Ravens Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron said this week he thought Joe Flacco is right where he should be after four years as a starter. This statement got me to thinking how Flacco’s numbers compare to the top rated QBs from the last four seasons.
There is little doubt Flacco has the talent to be a franchise quarterback. But will he ever reach that next level of elite status? I suppose that depends on your definition of “elite”, and that’s as about as easy as defining “cool”. Nobody can question Tom Brady’s inclusion in the elite class…he is practically the very definition. Brees and Rodgers each have a Super Bowl and multiple seasons with excellent numbers. Philip Rivers also puts up consistent numbers year after year but has yet to make an appearance in the Super Bowl.
So that brings us to Joe Flacco. Statistically he had a down year, yet he led the team to within seconds of the Super Bowl. The numbers were actually quite surprising to me. I expected Brady’s numbers to rank higher, while also thinking Rodgers would rank lower. The stats below put Flacco on a path somewhere in between greatness and above average.
Next season will tell if Joe takes the right step forward or continues to regress.
Average seasons stats through first four years as a starter.
|
Quarterback * |
Rating |
Comp % |
Yds/Gm |
TD |
INT |
Sacks |
W-L Record |
|
Aaron Rodgers |
105.2 |
65.6% |
275.1 |
32.7 |
9.2 |
37.7 |
42-22 |
|
Philip Rivers |
96.1 |
63.1% |
231.3 |
26.2 |
11 |
24.7 |
46-18 |
|
Drew Brees |
91.8 |
63.8% |
228.8 |
23.5 |
12.2 |
21.7 |
39-25 |
|
Tom Brady^^ |
87.7 |
61.7% |
220.4 |
24.2 |
13 |
32.5 |
48-16 |
|
Joe Flacco |
85.9 |
60.8% |
215.9 |
20 |
11.5 |
34.7 |
44-20 |
* Figures represent the averages during the quarterback’s first four seasons as a starter. Win loss record is for regular season games only.
|
AARON RODGERS |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
AVERAGE |
|
STATISTIC |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
RATING |
93.8 |
103.2 |
101.2 |
122.5 |
105.2 |
|
COMP PCT. |
63.6% |
64.7% |
65.7% |
68.3% |
65.6% |
|
YDS/GAME |
252.4 |
277.1 |
261.5 |
309.5 |
275.1 |
|
TD |
28 |
30 |
28 |
45 |
32.7 |
|
INT |
13 |
7 |
11 |
6 |
9.2 |
|
SACKS |
34 |
50 |
31 |
36 |
37.7 |
|
RECORD |
6-10 |
11-5 |
10-6 |
15-1 |
42-22 |
|
PHILIP RIVERS |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
AVERAGE |
|
STATISTIC |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
|
RATING |
92 |
82.4 |
105.5 |
104.4 |
96.1 |
|
COMP PCT. |
61.7% |
60.2% |
65.3% |
65.2% |
63.1% |
|
YDS/GAME |
211.8 |
197 |
250.6 |
265.9 |
231.3 |
|
TD |
22 |
21 |
34 |
28 |
26.2 |
|
INT |
9 |
15 |
11 |
9 |
11 |
|
SACKS |
27 |
22 |
25 |
25 |
24.7 |
|
RECORD |
14-2 |
11-5 |
8-8 |
13-3 |
46-18 |
|
DREW BREES** |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
AVERAGE |
|
STATISTIC |
2002 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
|
|
RATING |
76.9 |
104.8 |
89.2 |
96.2 |
91.8 |
|
COMP PCT. |
60.8% |
65.5% |
64.6% |
64.3% |
63.8% |
|
YDS/GAME |
205.2 |
210.6 |
223.5 |
276.1 |
228.8 |
|
TD |
17 |
27 |
24 |
26 |
23.5 |
|
INT |
16 |
7 |
15 |
11 |
12.2 |
|
SACKS |
24 |
18 |
27 |
18 |
21.7 |
|
RECORD |
8-8 |
12-4 |
9-7 |
10-6 |
39-25 |
** Brees played only 11 games in 2003.
|
TOM BRADY |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
AVERAGE |
|
STATISTIC |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
|
RATING |
86.5 |
85.7 |
85.9 |
92.6 |
87.7 |
|
COMP PCT. |
63.9% |
62.1% |
60.2% |
60.8% |
61.7% |
|
YDS/GAME |
189.5 |
235.2 |
226.2 |
230.8 |
220.4 |
|
TD |
18 |
28 |
23 |
28 |
24.2 |
|
INT |
12 |
14 |
12 |
14 |
13 |
|
SACKS |
41 |
31 |
32 |
26 |
32.5 |
|
RECORD |
11-5 |
9-7 |
14-2 |
14-2 |
48-16 |
^^ Brady took over as starter in game three of 2001 season and record reflects losses in first two games when Drew Bledsoe was the starting QB.
|
JOE FLACCO |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
AVERAGE |
|
STATISTIC |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
RATING |
80.3 |
88.9 |
93.6 |
80.9 |
85.9 |
|
COMP PCT. |
60% |
63.1% |
62.6% |
57.6% |
60.8% |
|
YDS/GAME |
185.7 |
225.8 |
226.4 |
225.6 |
215.9 |
|
TD |
14 |
21 |
25 |
20 |
20 |
|
INT |
12 |
12 |
10 |
12 |
11.5 |
|
SACKS |
32 |
36 |
40 |
31 |
34.7 |
|
RECORD |
11-5 |
9-7 |
12-4 |
12-4 |
44-20 |
