Is Flacco An Elite Qb?

[McBoller]

"Five elite quarterbacks dominate the AFC playoffs: Manning, Brady, Rivers, Flacco and Carson Palmer of the Bengals. "
[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=4793153"]Article Here[/url]



Ya got me on this one. Clayton throws flacco into the mix with Brady, Manning, and Rivers, basically leaving Sanchez out as the only "non-elite" QB in teh AFC playoffs.

I dont know what Joe Flacco he has been watching, but I wouldconsider him far from elite. No, Im not a Flacco-hater or Troy Smith-lover, but I know football enough to recognize the difference between a bad, decent, average, serviceable, good, great, and elite QB. Joe is probably somewhere between good and great right now.

[theFRANCHISE]

He's not a great/elite QB yet. He's above-average to good, but not great. I'll still take the compliment, though.

[Twoo]

Elite? No. Good? Yes.

I give him credit, he didn't have the sophomore slump like quite a few new QB's have experienced. He did have that handful game span in the middle where he wasn't playing well- but I think this is more attributed to injury than skill. He did have an amazing year for a Ravens QB though. 22 touchdowns and 3,600 yards isn't anything to turn your head from.

I do expect him to grow quite a bit next year, especially if we acquire a big name WR.

[GeneralZod]

Definitely not elite, good? maybe. I'd say he's decent. No pocket presence, NEVER throws the ball away, he "gets the job done" as a quarterback

[Shawn`]

He's not an elite quarterback just yet.

But he does demonstrate the characteristics of an elite QB and definitely has the potential to be an elite QB in the next 3 or 4 years. The development in these early years is crucial, that is, getting him the receivers. Putting the game on his shoulders.

[Rob H]

[quote name='GeneralZod' date='05 January 2010 - 10:31 AM' timestamp='1262705503' post='331714']
Definitely not elite, good? maybe. I'd say he's decent. No pocket presence, NEVER throws the ball away, he "gets the job done" as a quarterback
[/quote]

"Getting the job done" is what we like to call the Dilfer Method.

[McBoller]

[quote name='Rob H' date='05 January 2010 - 10:45 AM' timestamp='1262706305' post='331724']
That's what we like to call the Dilfer Method.
[/quote]
lol.
Kinda makes you wonder if the league is adjusting to him faster than he can counter-adjust. Kind of like a mlb rookie that comes on real hot then peters out the next year or two once pitchers start to figure him out. Although in this case its more of a team effort with the line and the receivers. We're just not mixing it up enough and we're not good enough to do the same things over and over like the colts and pats to win just on talent alone.

[Ed_Reed20]

I think Clayton called Flacco more for the sake of his article.

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='McBoller' date='05 January 2010 - 10:04 AM' timestamp='1262703875' post='331691']
"Five elite quarterbacks dominate the AFC playoffs: Manning, Brady, Rivers, Flacco and Carson Palmer of the Bengals. "
[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=4793153"]Article Here[/url]



Ya got me on this one. Clayton throws flacco into the mix with Brady, Manning, and Rivers, basically leaving Sanchez out as the only "non-elite" QB in teh AFC playoffs.

I dont know what Joe Flacco he has been watching, but I wouldconsider him far from elite. No, Im not a Flacco-hater or Troy Smith-lover, but I know football enough to recognize the difference between a bad, decent, average, serviceable, good, great, and elite QB. Joe is probably somewhere between good and great right now.
[/quote]


Statistics are what matters - [i]because statistics don't lie and don't get watered down with perspective[/i]. As shown in Reddawn's thread, Joe's got some good stats... better than Palmer's for sure. Everyone wants to give Matt Ryan and Carson Palmer and the like a free pass on bad stats or bad games, but Joe gets crucified. Joe's in the top dozen in the league in most categories...

Top 12 QB's on Earth. If that's not at least 'very good', well, you're just a cranky pants.

[Runnin Raven]

Not an elite QB - yet.

Also needs better weapons.

Here's a beautiful thought to consider: Flacco dropping back, well-protected, throwing a deep ball to a Andre Johnson/Randy Moss caliber wideout. Poetry in motion.

[YABOY]

he's not elite yet but he will be

[FerrariFan87]

Too many costly mistakes this season to be considered "elite," but Joe is definitely Top 10-15 right now and is only going to get better, assuming Ozzie actually gets Joe some legit weapons on the outside.

[darklight1216]

Joe isn't really elite, but it looks like he will be.

Now if Carson Palmer really was at the bottom end of elite (which he clearly is not) then Joe could easily be considered elite.

[shaikh015]

I think an elite QB would have helped win atleast 10,11,12 games but our record was 9-7. We had to win up until the last game, we barely made the playoffs this year.

[darklight1216]

[quote name='shaikh015' date='05 January 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1262717303' post='331843']
I think an elite QB would have helped win atleast 10,11,12 games but our record was 9-7. We had to win up until the last game, we barely made the playoffs this year.
[/quote]
All we really needed was an elite kicker to get to at least 10 wins. We had to win the last game in 2008 too, and we barely got in. That's how it goes sometimes.

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='shaikh015' date='05 January 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1262717303' post='331843']
I think an elite QB would have helped win atleast 10,11,12 games but our record was 9-7. We had to win up until the last game, we barely made the playoffs this year.
[/quote]

Yeah, and elite QB's win Super Bowls too. If they don't win the big game, they're baddies! Doo-doo Dan Marino!

[D_UP]

Flacco isn't elite he may become that but he hasn't had that signature win yet that propels him into the elite status...he has above average talent but not elite to where he should be mentioned with manning,brady...etc

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='shaikh015' date='05 January 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1262717303' post='331843']
I think an elite QB would have helped win atleast 10,11,12 games but our record was 9-7. We had to win up until the last game, we barely made the playoffs this year.
[/quote]


it doesn't help that we gave them a free trip to the red zone in some games with all of our penalties.... hell even a free trip to the end zone in some... you eliminate half of those and we are probably a 10+win team

[Marcus]

No.

[Guest I-70WestRaven]

Not elite but on the rise. A big time #1 receiver, and a little more experience for both Joe and the O-line and we'll see. Oh, and having Ray Rice, LeRon, and Willis don't hurt either. Joe's definately ahead of the curve all things considered. The numbers show it.

[Luminon]

I think he is an elite QB, look at his numbers with basically no really good WR's. Yes Mason is serviceable, but he isn't a big YAC threat, nor is he a deep td threat. He is not particularly fast or able to cut the field anymore.

Clayton is a bum, has 2 or 3 good games a year, and Dwill hasn't really done anything. All Flacco needs is a good WR who has game changing ability. Look at all the other Elite QB's, Palmer has Ocho, Big Ben, has Holmes and even Wallace is a stud, Brady has Welker and Moss, all of these guys all have receivers who are game breakers. Im hard pressed to think of one elite QB who doesn't have a stud receiver.

You can't blame Joe when he laser's a pass to CLayton and he drops it, or when Mason drops a sure thing in the endzone. We need a new WR who can help Flacco stretch the field and maybe start throwing more bombs because lord knows he has the arm. When we pick up a stud receiver to compliment Flacco, im sure he will start putting up the numbers of some of these other guys.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='D_UP' date='05 January 2010 - 02:37 PM' timestamp='1262720260' post='331889']
Flacco isn't elite he may become that but he hasn't had that signature win yet that propels him into the elite status...he has above average talent but not elite to where he should be mentioned with manning,brady...etc
[/quote]
Mark Clayton in Week 4 and Steve Hauschka in Week 6 both robbed him of that signature win. But we've already been through that.

[miller31time]

Right now? No (though I'm sure some would argue that he could be with a more talented cast of receivers).

But he certainly has the potential to become one. Improving pocket awareness, red-zone composure and diversifying his go-to receivers would just about do it.

[Jamal]

More of a QB with elite potential. Not there yet though. Really nobody gets there in the second year anyways.

[JoeCool#5]

[quote name='darklight1216' date='05 January 2010 - 01:54 PM' timestamp='1262717699' post='331852']
All we really needed was an elite kicker to get to at least 10 wins. We had to win the last game in 2008 too, and we barely got in. That's how it goes sometimes.
[/quote]
lol. Sooo true. No disrespect to billy the kid. We win at Vikings. We arent even playing starters Sunday against Oakland.

[kash96ravenstotalfan]

I think we all agree that Joe is not yet an elite QB. But think about this - he was thrown in as our starter after Kyle got hurt and Troy had that horrendous infection. Considering he got his start totally unexpected, he has done a great job for us. It's a shame that he has not had a veteran QB to mentor him, and he was thrown into the fire. I expect Joe will become an elite QB when he gains game experience and has a deep threat WR on his side. I think he has done a great job for the Ravens, considering his circumstances. Go Ravens!

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='kash96ravenstotalfan' date='05 January 2010 - 07:24 PM' timestamp='1262737492' post='332124']
I think we all agree that Joe is not yet an elite QB. But think about this - he was thrown in as our starter after Kyle got hurt and Troy had that horrendous infection. Considering he got his start totally unexpected, he has done a great job for us. It's a shame that he has not had a veteran QB to mentor him, and he was thrown into the fire. I expect Joe will become an elite QB when he gains game experience and has a deep threat WR on his side. I think he has done a great job for the Ravens, considering his circumstances. Go Ravens!
[/quote]

Outstanding point - no day-to-day QB mentor means Joe has been on his own in that respect from day one. I feel bad for not remembering his name right off the top of my head (Bouman - took me a bit), but do you remember how close he was to the journeyman vet last year? I almost wish they would hire a second QB coach with extensive QB experience just to walk through with Joe some of the things he needs to see from a QB's eyes.

Hue is great but there's another level Joe is having to discover himself.

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='Luminon' date='05 January 2010 - 03:01 PM' timestamp='1262721671' post='331904']
I think he is an elite QB, look at his numbers with basically no really good WR's. Yes Mason is serviceable, but he isn't a big YAC threat, nor is he a deep td threat. He is not particularly fast or able to cut the field anymore.

Clayton is a bum, has 2 or 3 good games a year, and Dwill hasn't really done anything. All Flacco needs is a good WR who has game changing ability. Look at all the other Elite QB's, Palmer has Ocho, Big Ben, has Holmes and even Wallace is a stud, Brady has Welker and Moss, all of these guys all have receivers who are game breakers. Im hard pressed to think of one elite QB who doesn't have a stud receiver.

You can't blame Joe when he laser's a pass to CLayton and he drops it, or when Mason drops a sure thing in the endzone. We need a new WR who can help Flacco stretch the field and maybe start throwing more bombs because lord knows he has the arm. When we pick up a stud receiver to compliment Flacco, im sure he will start putting up the numbers of some of these other guys.
[/quote]

I think Mason is brilliant. His quick turns and separation... the way he manipulates a defender... it's impressive. I think now what I said in the pre-season, Mason needs some help - and on that note, Joe could use some more folks that can get separation, and some better plays that exploit drag routes, etc.

[TSizzle00]

Jamarcus Russell is a Elite QB

[ravenz_fan]

give flacco a couple more years and some better coverage on his offensive line and he will become elite