown, and a first-round playoff bye. Flacco has 44 regular-season victories. More than any other quarterback in NFL History. That's not a record attainable by a "serviceable" quarterback.
But the one thing the Flacco-led Ravens have yet to accomplish is winning a championship. This could be the year to do it. Flacco's 2011 regular season doesn't look all that great on paper. He had the lowest completion percentage of his career at 57.6%. He had the lowest average yards per throw of his career at 6.7 yards. He had the lowest QB rating (80.9) and yardage total (3,610) since his rookie year of 2008. But those are just stats, and that's just how it looks on paper. This year Flacco was inconsistent, yes. But he made the right plays at the right times. He knows how to win. And a quarterback who knows how to win is a dangerous sight for opponents in the postseason. Maybe, this is the year he takes that giant next step. The step to a Super Bowl, and perhaps, the step to elite quarterback status.
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