Joe Flacco has been the subject of debate and criticism amongst fans, on local sports talk radio and even on several national media platforms.
Almost unanimously supporters and critics agree that the potential is there for Flacco to become one of the league’s best – even elite. Yet that hasn’t quite happened – at least not yet.
Clearly Flacco was elite during the Ravens stretch run of the 2012 season that culminated in Baltimore’s second world championship and a Super Bowl MVP for the big-armed quarterback from the University of Delaware.
Yet in the “what have you done for me lately” world we live in, exacerbated by the pressures of playing quarterback in the NFL, that stretch run was then. We live in the “now”.
Today critics want to know how one of the highest paid players in the history of the NFL will rebound from a dismal 2013 season during which he threw more interceptions than touchdowns (22 v. 19) and had a quarterback rating (73.1) that ranked 32nd amongst starting quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts.
Flacco’s supporters will justifiably point out that he hasn’t had the most cutting edge coordinators directing his offense and in 2013 he was hamstrung by the league’s worst running game based upon yards/carry.
And let’s not forget that offensive, offensive line. To call it a sieve is really an insult to sieves.
If correcting these deficiencies weren’t challenging enough for Flacco and new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, the signal caller must now tackle criticisms about his leadership.
On the heels of a disgustingly inadequate 2013 season many expected Flacco to take the bull of the Texans’ offense by the horns and work with his old and new receivers during player organized sessions. That never happened and it opened the door to new criticisms for Flacco.
Are such criticisms valid?
Can players benefit from pitch-and-catch workouts even without a playbook?
Isn’t the downtime for a quarterback important in preserving arm strength during the season?
For answers to these questions I sat down with Chris Johnston who is the Founder and Director of Complete QB, a nationwide Quarterback training organization that has provided Quarterback development camps and training since 2000.
TL: Flacco has been heavily criticized for not gathering his receivers in the offseason to work out together. Defenders say he didn’t yet have the Kubiak playbook. Your thoughts on the value of such workouts? Is the value diminished without a playbook?
CJ: Offseason workouts do have value for quarterbacks and receivers. While having a playbook and a feel for the team’s new offensive system can be helpful for the players involved, I think the overwhelming majority of system teaching and learning takes place in an official team setting where coaches and players work together in groups and full units to implement and refine coaching points.
Offseason passing sessions are useful for players to get to know the nuances of each other’s habits (a WR’s acceleration on an out-cut, a QB’s rhythm in hitching up to throw a pass, etc.), as well as to experience some interaction with teammates. I think there is something to be said for the unspoken value of a player who is willing to take unpaid time to get together with teammates to work toward improvement.
TL: In Major League Baseball we often hear about pitch counts so teams can manage and preserve a pitcher’s arm. What about quarterbacks? Should they have down time? What’s the proper amount of rest? What can QB’s do to strengthen their arms in order to prepare for the long haul of late July through (possibly) early February?
CJ: Sensible guidelines for avoiding overuse and repetitive use injuries make sense. I believe this is far more important in baseball, as the number of throws a pitcher will make is typically much higher and the rotational force involved in a pitcher’s motion and delivery is significant.
I typically advise stretches of downtime only in cases of injuries. Quarterbacks that throw with a full-body delivery – as opposed to arm-only – typically steer clear of most of the overuse arm injuries experienced by pitchers. As a whole body rule, a period of rest of 4-6 weeks after the completion of the season is my general guideline.
Arm strength for a quarterback really boils down to stabilizing the shoulder joint – which can go through an amazing range of motion during the act of throwing. The strengthening priorities for a quarterback should include anything that stabilizes the shoulder joint (rotator cuff, etc.) via traditional free weight work (push press lifts, etc.), as well as therapeutic flex-band work (rotator cuff-specific exercises like those used by physical therapists).
TL: What kind of impact might Kubiak have on Flacco? Do you think Flacco’s skill sets are ideal for that offense?
Flacco has demonstrated a higher statistical success rate (TD:INT ratio, completion %, etc.) when the ball is out of his hand earlier, post-snap. So, from that perspective alone, there is a strong possibility Coach Kubiak’s short passing game will impact Flacco positively.
It is arguable that Flacco’s greatest inconsistencies came in an offense that called for him to throw isolation routes to a single-receiver side of the field in a traditional I-backfield. That fact alone bodes well for the possibility that Flacco could evolve into less of a home run ball kind of quarterback and more of a pre-snap determination kind of passer that releases the ball much earlier.
As far as skill set, Kubiak’s most successful offenses in Houston also featured a full-flow run game that allowed for big play-action gains. Flacco is certainly not a stranger to throwing the ball off of play action, and may feel comfortable with throwing the ball after play fakes.
More work lies ahead for Flacco, Kubiak and the Ravens offense. Judging from the pacing during OTA’s, they are well on their way.
But if timing is off early on when the regular season lights come on and it hurts the team during their first three contests – all against divisional rivals, critics will question those Flacco-led offseason workouts that never happened.
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