You can make the argument that Joe Flacco isn’t an elite quarterback, but you sure can’t argue he’s not one of the toughest. Even before playing the final series of last week’s game on a shredded knee, how many times has he popped up off the turf unfazed after taking a massive hit? He’ll be missed in Baltimore over the next few months, and after a few starts by Matt Schaub will probably be a lot more appreciated once he steps back on the field. Let’s hope that’s at the start of 2016.
The injury to Flacco sure is sobering, but it’s not a shocking one considering the players who have been protecting him in 2015. The offensive line was considered a strong point coming into this season and it has been inconsistent at best. It’s also not at all surprising that the injury came as a result of James Hurst being bull rushed and dominated as he fell backwards into Flacco’s knee. The Ravens have been playing with fire when it came to protecting Flacco’s blindside and they finally got burned.
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Some will say Eugene Monroe is soft – maybe that’s the case and maybe it’s not, but there is no arguing the fact that he’s not durable. Despite earning that reputation with the Jaguars before coming to the Ravens, he has been a ghost since coming to Baltimore and signing his long-term extension. Monroe has missed four out of ten games this year and been in and out of the games he’s played. Last year he missed five games in the regular season and didn’t play in the postseason. Maybe after signing that deal he’s lost some motivation or maybe he’s had a string of bad luck with injuries. Either way the fact that the Ravens have continued to insert Hurst as his replacement has been a roll of the dice each week. How is a player whose nickname is the “Hurstile” consistently being entrusted with keeping your franchise quarterback safe?
Good left tackles are hard to come by, and Hurst is a backup, but would he even be on a practice squad if he wasn’t on the Ravens? He has consistently graded out as one of the worst left tackles in the league when he’s been on the field, yet the Ravens have continued to strut him out there each time Monroe has been hurt, which has been often. Considering Monroe’s injury history over the last two seasons the Ravens should have had better reinforcements for protecting their franchise quarterback’s blindside.
With what will likely be a top pick in the 2016 draft the Ravens may be forced to take a talented tackle. Monroe has proven the last two seasons he can’t stay healthy, Rick Wagner is only a year away from free agency and James Hurst has shown no development over the last two seasons. Most fans will want to see the Ravens take a receiver or corner and those are both certainly desperate needs. But if the Ravens want to keep their highest paid player on the field and make sure Flacco’s injury is a one-time occurrence they need to find better and more durable players to protect him.
Joe Flacco’s injury is brutal, but the reality is the Ravens are lucky that it didn’t happen sooner.
