The “January Joe” moniker given to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is well deserved. We have all seen just how capable he is when it comes to leading his team in the postseason.
Aggressiveness isn’t a term you often hear associated with the quiet demeanor of Flacco, but at the Under Armour Performance Center this week, he is raising some eyebrows as to just how fiery January Joe can be.
On Tuesday when speaking to the media for the first time since the victory over the Steelers, Flacco gave a glimpse into how impressed he was with offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s confidence in him and with his teammates, based on the aggressive play calls Kubiak made in Pittsburgh.
Make no bones about it, the former Delaware Blue Hen is always confident when it comes to his play, yet on Wednesday, the Ravens first-year coordinator shed some light on what he viewed as an increasing amount of confidence the seven-year veteran is exhibiting.
“I’ve felt Joe’s confidence since I’ve been here, but I can honestly say that this past week working with him through the first playoff game, I can see the level rise a little bit,” Said Kubiak. “I think he works and plays and lives for these situations, and I think his record speaks for itself and what he has been able to do.
“A lot of guys want the ball in their hands at this time, and he’s one of those guys. He’s like, ‘Put it on me,’ and that’s a great feeling as a coach, but it’s a great feeling in the room with the team, because I know the team knows that’s his gut feeling.”
Kubiak acknowledged that Joe has been involved from day one when it comes to how the coordinator calls games. That’s something very different from earlier in Flacco’s career with his past coordinators.
“I give Joe my [play] card on Friday, and he looks at it throughout Saturday, and we meet and talk about the things he likes,” explained Kubiak. “You want your guy out there doing things he’s comfortable with, that he feels like has a chance to be successful. You try to listen to everybody, but he’s the one pulling the trigger every play, so we’re going to listen to him a bunch.”
Confidence breeds performance, as head coach John Harbaugh preaches every training camp.
The formula is simple: The more comfortable you are with the playbook, the more confident you will perform. It’s been the case for Flacco in Kubiak’s new system since day one. There are bumps in the road, and Joe and Gary aren’t perfect, but the Ravens offense has increased ten-fold compared to where they finished last season.
After all Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Kubiak looks back at the Cleveland game in the season finale as the possible turning point for Joe and his offense.
“I think that’s half of it, as far as his confidence to want the football,” Kubiak stated. “And like the fourth quarter he played against Cleveland to get us in the playoffs, it was all about him and some of the plays he made. So, [here is a] very confident young man. [He] loves these situations; you can tell by how he works out here and how he prepares.”
Here’s hoping whatever they discuss in Kubiak’s office this week works as well as it did last week, with the result being a spot in the AFC Championship game next weekend.
Follow me on Twitter @sportguyRSR
