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Flacco Must Step Up

Flacco Must Step Up
Photo credit: Scott Kelby
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The Hall Pass Has Expired

This time of year is a challenging one for writers who cover the National Football League and any of its 32 teams. Many have created lists such as the 10 Ravens that need to step up in 2016 or the 10 Ravens with the most to prove in the coming season.

Much of it is enjoyable reading as we countdown the days to training camp and eventually the regular season. But so many unexpected things can and do happen during the course of a season that catch us by surprise. And then we’re forced to adjust.

Injuries happen. They are a way of life in the NFL.

Players can surprise or disappoint.

Teams can hit their stride or hit the skids. We only need to look to 2015 when many had the Ravens making a push to Super Bowl 50. How did that work out?

Yet generally speaking, most of the teams in the modern era that succeed, field quarterbacks who produce.

In 2015 nine of the playoff quarterbacks had passer ratings of 92.7 or better, averaging 100.7. The three quarterbacks who didn’t produce at those levels yet made the playoffs (P. Manning ~ 67.9, T. Bridgewater ~ 88.7, B. Hoyer ~ 91.4) were supported by stingy defenses that ranked 4th, 5th and 7th in points allowed.

Comparatively, the Ravens ranked 24th in points allowed in 2015 (25.1 ppg).

Joe Flacco’s best season was in 2010 when he posted a passer rating of 93.6. His best season since was in 2014 when his passer rating reached the 91.0 mark, only the second time in his career that he’s eclipsed a 90.0 rating. Flacco’s career average passer rating is 84.7. Since 2012 when he went on a tear through the playoffs, Flacco’s average passer rating is 85.3. Last season it was 83.1.

Flacco defenders will point to his playoff record and claim that he’s been clutch. He enjoys a (10-5) postseason record with a passer rating of 88.6. And there’s no denying that his performance during the 2012 postseason is among the best of all time, posting a magnificent 117.2 passer rating on his way to being named the Super Bowl 47 MVP.

But it’s time to stop living in the past.Flacco Must Step Up

There’s no denying Flacco’s performance in 2012 and he’ll be remembered for it always, particularly here in Baltimore where that epic romp has seemingly earned him a three-season-and-counting hall pass for mediocrity.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Flacco has had some very substandard postseason performances. To continue to point to his (10-5) postseason record and chant things like, “he’s money”, “he’s clutch” and “all he does is win in the playoffs” is purely delusional.

If we extract Flacco’s 2012 playoff romp, he’s 6-5 as a playoff quarterback and during those 11 games he registered a passer rating of 79.5. During his first 2 seasons while posting a (3-2) playoff record Flacco’s passer rating was an anemic 38.9.

It’s safe to say that the two losses are more on him than the 3 wins, which can and should be credited to the defense.

Defense was once the Ravens ticket to success. Today that seems like ancient history so until they can be better than they were in 2015, significantly better – and there’s little evidence as of now that they will be, the Ravens success rides on the coattails of Joe Flacco.

So while all of the talk about the Ravens who have to step up and the Ravens with something to prove in 2016 can be enjoyable coastal reading on vacation, it’s all window dressing if Flacco performs as he did in 2015 prior to his ACL tear.

The NFL is a quarterback league. There’s no getting around it. One could easily make the argument that no position in any team sport is more important than quarterback in the National Football League.

Sure you can still win with defense and a game manager behind center. The defending Super Bowl Champs can make that claim. But that’s a rarity in today’s NFL and it’s an extreme reach to think the Ravens can be that kind of defense. They’ll need another couple of off seasons of re-tooling to be remotely close.

And that brings us back to Flacco.

Flacco Must Step Up
Photo Credit: Baltimore Ravens

This season he’ll have more speed on the outside than he’s ever had. He’ll enjoy his deepest stable of tight ends and he’ll have running backs that can be dangerous in open space.

All of this makes the Ravens offense more multiple. They can spread the field, which will open up the running game and consequently their playbook. And the playbook is a familiar one for a change – that of Marc Trestman’s who returns as the team’s offensive coordinator, a luxury Flacco hasn’t enjoyed since Cam Cameron’s tenure as OC.

Assuming you are comfortable calling Cameron a “luxury”.

But I digress…

Of course there are some concerns about the left side of the Ravens offensive line. Ronnie Stanley is thought to be a staple at left tackle for years to come. But let’s not forget that the Ravens once thought the same about Michael Oher and that fellow No. 6 overall pick OT Jake Matthews’ struggled mightily in 2014.

To Stanley’s right is a guy (pick one) who isn’t as battle tested as you might like playing beside a rookie.

To make it work, Trestman might have to rely on the run a bit more early in the season, along with quick passes to help loosen things up.

Yet again, in the end, it brings us back to Flacco. He will need to make the right pre-snap adjustments to help take pressure off the left side of the line. He will need to manage cadence better to give his offensive front a slight edge. He will need to make better decisions with the football than he has since his Super Bowl romp.

It’s time to stop pointing to 2012 to justify Flacco’s paycheck. He just needs to be the player the Ravens paid for back in 2013.

No more excuses.

No more quasi-fictional top 10 lists.

Let’s move on to a true story!

Joe Flacco must step up in 2016!

The End…

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