Has Joe Lost His Mojo?

[BuckWilds]

Joe has 2,455 yards, 12 TD's and 8 INT's. He's got an 89.1 passer rating and is doing arguably better than his career peer, Matt Ryan. Joe's an amazing talent who I've been watching since his Blue Hen days and I think his talent is fine and he's progressing well. Joe's only in his second year and will be great for a long time, right?

That's my concern - for the first time since I started watching Joe play I've got the feeling Joe has lost a little of his decisiveness, his unspoken mojo. I'm just worried his edge is getting rounded by thinking too much or by scattered attention. His so-called slump seems to be more of an issue of focus and fire than ability. Someone tell me I'm just imagining it.

I'm worried about the dump-offs and the red zone INT's. I'm worried the same kid that caught passes and ran down the field last year is losing focus, but I hope and believe I'm wrong and I'm just worried about nothing. Regardless, he's doing well. Our 5 losses? Those teams (counting Cincy twice) are 41-10.

What do you think? Joe's fine, right?

[jfc13]

I think you need another category. I put him somewhere between mediocre and elite. I don't think he's elite, but he's doing fine. Last year, we were all excited about how Joe was doing, but this year, the other teams know him better and Joe is still learning. I'm not worried about him.

[Rinbee]

[quote name='jfc13' date='23 November 2009 - 08:10 AM' timestamp='1258981849' post='291221']
I think you need another category. I put him somewhere between mediocre and elite. I don't think he's elite, but he's doing fine. Last year, we were all excited about how Joe was doing, but this year, the other teams know him better and Joe is still learning. I'm not worried about him.
[/quote]


but it does not seem his "slump" is due to other teams knowing him better than his failure to execute. I commented elsewhere that since he got hurt he seems to be playing scared, not willing to hang in the pocket an extra half second to find open receivers. A lot of this also falls on Cam, who has definitely lose his mojo (or at least his imagination) that we saw last year. the team (especially the coaches) has failed itself more than other teams have really beat us. WE seem to have no discipline and that is as true of Flacco as it is for many of our players.

[McBoller]

[quote name='jfc13' date='23 November 2009 - 08:10 AM' timestamp='1258981849' post='291221']
I think you need another category. I put him somewhere between mediocre and elite. I don't think he's elite, but he's doing fine. Last year, we were all excited about how Joe was doing, but this year, the other teams know him better and Joe is still learning. I'm not worried about him.
[/quote]
I think he's asking where is he HEADED, not where is he at right now...
Do you think he'll end up like Manning, Brady, McNabb(top tier), Cassel, Orton, Garrard(mediocre), or a complete bust like Russell, Boller, and Leftwich

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='McBoller' date='23 November 2009 - 08:26 AM' timestamp='1258982784' post='291224']
I think he's asking where is he HEADED, not where is he at right now...
Do you think he'll end up like Manning, Brady, McNabb(top tier), Cassel, Orton, Garrard(mediocre), or a complete bust like Russell, Boller, and Leftwich
[/quote]

Yeah, my wording is poor in the question. I am mostly focused on where Joe's heading. As we all know, the quarterback position is a lot in the head, intelligence and psyche. I'm wondering if he's losing some of his internal fire due to confusing the simplicity of the basic football concept, 'step and throw'.

[Bullrush]

[b]to facepalm[/b] ([i]third-person singular simple present[/i] [b][url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/facepalms"]facepalms[/url][/b], [i]present participle[/i] [b][url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/facepalming"]facepalming[/url][/b], [i]simple past and past participle[/i] [b][url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/facepalmed"]facepalmed[/url][/b])

[list=1][*]To bring the [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/palm"]palm[/url] of one’s hand to one’s face as an expression of mixed [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/humor"]humor[/url] and [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disbelief"]disbelief[/url] or [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disgust"]disgust[/url] or [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shame"]shame[/url], for example, when one is caught [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/off-guard"]off-guard[/url] with a particularly bad pun.[*]To bring one’s face down to one’s [url="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cupped"]cupped[/url] hand or hands.[/list]Blame Cam Cameron, because his playcalling has been suspect the past few games. The offense is vanilla. Brian Billick like. Joe doesn't have anybody to throw the ball to, it's either Mason or Rice. We still have Heap, Williams and Washington. Problem is Cameron can't figure out how to get them involved. It's always the same 2 receiver set we line up with. When Cam gets REALLY desperate he lines up 3 receivers but that's it. Unless you have a great running game you're not gonna beat anybody.

[ravensfan160]

Does anyone else think its odd that as Rice becomes more of a threat that defenses need to account for, Joe is struggling? That to me doesn't make any sense so it brought me to only one conclusion.

Joe is starting to look for the checkdown to Rice more and more quickly than he did before. Before Rice was such a threat out of the backfield Joe was constantly looking down the field even when he scrambled. He was being compared to Roethlisberger in that regard. But now he's hesitant in throwing downfield because he doesn't want to make a mistake when he can just dump it off to Rice.

Anyone else feel this way?

[McBoller]

The announcers had just talk about how the coaching staff was opening things up for him and letting him run the offense in practice instead of the coaches. Looks like it may be a little too much responsibility for him this early. He did well last year just doing what he was told. I mean look at the cleveland game. He tried to audible twice and had to take a TO cuz the defense read it.

[edreedfromtheu]

[size="5"][b][font="Comic Sans MS"]PLAY TROY SMITH! [/font][/b][/size]

[Jamal]

Joe is fine. Hes falling in love with screens, but its not like he has elite WR's to throw.

Now is he making some boneeaded mistakes? Yes, but Joe Flacco is special. All great QB's have average years, and just look at Ryan. He has one of the better WR corps in the NFL, and the best TE of all time. Yet Joe is still playing better than him this season.

I think both of these QB's are going to be great eventually down the road. Its only a matter of time. To even think about benching him is insane. Support the guy while hes down. We have never had a QB of this caliber. Just give him some time.

[FerrariFan87]

Sophomore slump, anybody?

[jschultz]

Joe has had trouble throwing down the field of late. Some of it is his receivers' fault, a lot of it is his own. I've seen lots of under thrown balls, balls thrown into double+ coverage and the occasional wide open miss.

Not sure what the issue is, but his confidence going down the field definitely seems rattled.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='FerrariFan87' date='23 November 2009 - 01:53 PM' timestamp='1259002430' post='291486']
Sophomore slump, anybody?
[/quote]

Sadly, that's probably the case. And it's being made worse considering the best weapon he has is a 5'8 RB.*

It's an frustrating situation though. I personally believe Cam needs to open up the offense more and get Heap and Washington more involved, especially down the middle of the field. However, part of me also feels the team needs to run the ball more like they did last year.

[RavingRaven]

Flacco is fine and much improved over last season. He lacks targets. When your running back is your leading receiver, that tells you a lot about the WRs ability to get open and catch the ball.

Pray for the acquisition of talented WRs before the start of next season.

[Alexir]

I'm sorry he is in a sophomore slump. The only reason his numbers look halfway decent is because of Ray Rice and the dump passes.

He needs weapons and the only 2 people getting open are Mason and Washington.

I will say I think playcalling has a lot to do with it. I mean seriously Cam, you are going to have a designed QB boot against Freeney? Child Please

[FerrariFan87]

Those check-downs won't continue to work as well as we think, especially against a D like Pittsburgh... if we play scared against them this year like we did last year (i.e. not throwing the ball down the field), we will get swept again.

[McBoller]

[quote name='ravensfan160' date='23 November 2009 - 08:49 AM' timestamp='1258984177' post='291238']
Does anyone else think its odd that as Rice becomes more of a threat that defenses need to account for, Joe is struggling? That to me doesn't make any sense so it brought me to only one conclusion.

Joe is starting to look for the checkdown to Rice more and more quickly than he did before. Before Rice was such a threat out of the backfield Joe was constantly looking down the field even when he scrambled. He was being compared to Roethlisberger in that regard. But now he's hesitant in throwing downfield because he doesn't want to make a mistake when he can just dump it off to Rice.

Anyone else feel this way?
[/quote]
Couldn't have said it better. Its just like the run setting up the pass. The deep ball sets up the screen and the checkdown. It doesnt work the other way around and Joe is relying on it too much of late. Ray Rice is good, but hes not a magician.

[RavensClaw52]

I am not concerned with Joe, I am concerned with Cam and our WR's. I really dont think the coaches have faith in our WR's, it looks like they are giving them a high school playbook to study. The o-line played fantastic yesterday, and for basically nothing, our o-lines played worse, given up 10 yard chunks of sack yards and we still convert and score touchdowns.

[flynismo]

I blame his recent ineffectiveness mainly on the wide receivers.

Some of his struggles are of his own making; I think he has lost patience with always having to throw the ball away because no one is open, so now he tries to force something to happen. And he's learning now that you cant always get away with that in the NFL.

He does seem to have lost a little composure when under pressure, and that is on him.

[Tank 92]

[quote name='edreedfromtheu' date='23 November 2009 - 09:04 AM' timestamp='1258985085' post='291246']
[size="5"][b][font="Comic Sans MS"]PLAY TROY SMITH! [/font][/b][/size]
[/quote]


That's a great idea! He's a good athlete and could practice with the DBs this week; We are a little thin back there right now.

Keep the faith, Joe Cool will be a killer QB for many years to come. Even Manning took 3 or 4 years to hit stride.

[sky pilot]

I believe Joe needs to focus on football instead of on making pizza commercials!

[demented ferret]

Joe is just fine. After all this is only his 2nd year. All QBs make these mistakes -no need to get down so fast on the guy. Joe is going to be one of our best QBs ever. It took Peyton and some of those other guys many many years to get where they are today. They did not just become great overnight.

Have faith!

[D_UP]

I really don't fault joe if you don't have recievers who can get separation from dbs then ur left with checkdown after checkdown the raven lack that go-to reciever and it hurts flacco numbers in the end...if we had a primetime reciever I believe that pick never happens cuz you throw it to that number one guy or that number guy is doubled covered leaving someone freed up...no one fears are wideouts...so again I don't blame he's got a million dollar arm but sub-wideouts who should playn the slot and the number two role

[demented ferret]

[quote name='sky pilot' date='23 November 2009 - 03:20 PM' timestamp='1259004029' post='291509']
I believe Joe needs to focus on football instead of on making pizza commercials!
[/quote] OMG - that made me laugh! Too funny.

[12th man]

[quote name='ravensfan160' date='23 November 2009 - 08:49 AM' timestamp='1258984177' post='291238']
Does anyone else think its odd that as Rice becomes more of a threat that defenses need to account for, Joe is struggling? That to me doesn't make any sense so it brought me to only one conclusion.

Joe is starting to look for the checkdown to Rice more and more quickly than he did before. Before Rice was such a threat out of the backfield Joe was constantly looking down the field even when he scrambled. He was being compared to Roethlisberger in that regard. But now he's hesitant in throwing downfield because he doesn't want to make a mistake when he can just dump it off to Rice.

Anyone else feel this way?
[/quote]
I agree with you , I think he's scared and is checking it down to Rice way to fast. i was telling my brother that this weeks practice Joe shouldn't be allowed to throw to check down Rice. There needs to be other options and joe has to find them or get rid of the ball to mnay check downs is to easy to cover and as you see joe and rice got piced off. Where was Heap for endzone plays?? But joe needs to find his reads faster and not always Rice

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='jt3751' date='23 November 2009 - 02:18 PM' timestamp='1259003906' post='291507']
That's a great idea! He's a good athlete and could practice with the DBs this week; We are a little thin back there right now.

Keep the faith, Joe Cool will be a killer QB for many years to come. [b]Even Manning took 3 or 4 years to hit stride.[/b]
[/quote]

Getting Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne didn't help either. And I dare anyone to say Manning made them great.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='23 November 2009 - 02:33 PM' timestamp='1259004798' post='291523']
Getting Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne didn't help either. And I dare anyone to say Manning made them great.
[/quote]
They made each other great. That said, its hard not to notice how not one but two noname rookie receivers are having big years. Two of his top 3 WR from a year ago are gone and he hasn't missed a beat.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='ravensfan160' date='23 November 2009 - 02:44 PM' timestamp='1259005458' post='291535']
They made each other great. That said, its hard not to notice how not one but two noname rookie receivers are having big years. Two of his top 3 WR from a year ago are gone and he hasn't missed a beat.
[/quote]

Very true. Manning supposedly called Collie up the day he was drafted to start working on routes. Hopefully, Joe will have a guy to do that with next year.

[ravensfan160]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='23 November 2009 - 02:53 PM' timestamp='1259006034' post='291544']
Very true. Manning supposedly called Collie up the day he was drafted to start working on routes. Hopefully, Joe will have a guy to do that with next year.
[/quote]
I say sell the farm next year and draft Dez Bryant. With the exception of CB, Ozzie has a nack for finding talented defenders in the later rounds. Hopefully he can do that again next year and save our 1st rounder for the deep threat we so desperately need.

[Purple Punishment]

Joe hasn't lost it but Cam and Harbs are not putting our best talents out there on the field of play to help Joe. Clayton had less than a handful of catches yesterday....Throw D Will in there and see what we can get. How can Flacco make things happen when Mason and the Checkdown are his only 2 options? I mean Heap is there sometimes and we get Kelly in the slot on 3rd downs. Other than that, we have to attempt different things to win. Cant stick with the same gameplan and 2 rec. sets and expect to walk away with the W. Teams get smart to that stuff