Why Is Flacco In Particular Getting So Much Media Attention This Offseason?

[JohnJohnson]

[quote name='Dlandry26isBeast' timestamp='1308636508' post='699111']
I really hope your joking with this one, you know who had better arm strength than Flacco a guy named Kyle Boller, or how about Jamarcus Russell.

Stength proves nothing, and it certainly isn't going to be the attribute that pushes him to the next elite level; IF, and thats a big if he is able to even reach that level.
[/quote]

It's not just about arm strength and throwing the ball farther, it's about being able to throw a controlled, accurate pass in that range. Flacco can throw a 15 or 20 yard pass accurately and comfortably, it looks like he's throwing a 10 yard pass. I really hope YOU are joking with that simplistic interpretation of what I was saying.

[reediddy]

[quote name='Milton145' timestamp='1308366830' post='698252']
If I were Flacco I'd be itching to get on the field right now more than anyone with the way most people have been slamming him and his talent. I think it's ridiculous how they question whether he's a franchise QB. I also think it's ridiculous how they use the classic "he's depended on his defense to get him to the playoffs" card.

[b]Sanchez is a media golden boy yet he doesn't do crap in all reality. He rides the defense more than Flacco IMO. If Sanchez goes against a good offense HE WILL NOT be able to keep up with them enough to win the game.[/b]

Another media golden boy is Matty Ice who hasn't even won a playoff game. He doesn't have the Ravens defense backing him up but a pretty damn good offense led by freakin Roddy White and also the greatest TE to play the game on his side of the ball yet he only turned in 21 points in the playoffs when needed.

Roethlisberger (while clutch) will never be completely out of the game with arguably the best defense of the past decade backing him up as well. He played like absolute crap this past post season but nobody seemed to noticed.

Flacco, his first 2 seasons, had absolutely NOTHING on offense yet was still good enough to make playoffs (AFCCG his rookie year) and this past season, while yes he wasn't spectacular in that game, he played well against the Steelers and in the end it was his WRs who couldn't come up in crunch time. It drives me crazy how useless and rookie-like they make Joe Flacco seem.
[/quote]

This is true in a sense. You can't really argue against Sanchez's postseason stats, better than those of Flacco, look em up. However, he hasn't gone against elite defenses necessarily, and when he does he doesn't perform. People make a big deal about him beating the Pats last year, but Flacco had his moments against them in the regular season; difference is, Jets D figured them out the third time around, whereas Ravens blew it.

Ryan's team just isn't where they should be defensively, so it makes it even more puzzling that they traded up to get Julio Jones. Offense will be better but what about that D? Many of their picks haven't panned out like they were supposed to. Makes you appreciate THE OZ.

[flynismo]

[quote name='JohnJohnson' timestamp='1308640328' post='699118']<br />It's not just about arm strength and throwing the ball farther, it's about being able to throw a controlled, accurate pass in that range. Flacco can throw a 15 or 20 yard pass accurately and comfortably, it looks like he's throwing a 10 yard pass. I really hope YOU are joking with that simplistic interpretation of what I was saying.<br />[/quote]

sadly, I dont think he was joking. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

[atljbo]

[quote name='reediddy' timestamp='1308643985' post='699134']

Ryan's team just isn't where they should be defensively, so it makes it even more puzzling that they traded up to get Julio Jones. Offense will be better but what about that D? Many of their picks haven't panned out like they were supposed to. Makes you appreciate THE OZ.
[/quote]


Yea.. We have to improve our D... It looks like we will go after a pass rusher in FA... I think a lot of it has to do with our young guys just improving and stepping up... The one draft pick that we need to step up is Peria Jerry... He had a serious leg injury during his rookie season.. Last year he played but he wasnt himself... This is the year we need him to step up.

I dont think our D is nearly as bad as that Greenbay game tho... We are not top 10 but not nearly as bad as that game... We missed on 5 give me sacks... 4 of them was on 3rd down... The youn guys just have to step up.

I will say this... The one thing that really hurt us the most is when our former GM drafted DE Jamaal Anderson with the 8th pick (in 2007) ... That set us back big team because thats still our Major need right now... Fans were begging for Patrick Willis.

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='JohnJohnson' timestamp='1308640328' post='699118']
It's not just about arm strength and throwing the ball farther, it's about being able to throw a controlled, accurate pass in that range. Flacco can throw a 15 or 20 yard pass accurately and comfortably, it looks like he's throwing a 10 yard pass. I really hope YOU are joking with that simplistic interpretation of what I was saying.
[/quote]

I agree. Also his arm strength and deep accuracy will allow the Ravens to attack defenses deeper, taking shot from areas on the field that most offenses can't.

Guys like Manning, Brady, Brees, Ryan, Rodgers, etc don't has the type of arm Flacco has, but they are successful because of timing and anticipation. However the deeper the throw, the more these guys have to put on the ball, and often times when you throw the ball as hard as you can, you lose accuracy.

For example, with anyone of those QBs, I just named, if you see them with a 60+ yard TD, chances are, they threw the ball about 30-45 yards in the air and the WR did the rest.

Flacco on the other hand can throw they ball 50-60 yards with ease and it looks like just a flick of the wrist. Many might say, oh Flacco has a huge arm, big deal.

Well the big deal is, with Joe's arm and weapons who can take advantage of Joe's arm, defenses will have to defend the deep ball from every area of the field. Not just the deep ball in terms of 25-50 yards down field, I'm talking deep like 60+.

With most DBs the farther they get away from the Line of Scrimmage, the less efficient they become defending the pass, especially safeties.

Often times QBs bail out the defense on really deep passes, because the ball hangs up in the air, as a result of him having to put everything behind the throw and it becomes a jumpball situation. [color="#4B0082"][url="http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0SO8ZoHAwJOSGkAWGP7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBncGdyMzQ0BHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEdnRpZAM-?p=Troy+polamalu+interception+vs+Titan&fr=chr-greentree_ff&ei=utf-8&fr2=tab-web&n=21&tnr=20&y=Search"]Case and point[/url][/color]

If that ball is thrown into the back corner of the endzone it's a TD, but Collins didn't have the arm strength for that.

However with Flacco, he has the ability to push the ball down field much deeper, so the pressure falls on the safeties to defend deeper.

[color="#4B0082"][url="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2008122801/2008/REG17/jaguars@ravens/watch#watch"]Case and Point[/url][/color]

Look at the 2 really long throws from Flacco. On the first one to Clayton, Flacco throws the ball, 53 yards in the air, against the wind. With most other QBs, that would have been a under-thrown jump-ball situation. But with Flacco, Clayton was able to catch the ball on the run, and could have score if he kept his feet.

On the second play(1:20) Flacco throws a touch pass 50 yards to Clayton and it looked like he just flicked his wrist.

Once guys like a Torrey Smith, or James Hardy, can start to establish themselves as deep weapons for Joe, I think people will really start to get a much better appreciation of the special kind of arm Flacco has.

The difference between Flacco's big arm and the likes of Boller, Russel, and even Cutler, is the accuracy, touch, and overall decision making.

It's equivalent to having speed as a WR. Just because Yamon Figurs was fast didn't make him a good WR. Just because Clarence Moore was tall and could jump didn't make him a good WR. In both cases neither guy took advantage of what they were blessed with.

Those other QBs, had big arms and misused them, by relying on them too much. Flacco is much different.