NFL.com's Marc Sessler ranks the league's current QBs

[MrPlankton]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000200131/article/ranking-the-nfl-quarterbacks?campaign=Twitter_atl_sessler

 

Look, I don't think Flacco is top 5 yet. You can make an argument for Matt Ryan when it comes down to him VS Flacco. But putting Flacco below rookies who have spent one year in the league and below Kaepernick and Cam freaking Newton? What a joke of a list.

 

[rmw10]

Yeah Flacco should be in "franchise gold."  He wins a Super Bowl, and still gets no respect.

[The Raven]

Pathetic!

[CARavensFan]

I love that his reasoning for putting Matt Ryan as Franchise Gold is that he just came off a monster season, fantasy influence much? Everyone forgets Joe's monster postseason and Super Bowl MVP.

 

I also found it hilarious that he tried to cover himself by saying "I might have to eat raven for this" as a way of justifying his huge undervaluing of the reigning Super Bowl MVP.

 

Who is this guy anyway, I've never even heard of him. I kinda wish I never had now lol

[rmw10]

The sad thing is, it's actually a pretty good list outside of Flacco.  He's the one guy that I think is completely wrong.

[berad]

Flacco 13th ranked QB in the league...

Not really surprised, this happens daily it seems, and finding no motivation to care.

nfl.com writers have been heading downwards - there's only one writer there I like. She's a woman and I won't even try to remember her name, but she is good and fair.

[PurplePassion824]

Andrew luck is good but doesn't deserve 8th.  he had 18 INTs last year.  Sure he throws for a lot of yards but its all for nothing if you throw it to the wrong guy.  RG knee was ranked 9th.  The guy hasn't shown me he is durable enough.  Eli Manning is good but definitely not better than Flacco.  Big Ben always gets hurt and can't seem to play a full season anymore.  Joe Flacco should be placed anywhere from 6-8.  This ranking is a joke.  Typical NFL.com story.

[LordRavens]

 Joe flacco and Eli are the same QB

[RobFuseRaven]

Like I was saying in another thread. I've stopped caring what the "analysts" think. I don't think I even want their praise anymore. I'll take a Super Bowl MVP QB and a Lombardi over their praise. Haters gonna hate.

 

[beanfigger]

If you don't have Flacco in the second tier along with Eli and Big Ben, then I have no time for your "analysis".  That means he should be in the 5-8 range (5-7 IMO because I don't think you can put Ryan ahead of him, but at least there's an argument there).  Lower than that, and I think you don't really watch football enough without bias.

[easternshore97]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000200131/article/ranking-the-nfl-quarterbacks?campaign=Twitter_atl_sessler

 

Look, I don't think Flacco is top 5 yet. You can make an argument for Matt Ryan when it comes down to him VS Flacco. But putting Flacco below rookies who have spent one year in the league and below Kaepernick and Cam freaking Newton? What a joke of a list.

How many playoff victories for Matt Ryan?

 

Just like Russia...when you go out there to do business and your organization starts winning, the critical voices change the rules...

[GrimCoconut]

Nothing new here. For one I like it. I embrace the persecution. Let them persecute. They persecuted Jesus. I no longer care anymore about these joke rankings. They're simply biased. Even our rankings are biased. Everyone has their opinion based off of franchises they like. I'm not surprised anymore. I expect it.

Besides... it helps us keep that chip on our shoulder. I love it.

[BMORElegacy]

I just don't get it...

Is it because of his personality? Or because he's on the Ravens? Or a combination of both? I think he is the most disrespected quarterback of this era. All the kid does is win games and titles and everybody REFUSES to give him the credit he's fought to earn. It's a real shame that there's this unspoken agreement among the nation's 'analysts' to discredit this rising star.

[BMORElegacy]

Joe flacco and Eli are the same QB

Except Joe has more composure and a bigger arm. I like both of them. They keep their heads down and do what they do best... win games.

[jaege]

I am not at all surprised. Typically the Ravens get (profanity deleted) on. Joe is on a small market team. He does not generate enough interest for the NFL "powers that be" to merit anything more. Irritating, yes. Surprising, no.

[edthehead]

who is this guy,,,JOE is top 10

[LordRavens]

Except Joe has more composure and a bigger arm. I like both of them. They keep their heads down and do what they do best... win games

:bananas:

[Medications]

I've found that most analysists and common nfl fans opinions seem to be based on stats and fantasy football, rather than looking at the situation objectively and honestly. A QBs individual circumstances are never taken into account (i.e. the Ravens being a balanced team rather than pass-first because of no run game or defense).

The notion that Flacco only succeeds because "his receivers make him look good" or "the opposing defense sucks/made a mistake" is so absurd to me, the only way any qb wins a game is by their receivers catching the ball and out playing the opposing defense. I just dont get it.

It really seems like majority of NFL fans know very little about football and have no ability to think objectively or logically, most of the time they sound like they are just getting their opinion or "knowledge" from the talking heads on tv or the website traffic-baiting online analysts, who are just as dumb (or at least pretend to be because they have to appeal to the majority-who are dumb), instead of getting their knowledge from just watching the game. I don't believe that most of these analysts or talking heads on tv actually believe what they are saying/writing most of the time, they just need ratings or website clicks. Then the common nfl fan reads/hears it abd parrots that nonsense into their opinion on things.

[MrPlankton]

Sports analysis is largely based on perception, unfortunately.

[mgridda]

I just don't get it...

Is it because of his personality? Or because he's on the Ravens? Or a combination of both? I think he is the most disrespected quarterback of this era. All the kid does is win games and titles and everybody REFUSES to give him the credit he's fought to earn. It's a real shame that there's this unspoken agreement among the nation's 'analysts' to discredit this rising star.

 

It has nothing to do with any of that. It has to do with visibility. When they see Joe Flacco, they google "Joe Flacco" and look at his nfl.com profile page. It doesn't list his post season stats on there. It shows a guy who threw 22 touchdowns, 10 picks, for 3,800 yards, a paltry 59.7% completion percentage and an 87.7 QB rating. When you compare that with the regular season statistics of all the other QBs, Flacco is way down that list. He hasn't struck gold for any fantasy owner. Flacco has yet to have that 16  game block of high numbers and a great regular season. When this guy put Matt Ryan above Flacco, it was clear and obvious what his criteria was. It was clear what demonstrated to him, what a good QB is. 

 

Here's the problem with the list, this guy is trying to chart "who will be a good QB in 2013." So he's asking himself what QBs are GOING to do, not what they've done already. So, this guy clearly has no idea about the inner-workings of the Ravens last season, the firing of Cam Cameron, Joe wanting to go no-huddle and control the tempo and play selection, and Jim Caldwell coming in and letting him do just that. He probably just thinks Flacco just "got hot at the right time." 

 

No. That's not what happened. 

 

Flacco didn't "get hot at the right time." Flacco finally got control of the offensive tempo and play selection and he destroyed the NFL's top defenses. And that will continue to happen next year, and every year going forward. And that's why he got paid.

 

As long as Flacco stays healthy next season, he will finish as one of the top 3 QBs in the regular season, statistically. I'd even put down 1,000$ that he'd finish #1 in Quarterback rating.

[mgridda]

 

 Joe flacco and Eli are the same QB

 

 

I can see where you're going with this, and how it looks this way to the outside observer. But, he's really not. Eli was a guy who played extremely well when he had to, even before he won his 2 superbowls. He'd get in the zone on those 2 minute situations and comeback and win. Flacco has that ability, too. But Flacco is much better than Eli Manning. Flacco hasn't shown it yet. So far, he's only demonstrated that he's as good as Eli. That, he can "get hot at the right time" just like Eli Manning. But really, Flacco has all the tools. Flacco doesn't just get hot at the right time, he's entirely capable of dominating a defense without having the pressure to score or having his back against the wall. This is what Peyton Manning and post-2006 Tom Brady do. We've seen flashes of it. Now, people will point to this and say, "Joe Flacco is inconsistent." The only problem is this: when have we seen flashes of that score running? When Flacco has run the no-huddle offense. The firing of Cam Cameron has unleashed Flacco onto the NFL, and all these analysts haven't caught on yet...but they will. People keep looking at Flacco as if he had a great post-season because he's "the next Eli Manning, a guy who gets hot when the games matter." But it didn't matter that it was the playoffs. Had Cam Cameron been fired in week 3 or so, and Caldwell had Flacco run the no-huddle, Flacco would have finished with the best regular season and post season in the NFL.

 

When Eli Manning went against good defenses in the playoffs of 2007 and 2011 he posed pedestrian numbers. When Flacco did it? He posed MVP style numbers. Flacco is superior to Eli, but it's something he'll prove in the future: not really in his past.

 

Since Flacco has come into the league, Eli has been in the playoffs twice. Flacco hasn't shown it yet, but he will take the league by storm. 

 

Now the only thing that can stop him? Injury. Bernard Pollard style.

[PurpleCityLights]

If you don't have Flacco in the second tier along with Eli and Big Ben, then I have no time for your "analysis". That means he should be in the 5-8 range (5-7 IMO because I don't think you can put Ryan ahead of him, but at least there's an argument there). Lower than that, and I think you don't really watch football enough without bias.

This.

[hawkprey]

Everyone's rankings are in reality warped by either past success that is no longer relevant or the situation around them. There's no way to equalize the coaching, scheme, and talent level around each QB and go from there. 

 

Where would Tyrod Taylor rank if he was the one in Shanahan's NFL-first option system instead of RGIII?

Where would Curtis Painter rank if he was behind San Fran's O-line or had Atlanta's receivers?

Where would Tom Brady rank if he started for NE in 2005 instead of 2001? 

Where would Alex Smith rank if Jim Harbaugh started Kaepernick from his first day in office?

 

Situation is the biggest factor that no one can address. Is it supposed to be a coincidence that all the league's top coaches and QBs are on the same teams? 

[Cville-Raven]

So the Javelin thrower is a top 10 QB now

[cobrajet]

This guy is Skip Bayless' twin brother, enough said.

[cushrinada1986]

And this is after he goes 11TDs and 0ints in the playoffs, beats Manning, Brady, Colin, and Luck(all guys labeled ahead of him and may I remind you, only Brady, out of all those guys has more rings now than Flacco). He becomes MVP in the SB, he has won a playoff game each season he has been in the league, never been injured, has better playoff winning stats than 90% of the league and STILL gets no respect. ARE YOU SERIOUS!! If this was Ryan doing all the things Flacco has done, or Luck, they media would be crowning those guys the next Brady/Manning of the league, what a joke.

[jraven22]

Flacco is easily better then Matt Ryan, sure Ryan has all the pretty stats but Flacco would too if he had the star recievers the Ryan has. Not to mention Flacco has a ring and is tied with Joe Montana for the best postseason ever!

[ratedr]

This guy is a self-admitted Browns fan. Someone's mad that Flacco is 10-0 in his career against his team.

[ratedr]

Also, I've never seen a more overhyped crop of rookies.

[NaveSenrag]

So the Javelin thrower is a top 10 QB now

At least his receivers will never drop his passes.

Back on topic:
To be fair, it's hard to separate perception from reality in sports. Ravens fans complain that Flacco doesn't get respect because no one takes Cam's departure into account. Bengals fans complain that no one takes into account Dalton getting a #2 receiver, Steelers fans complain that no one thinks Ben can last a full season, Browns fans complain that the Browns suck. The problem is that no one is a fan of every team in the league enough to have the perspective required to accurately judge.

As for Flacco, I feel that Flacco is a lot like Matt Ryan.

Flacco tied the record for the greatest postseason ever by a QB, but he had a pretty rocky regular season. The key changes in the team between the end of the regular season and the postseason were the loss of Cam and the establishment of the O-line.

Matt Ryan ditched his training wheels OC at the start of the last year, and had a good O-line throughout the year and he put up Brady-esque numbers and was cruising through the postseason despite the lack of a run game and lightweight defense.

I think Flacco this year can be every bit as good as Ryan, and can benefit from not being let down by the defense and having a run game that isn't embarrassing.