It’s often said that the only stat that matters in a discussion about Joe Flacco is “Wins”.
But really at the end of the day couldn’t the same be said about any player?
Clearly Joe Flacco has an impressive record as a starter. We are often reminded that Flacco has the most wins of any NFL quarterback since entering the league (2008) and he has played a big role in those winning ways.
Compared to his Ravens predecessors, Flacco became a difference maker. No longer did we have to suffer through the ineptitude of the Jeff Blakes, Anthony Wrights and Kyle Bollers of the world, or the physical limitations of Steve McNair. And maybe it’s those memories that contribute to Baltimore’s affinity for Joe Cool.
Flacco undoubtedly has lifted the level of competency at the position to unprecedented heights since the Ravens came to town in 1996. His availability and durability are arguably his best abilities and they’ve helped to shape the Ravens into regular postseason participants since his arrival.
All that said, Flacco hasn’t carried the Ravens. He isn’t a Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or even an Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. He doesn’t put a team on his back and lift them to victory – not yet anyway.
For most of the team’s five consecutive seasons of playoff appearances he was a complementary piece – a high-end game manager.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just ask Pete Carroll.
Before his record tying romp through the playoffs in the 2012 season, Flacco and the Ravens were 5-4 in the postseason, all but one of those victories on the road. Yet during those nine games Flacco threw only 4 TD passes against 8 interceptions on his way to a playoff passer rating of 65.0. The team’s most dominant playoff win came at the expense of the Patriots in 2009 when he completed just 4 passes for 34 yards.
Flacco’s rise to the occasion in 2012 is undeniable. He was masterful and more than any other, his was the hand that delivered the team’s second Lombardi Trophy.
But something changed after Super Bowl XLVII.
Flacco cashed in, landing a then record setting NFL contract.
Many will argue that it was deserved. Some, not so much.
After painting themselves into the proverbial corner the Ravens had no choice but to open the vault for Flacco. Making negotiations worse the team fell in love with the idea of having a franchise quarterback, having a Tom Brady of their own. While still basking in the glow of a world championship and their shiny Super Bowl MVP, the Ravens from the owner on down convinced themselves that Flacco was that guy.
The jury is still out…
Perhaps time will prove them right but the early returns suggest otherwise.
When you pay a quarterback like the Ravens are paying Flacco, he must play to the level of his contract otherwise that contract becomes a noose around the franchise’s neck.
Policed by the cap, the contract makes it difficult for the Ravens to surround Flacco with the kind of talent that supported him while enjoying the comfy confines of his rookie contract.
No longer can he just play as well as he did under his rookie contract.
He must play better!
Flacco needs to be the kind of player that makes the players around him better than they otherwise would be. He needs to be instrumental in the development of Torrey Smith for example. Like Wes Welker to Brady, Smith with Flacco must be better than Smith with anyone else.
That level of responsibility comes with the contract. There’s really no way around it given the big gunslinger’s percentage of the team’s salary cap.
Flacco’s contract also puts pressure on the Ravens front office, particularly the scouting department. If they fail to find collegiate talent that produces at the NFL level while under rookie contracts, the team will fail. They need to be able to save money through the draft and reinvest it in complementary players.
Or better…
If the Ravens are to milk their money’s worth from Flacco, he needs a stud receiver. Like Brady has Gronkowski and has had the Welkers and Randy Mosses; like Manning has had his Harrisons, Waynes, Sanderses and Thomases, Flacco needs a go-to guy.
He needs the Jordy Nelson or Randall Cobb who can make a spectacular grab to keep a drive alive or score an unexpected touchdown.
In Flacco, Steve Bisciotti acquired another yacht, figuratively speaking. Now he needs to equip the yacht with the right horsepower to get the vessel to go where they want it to go – not just sit there tied to the dock, waving the pretty Super Bowl XLVII flag.
Flacco must play better. He must be more consistent and he must be supported properly. Otherwise the team would have been better just to find the next Flacco-like rookie, develop a system quarterback with upside (see Russell Wilson) and surround said system guy with deeper talent.
But now it’s too late for that.
It’s time for the Ravens to go out and get Flacco his AJ Green – a player that can really open up the offense. In doing so they can also make things a bit easier for the defense.
A high-scoring, quick strike offense enables the defense to make opposing offenses more one-dimensional and when that happens sacks and turnovers climb, as will the wins.
But it starts with that big playmaker – a playmaker the likes of which has escaped the reach of the Ravens on draft day even when it was a targeted need. Roddy White, Alshon Jeffrey and Dez Bryant come to mind.
Perhaps the Ravens just need to buy a playmaker.
Trouble is, unless they make some hard decisions and part ways with some highly paid vets who like Flacco, are not performing to the level of their contracts, the Ravens will need to develop that playmaker.
And we’ve seen too often how that story ends.
