Ravens Nation… sit down.
We need to have a chat.
I’ve noticed in recent days that there’s been plenty of chatter on the Twitters about Joe Flacco’s ineptitude, and the Ravens’ “need” to start Lamar Jackson sooner than later. As you know, if a person with a Blue Check says something? It’s without a doubt true, and doesn’t need actual justification beyond 280 characters.
It’s simply factual.
With that said, the following tweets were brought to my attention over the weekend, focused solely on the QB Room situation in Baltimore…
Imagine Ravens fans defending Joe Flacco. Since 2013’s contract:
?Ravens are 41-41
?No QB has been paid more than Flacco
?Flacco is last in YPA, TD Rate, TD:INT ratio & 2nd worst in RTGPlay Jackson & usher in a new chapter in Baltimore. @AdamSchefter dropped him in one ? pic.twitter.com/lK7AKHDvAx
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 21, 2018
Lamar needs to be in there Week 1
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) July 21, 2018
Joe Flacco is a rusted-out Saturn compared to sexy Lambo Lamar Jackson. The Ravens staff will incorporate gadget plays for the electric rookie, but if they’re smart, they insert Jackson under center sooner rather than later. He’s the ULTIMATE deep fantasy sleeper.
— Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) July 20, 2018
I don't disagree. https://t.co/MrkGSFmEHY
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 19, 2018
I know, I know… Sharp is an Indy fan (though he won’t admit it) so he’s biased but is he really wrong? Is Silva right in saying Lamar should start, assumedly because he thinks Joe is the reason the franchise struggles? Are Brad Evans and Doug Farrar justified in suggesting Joe be replaced?
Honestly? If you step back and take a quick look, you’ll realize just like I did, that this is all Joe Flacco’s fault and the failures of the Ravens rest solely on his shoulders. He needs to go ASAP.
Before you start in on me, you must understand that it’s so much more than his play under center.
For example, did you know Joe sat in the Ravens War Room for every single draft since the Super Bowl run, and hand picked every offensive player? Breshad Perriman? ALL JOE. Maxx Williams? FLACCO PRACTICALLY BEGGED FOR HIM. Michael Campanaro? HOW CAN JOE NOT LOVE AN OFT-INJURED-LEBRON-OBSESSED WIDEOUT?
Beyond those picks, Joe also opted out of drafting others that turned into studs, simply to maintain his spotlight with the fans.
Do you think the Ravens simply missed on Maryland products Stefon Diggs or D,J, Moore? No way! Why would Joe want another hometown hero? Remember when Torrey Smith got all the love in Baltimore? Then remember how the Ravens ‘miraculously’ didn’t want to bring him back?
“HARD PASS.” – JOE.
But that’s not all Flacco has done! Oh no…
Flacco is also single-handedly responsible for the allocation of cap space and working up new contracts for 52 other inferior teammates. After all, that’s what every franchise does when they hand out big bucks to their QB, right? Brady, Rodgers, Brees… they all call their respective team’s shots 100%!
In the Ravens’ case, Joe decided to give Brandon Williams a monster contract because Joe owed B Dubs a favor after Williams beat him in a 40-yard dash (because guys- Joe can’t run! Never has, never will. Only Lamar Jackson). Joe also decided not to sign any big-name offensive free agents in recent years so he could remain the ‘veteran leader’ of the unit.
Even this offseason, Flacco declined to give the Fins a few mid-round picks for Jarvis Landry because Joe knew he could get more average-to-below-average receivers with those picks when he inevitably traded down to add 6th and 7th round pick on Day 3. And besides, Landry wanted a big time deal & there’s only room for 1 of those in the Ravens offense…
“Is that all Flacco is responsible for, sir?”
Why no, it’s not!
Joe also has a hand in the defense…betcha didn’t know that! He actually hand-picked Dean Pees, and encouraged Pees to allow opponents to take the lead in the 4th quarter via passive defensive efforts, just so Joe could play “hero ball” every week in the final minutes. Of course, he had to convince those defensive players to comply, but once they saw Joe’s paycheck? They realized how important he was, and complied instantaneously!
Don’t believe me? Ask Maurice Canady why he allowed Tyler Boyd to scamper free for a 49-yard TD on 4th & 12 with 44 seconds left, effectively eliminating the Ravens from the playoffs…
Not Canady’s fault for coverage issues, not Dean Pees’ fault for only bringing 4- IT’S. ALL. JOE.
He had plans for January, and didn’t want to reschedule them. So he slipped Maurice a few hundred bucks to blow the coverage. No really, I heard some drunk muttering it on the way out of the stadium that day…it must be true!
Speaking of coordinators, did you know Flacco actually asks for a new offensive coordinator every season, and declined a quarterback coach since Marty Mornhinweg was his QB Coach under Marc Trestman? In fact, Marty only stuck around again this year because he and Joe have an ongoing bet to see who can be more emotionless on the sideline. Yup, whoever cracks a smile first loses.
So please folks, don’t fall for that insane narrative that ‘football is a team sport’ or ‘Joe is only as good as his skill players, O-Line, and play calling/coordinator’ or even ‘the defense has lost more games for the Ravens than Joe Flacco.’
None of that matters. It doesn’t matter when national “analysts” pump out stats that are based on team success, but point fingers at Flacco alone. It doesn’t matter when your QB takes time to recover fully from ACL and back injuries.
The only thing that matters is that Joe Flacco is essentially the Illuminati of the Ravens franchise: he makes the most money on the team, calls all the shots, and controls the front office, so it’s 100% on his shoulders to win, and he should be able to do so even when he’s throwing to Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke (if you’re too young to get it, the show was called Scrubs. Highly recommended.)
Every drop-turned-pick by Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore is Joe’s fault. Every time the defense lets up a touchdown, it’s because Joe didn’t eat enough clock the previous drive and the D was exhausted. Every time the Ravens fail on a 4th down conversion, it’s because Joe didn’t audible out of the play. Every time Joe completes a long 3rd down pass for a 1st, but it gets called back by holding on the O-Line, it’s because Joe didn’t get rid of the ball quick enough.
Stay Woke Ravens Nation: everything wrong with our organization all comes down to one man, and no matter how unprepared the backups may be? It’s time to just throw Joe aside, eat his contract this year, and move on.
Thanks a lot, Joe, ya jerk!!
