Baltimore Sun article: To fix Ravens offense, Joe Flacco must fix himself?

[Ravensfan23]

When it comes to all the talk about Oline people need to realize a QB with a quick release does play a huge role in limiting sacks. Peyton manning had average Olines in Indy for years( Tony Ugoh etc ) this year in Denver he was missing several starting Olinemen but Peyton gets that ball out quickly, he try's to limit sacks when ever possible even if it's a throw away.
Phillip rivers has played with patch olines for last 3 years and this season with a new coaching staff they finally made him realize that getting the ball out quickly for a high percentage pass is better than always waiting for the home run deep throw like years past.

This is exactly why I want the Ravens to bring in a more West Coast/spread offense attack, or at the very least just do away with the Air Croyell. One of Flacco's biggest issues is holding the ball and getting lazy feet. Because of his rocket arm he can often get away with holding the ball and his height is the main reason for the lazy feet at times. The Croyell system puts Flacco in a position that exposes those flaws.

Imo the reason why Flacco had much success under Zorn and would have under Caldwell was that they focused on speeding up his mechanics which Flacco actually does well when asked to do it. However when you ask him to hold the ball and wait for developing routes to come open he falls back into bad habits.

I know people are tired of hearing this and I'm tired of saying it but if the Ravens are going the route I think they are offensively, we'll start to see Flacco hit his true potential because he'll be able to get the ball out quick and spread it around. He'll be able to win with average olines like we had in the playoffs, much like the better QBs. He'll be able to raise the level of play for guys like Doss, Thompson and Mellette because so much won't be asked of those guys. The system means a lot in today's NFL and Flacco might finally be getting one that actually fits him.

[Militant X 1]

...and like Winning a Super Bowl wasn't enough.

No it's not nearly enough!  Wow Gene!  Smh!

 

#Mili

[omar586]

And a vanilla game plan with no adjustments or creatively getting the ball out quicker, or figuring out ways to use the playmakers more effictively

thank u

[Militant X 1]

are you insinuating that next season isn't key for Flacco?

for the first time in his career we missed the playoffs, he threw more picks than TDs, and had an overall disappointing year, like I said: I'm not saying Flacco was the only problem this year or that he deserves a majority or the blame

yeah some people have been saying that his whole career, but I haven't, this is the first time I've said that phrase, and I'm sticking to it, after the horrible year he had, we are going to see just how mentally tough Flacco is and how well he can rebound from the worst year of his career. Obviously what we do this offseason is also key, if we throw the same exact team we have right now next year then he probably won't do any better, maybe a little better with a healthy Pitta, but not a major difference.

 

Dude, I'm not insinuating anything!  I made a simple statement!  I've heard it been said that "next season will be Flacco's break out year or next season will tell for Flacco etc., etc., etc." ever since this cat has been the starting QB for the Ravens (Super Bowl or not).  When is saying that....but...not seeing that from Flacco enough?  That's what I am saying!

 

#Mili

[rondubs]

im calling it....if harbaugh doesnt bring on the right OC, and ozzie doesnt get two decent OL at center and left guard (unless oseleme returns to form) the Ravens will be on the decline. the team has always won having great players. if Joe doesnt have a great supporting cast, hes doomed. he isnt elite but he is a Qb you can win with. he doesnt always win the games however. weve been a team that won with defense over the years. flacco won with offense last year but weve always been a strong defense. with the new direction those days might be gone. and if the defense goes, so will the Ravens because Joe isnt the Qb that will do it all by himself. hes good when the team is good (including coaching). So lets hope the Ravens can protect joe but more importantly make the moves they need to on the OL first! get another receiver with some legitimacy. let castillo go and go back to the blocking schemes that worked. thats all we need. the team doesnt need to do much. people might not agree but id say if they can afford him keep micheal oher too. we won the superbowl wih him and he wasnt the weak link on the OL last year. the issue was that they lost matt and downgraded with osemele not performing at the level of last year. then castillo just made an even bigger mess. really he killed most of our chances for success. joe is a pretty decent qb when teams respect the run game since he throws the deep ball and can catch teams with play action plays for big pickups and tds. Joe will be better when they address the OL and run game castillo guy. if they address that, they will improve in 2014 unless the OC is a terrible one. i hope they do not promote hostler and rather keep him in his current role. get someone with a resume of success.

[redrum52]

are you insinuating that next season isn't key for Flacco?

for the first time in his career we missed the playoffs, he threw more picks than TDs, and had an overall disappointing year, like I said: I'm not saying Flacco was the only problem this year or that he deserves a majority or the blame

yeah some people have been saying that his whole career, but I haven't, this is the first time I've said that phrase, and I'm sticking to it, after the horrible year he had, we are going to see just how mentally tough Flacco is and how well he can rebound from the worst year of his career. Obviously what we do this offseason is also key, if we throw the same exact team we have right now next year then he probably won't do any better, maybe a little better with a healthy Pitta, but not a major difference.

No he's saying it's going to be year 7 and we still shouldn't be waiting for the same things we've been waiting for since year 2-3.  No one here will pin the entire offenses failure on Flacco, but he does need to elevate his game.  The article said things I've been saying.  Holds the ball too long, doesn't really seem to anticipate routes well, seems to over/under throw and to me still struggles to hit guys in stride.  No one is perfect though.  I would just like to see one season where for the most part, we see a consistent Joe Flacco throughout. 

[Ravenseconbeast]

This is exactly why I want the Ravens to bring in a more West Coast/spread offense attack, or at the very least just do away with the Air Croyell. One of Flacco's biggest issues is holding the ball and getting lazy feet. Because of his rocket arm he can often get away with holding the ball and his height is the main reason for the lazy feet at times. The Croyell system puts Flacco in a position that exposes those flaws.

Imo the reason why Flacco had much success under Zorn and would have under Caldwell was that they focused on speeding up his mechanics which Flacco actually does well when asked to do it. However when you ask him to hold the ball and wait for developing routes to come open he falls back into bad habits.

I know people are tired of hearing this and I'm tired of saying it but if the Ravens are going the route I think they are offensively, we'll start to see Flacco hit his true potential because he'll be able to get the ball out quick and spread it around. He'll be able to win with average olines like we had in the playoffs, much like the better QBs. He'll be able to raise the level of play for guys like Doss, Thompson and Mellette because so much won't be asked of those guys. The system means a lot in today's NFL and Flacco might finally be getting one that actually fits him.

 

Air Coryell caters to what Flacco is good on.   Flacco isn't a very accurate passer to be a west coast QB.   He is much more of a vertical offense guy that imposes opponent to defend the entire field.    

Flacco major attributes is his strong arms.   His best passes are rainbow/loop passes that are timed on good routes on vertical plays.   That's his strength.  Which typically requires backs/TE to help the lineman to give Flacco to throw long bombs/+20 yarders.  

 

The only real problem is that Flacco has reached a certain peak in his maturity and he needs to realize what his strength is and his weakness and try to replicate what worked for him in the past.    I think this particular season, he tried to be someone he wasn't.    You can clearly tell his INT's are up b/c he tried to throw balls on tight windows which his not very good on.

[RedFire]

We built our team in the image of the steelers. Big QB that hangs in the pocket for down field throws and can elude and take on some rushers. We got Joe for the style of play in the AFC north and saw the rewards from the 1st season.

Steelers dominated the division and was Super Bowl contenders for a while so that affected our team strategy. Once the steelers declined we focused on tweaks to beat Peyton Manning and Brady lead teams.

[Greatness]

My honest opinion is that Brady and Manning would also have bad seasons if they had the same O-line.  

It's no question they would both suck. As seen even last year. You start touching either one of them and they fold like a lawn chair. The reason they're so successful is for the simple fact that their O-lines are beast mode. Playoffs start and the Ravens shuffled the O-line. Flacco himself got to get a taste of that Brady/Manning life far as pass protection. What does he do? Go perfect in playoff run. It isn't a coincidence. You fix the line, you fix the Ravens. But you do need another WR. NO YAC guys on the squad. That has to change.

[Militant X 1]

No he's saying it's going to be year 7 and we still shouldn't be waiting for the same things we've been waiting for since year 2-3.  No one here will pin the entire offenses failure on Flacco, but he does need to elevate his game.  The article said things I've been saying.  Holds the ball too long, doesn't really seem to anticipate routes well, seems to over/under throw and to me still struggles to hit guys in stride.  No one is perfect though.  I would just like to see one season where for the most part, we see a consistent Joe Flacco throughout. 

 

Thank you Redrum!  You got it!  It is amazing what people read into things.  lol!

 

#Mili

[jazz1988]

Air Coryell caters to what Flacco is good on.   Flacco isn't a very accurate passer to be a west coast QB.   He is much more of a vertical offense guy that imposes opponent to defend the entire field.    

Flacco major attributes is his strong arms.   His best passes are rainbow/loop passes that are timed on good routes on vertical plays.   That's his strength.  Which typically requires backs/TE to help the lineman to give Flacco to throw long bombs/+20 yarders.  

 

The only real problem is that Flacco has reached a certain peak in his maturity and he needs to realize what his strength is and his weakness and try to replicate what worked for him in the past.    I think this particular season, he tried to be someone he wasn't.    You can clearly tell his INT's are up b/c he tried to throw balls on tight windows which his not very good on.

 

I think people probably said the samething about Philip Rivers when he move on towards a west coast offense. Rivers been playing in the same type of offense that Flacco has been playing in(just longer)  and his performance(in 2012)  in the same style of offense wasn't good even to the point  people thought  he maybe done as a quarterback . Rivers gets a new head coach whom brings in a new offensive system   and in 2013 Rivers  has a great year. You/others are saying Flacco isn't very accurate quarterback but wants him to stay in  this offense that  consist of  intermediate  to down field passes , lots of risker throws, low percentage throws, and a overall a  offense with no  stability to it.

 

 Why continue to keep your quarterback in a system that make it hard for his receivers to get open because they dont fit in it  and makes it even hard for the quarterback? I dont believe one second that  Flacco can't fit in  a west coast offense  and no body is asking him to make throws like Brady but i strongly doubt that he's only good at throwing it deep. The chargers fans were saying samething  about Rivers here http://forums.chargers.com/showthread.php?t=96894 and through it all he  has a good year in the same offensive system Tom Brady plays in.

[Ravensfan23]

Air Coryell caters to what Flacco is good on.   Flacco isn't a very accurate passer to be a west coast QB.   He is much more of a vertical offense guy that imposes opponent to defend the entire field.    
Flacco major attributes is his strong arms.   His best passes are rainbow/loop passes that are timed on good routes on vertical plays.   That's his strength.  Which typically requires backs/TE to help the lineman to give Flacco to throw long bombs/+20 yarders.  
 
The only real problem is that Flacco has reached a certain peak in his maturity and he needs to realize what his strength is and his weakness and try to replicate what worked for him in the past.    I think this particular season, he tried to be someone he wasn't.    You can clearly tell his INT's are up b/c he tried to throw balls on tight windows which his not very good on.

I'm sorry but this post leads me to believe that you don't know how to process what you see when watching the game. Throwing the ball in tight windows isn't his game? The man has been doing it his entire career due to a lack of creativity in offensive design and WR who don't get separation. His int numbers were up because he clearly had a bad season, surrounded by targets he didn't know well and the offense as a whole was poor.

As for this myth about him not being accurate, it's crap. Pull up his career 2minute drill numbers or numbers with the game on the line and I'm willing to be they say he's very accurate in those situations. In those situations the offense was spread out and designed to get the ball out of Flacco's hands quickly, well surprise surprise, that's exactly what the West Coast offense ask of it's QB all game. Flacco's numbers in terms of his accurate are poor because he's asked to hold the ball behind a average oline and attempt passes to WRs who don't create much separation.

Flacco much like any QB is a rhythm passer and when he's allowed to get in that rhythm he's nearly unstoppable because he's able to attack every level of the field with his arm. Now as I've said plenty times Joe has his issues no doubt but despite popular opinion the Croyell offense isn't what suits Flacco best. He can operate well in it but if you want to maximize what Flacco does well, get him in a offense where he's able to get the ball out quick but still choose his moments to attack down field.

[Gordo52]

Haha here we go...

Please don't quote this for the sake of everyone's eyes and scrolling. Thumbs up or down will suffice. I'm so exhausted of this topic and refuse to participate after this comment. It's been drained to death. But in his odd case of playing in the NFL he's consistently been disproportionately criticized despite his success.

I'm also thinking out loud of my general assessment of Flacco for this season and in general.

I truly believe, deep down in my heart we haven't even seen Flacco's ceiling yet.

Some see reason as excuses. He's not a rah-rah or popular guy so I think people go with the consensus, popular opinion without doing their proper research. I'm used to it by the media and outsiders who only follow what the media says, but I don't think I'll ever get used to it by the fans. Others & myself excessively defend him because we believe he takes way too much of the blame.

But it all comes down to opinion and it's a cycle that appears will never end. We're all (supposedly) rooting for the same team. A lot of comments regarding our QB just seem unfair IMO.

I wish I could fault the guy normally. Because he's certainly not perfect and makes mistakes like every other player. But in my opinion, if you take 5-6 QB's our of the league, Flacco would look like a Golden boy that every team wished they possessed (Like how PM, Brady, Brees and Rodgers are glorified).

This season Flacco was careless with the ball. I could give a reason like him having to be aggressive and force some throws but that's an excuse to some people and there appears to be no medium. However it is a fact that Flacco turned the ball over way too much, regardless of how bad the situation was.

His deep ball accuracy looked off this season. Not sure why but I don't think that's arguable.

His accuracy in all didn't look normal this season. My reason is being lack of protection and quality receivers. To some that might just be excuses which I think is unfair. His completion % being low is a combo of all of that plus being forced to throw more then ever in his career, due to lack of run game. (Reason/excuse)?

Other than him not taking care of the football and his accuracy being extremely inconsistent this year, I think he looked just as good as 2012 playoff Joe, if not better. I think the things around him changed which affected him negatively. I think he improved with moving around the pocket, throwing on the run and having to deal with a whole lot of changes.

Incase people need a brief reminder... Super Bowl hangover+having a target on your back for being champions. (We also made a lot if rivals during that time), losing his favorite and most trusted weapon in Boldin, losing his 2nd favorite receiver in Pitta early into TC. Losing Birk, the Oline general, missing Jacoby for like 6 weeks, #1 receiver being in the top 5 in drops, having to replace Ray Lewis & Ed Reed's leadership role/ void that was left with them. Having a young inexperienced oline. Fat lazy LT, losing K.O. And replacing him next basically a rookie center. Oher.... And Yanda having a down year. Basically I think chemistry was the main problem for oline and also a mix of backups. Poor play calling. No run game. And I think that's it.
Call it excuses or reasons, whatever. I think it's a mix of both and people shouldn't be quick to dismiss all of that. I think it's all noteworthy and should be accounted for.

I'm just glad we have an upper tier QB who doesn't care about stats. He's me durability and not flashy or throws a tantrum when he gets touched by a defender. He's clutch and I believe one day he'll end up being the best thing we ever had.
Even if you think he's overpaid (which he is due to economics) you've got to respect the guy. A lot of ridiculous comments I hear about him indicate to me that he's not respected. I just don't understand why, even if we once had a great QB before him, I still wouldn't understand. Oh well. Guess I'm crazy.

So Good bye Flacco talk, I no longer wish to participate in you this offseason. I will watch from a far, and so help me God to not get the urge to comment. Lol

Not saying anyones wrong or right, or that this thread is even debating anything. I just saw Flacco and automatically assumed it.
That big blob of words are my opinion and my opinion only.

[Gordo52]

Wow. By far the most I've ever typed. Sorry, kind've went on a rampage. I gotta stop doing dat!

[Ravenseconbeast]

I'm sorry but this post leads me to believe that you don't know how to process what you see when watching the game. Throwing the ball in tight windows isn't his game? The man has been doing it his entire career due to a lack of creativity in offensive design and WR who don't get separation. His int numbers were up because he clearly had a bad season, surrounded by targets he didn't know well and the offense as a whole was poor.

As for this myth about him not being accurate, it's crap. Pull up his career 2minute drill numbers or numbers with the game on the line and I'm willing to be they say he's very accurate in those situations. In those situations the offense was spread out and designed to get the ball out of Flacco's hands quickly, well surprise surprise, that's exactly what the West Coast offense ask of it's QB all game. Flacco's numbers in terms of his accurate are poor because he's asked to hold the ball behind a average oline and attempt passes to WRs who don't create much separation.

Flacco much like any QB is a rhythm passer and when he's allowed to get in that rhythm he's nearly unstoppable because he's able to attack every level of the field with his arm. Now as I've said plenty times Joe has his issues no doubt but despite popular opinion the Croyell offense isn't what suits Flacco best. He can operate well in it but if you want to maximize what Flacco does well, get him in a offense where he's able to get the ball out quick but still choose his moments to attack down field.

 

You basically nitpicked the worst comment of the whole paragraph i've commented on and basically responding to just that only.  How about actually commenting on rest of what i've said?   

[Ravenseconbeast]

I think people probably said the samething about Philip Rivers when he move on towards a west coast offense. Rivers been playing in the same type of offense that Flacco has been playing in(just longer)  and his performance(in 2012)  in the same style of offense wasn't good even to the point  people thought  he maybe done as a quarterback . Rivers gets a new head coach whom brings in a new offensive system   and in 2013 Rivers  has a great year. You/others are saying Flacco isn't very accurate quarterback but wants him to stay in  this offense that  consist of  intermediate  to down field passes , lots of risker throws, low percentage throws, and a overall a  offense with no  stability to it.

 

 Why continue to keep your quarterback in a system that make it hard for his receivers to get open because they dont fit in it  and makes it even hard for the quarterback? I dont believe one second that  Flacco can't fit in  a west coast offense  and no body is asking him to make throws like Brady but i strongly doubt that he's only good at throwing it deep. The chargers fans were saying samething  about Rivers here http://forums.chargers.com/showthread.php?t=96894 and through it all he  has a good year in the same offensive system Tom Brady plays in.

 

That's a pretty interesting viewpoint.   I didn't know Mike McCoy's scheme changed Phillips game.   Maybe a change of scheme is needed.   But im not sure if west coast is the answer.   I'm down to 4 a change, but it has to be something that can match Flacco's attribute. 

[arnie_uk]

That's a pretty interesting viewpoint. I didn't know Mike McCoy's scheme changed Phillips game. Maybe a change of scheme is needed. But im not sure if west coast is the answer. I'm down to 4 a change, but it has to be something that can match Flacco's attribute.

you do know flacco ran spread in college? So quick short passes would be nothing knew to him.

[Tru11]

My honest opinion is that Brady and Manning would also have bad seasons if they had the same O-line.  

 

brady maybe although this season they had some injuries on the o-line and TE and well his best WRs where either gone through FA or injured.

 

manning well i know alot of people dont want to hear it or even recognize it but his o-line this season has been without clady (1 of the best LT in the NFL ) and without koppen 1 of the better C in the NFL.

would basically be our o-line with out monroe and yanda lol

before people want to point at the talented receiver core , id like to point that those same receivers where nothing special with tebow and orton at QB and well moreno was a bust before manning came into town.

 

would manning  have a record setting season if he was our QB instead of flacco ? i doubt it.

would he have a better season then flacco just had? im positive he would.

Is manning better then flacco? he sure is and its not even a debate.

Is it a shame to acknowledge this? No , manning is 1 of the best QB of all time and its no shame to say he is better.

[HoldingCall]

im calling it....if harbaugh doesnt bring on the right OC, and ozzie doesnt get two decent OL at center and left guard (unless oseleme returns to form) the Ravens will be on the decline. the team has always won having great players. if Joe doesnt have a great supporting cast, hes doomed. he isnt elite but he is a Qb you can win with. he doesnt always win the games however. weve been a team that won with defense over the years. flacco won with offense last year but weve always been a strong defense. with the new direction those days might be gone. and if the defense goes, so will the Ravens because Joe isnt the Qb that will do it all by himself. hes good when the team is good (including coaching). So lets hope the Ravens can protect joe but more importantly make the moves they need to on the OL first! get another receiver with some legitimacy. let castillo go and go back to the blocking schemes that worked. thats all we need. the team doesnt need to do much. people might not agree but id say if they can afford him keep micheal oher too. we won the superbowl wih him and he wasnt the weak link on the OL last year. the issue was that they lost matt and downgraded with osemele not performing at the level of last year. then castillo just made an even bigger mess. really he killed most of our chances for success. joe is a pretty decent qb when teams respect the run game since he throws the deep ball and can catch teams with play action plays for big pickups and tds. Joe will be better when they address the OL and run game castillo guy. if they address that, they will improve in 2014 unless the OC is a terrible one. i hope they do not promote hostler and rather keep him in his current role. get someone with a resume of success.

[HoldingCall]

im calling it....if harbaugh doesnt bring on the right OC, and ozzie doesnt get two decent OL at center and left guard (unless oseleme returns to form) the Ravens will be on the decline. the team has always won having great players. if Joe doesnt have a great supporting cast, hes doomed. he isnt elite but he is a Qb you can win with. he doesnt always win the games however. weve been a team that won with defense over the years. flacco won with offense last year but weve always been a strong defense. with the new direction those days might be gone. and if the defense goes, so will the Ravens because Joe isnt the Qb that will do it all by himself. hes good when the team is good (including coaching). So lets hope the Ravens can protect joe but more importantly make the moves they need to on the OL first! get another receiver with some legitimacy. let castillo go and go back to the blocking schemes that worked. thats all we need. the team doesnt need to do much. people might not agree but id say if they can afford him keep micheal oher too. we won the superbowl wih him and he wasnt the weak link on the OL last year. the issue was that they lost matt and downgraded with osemele not performing at the level of last year. then castillo just made an even bigger mess. really he killed most of our chances for success. joe is a pretty decent qb when teams respect the run game since he throws the deep ball and can catch teams with play action plays for big pickups and tds. Joe will be better when they address the OL and run game castillo guy. if they address that, they will improve in 2014 unless the OC is a terrible one. i hope they do not promote hostler and rather keep him in his current role. get someone with a resume of success.

[HoldingCall]

im calling it....if harbaugh doesnt bring on the right OC, and ozzie doesnt get two decent OL at center and left guard (unless oseleme returns to form) the Ravens will be on the decline. the team has always won having great players. if Joe doesnt have a great supporting cast, hes doomed. he isnt elite but he is a Qb you can win with. he doesnt always win the games however. weve been a team that won with defense over the years. flacco won with offense last year but weve always been a strong defense. with the new direction those days might be gone. and if the defense goes, so will the Ravens because Joe isnt the Qb that will do it all by himself. hes good when the team is good (including coaching). So lets hope the Ravens can protect joe but more importantly make the moves they need to on the OL first! get another receiver with some legitimacy. let castillo go and go back to the blocking schemes that worked. thats all we need. the team doesnt need to do much. people might not agree but id say if they can afford him keep micheal oher too. we won the superbowl wih him and he wasnt the weak link on the OL last year. the issue was that they lost matt and downgraded with osemele not performing at the level of last year. then castillo just made an even bigger mess. really he killed most of our chances for success. joe is a pretty decent qb when teams respect the run game since he throws the deep ball and can catch teams with play action plays for big pickups and tds. Joe will be better when they address the OL and run game castillo guy. if they address that, they will improve in 2014 unless the OC is a terrible one. i hope they do not promote hostler and rather keep him in his current role. get someone with a resume of success.

 

Unless they find a replacement or have one already I believe they will keep Oher. The team didn't bench him nor did they sub someone in for him so is he as bad as some have stated? Yes, there were issues with communication and function but if it's fixable will they get rid of him? I do expect we will see strong competition for RT brought in this year, but I don't think replacing him is a given. After all, he'd make an excellent backup. I just don't know if the team could afford it.

 

What I hear from Ozzie is that the OL has to get bigger in the interior. That statement points mostly toward Center and/or Guard position and says Ozzie is more concerned with protecting Joe than having a more mobile OL.

 

His statement may have been an indication of a decision to return mostly to what has worked for this team. I don't think they will eliminate zone blocking totally but hopefully will make its use an exception rather than the rule. 

[Hardbaugh]

Yeah year 7 and we're hearing the same old stuff.  Next season he'll break out...LMAO....   As I stated long ago Flacco has weaknesses in his game that just can't be fixed. He'll never do well with a Welker/Edelman type receiver because he is always late with the ball, doesn't think fast enough and has poor ball placement among others.

 

Flacco is an average to slightly above average player getting paid like one of the best in the game but he isn't. That's going to be a big stumbling block going forward for this team. Two seasons from now that money is going to be a big hurdle and I look forward to seeing him cut if he can't play up to the money he whined for.

[playlikeawhat]

all qbs....

Exactly.  Never seen a QB overcome a laundry list of deficiencies.  Aaron Rodgers tried to shoulder the load and got a broken collarbone for it.  Peyton Manning has an exceptionally strong supporting cast on both sides of the ball.  Tina, I meant "Tom" Brady was just as inaccurate as Joe throughout the first half of the season and the media showered him with laughable excuses.  Ben Roethlisberger didn't have a run game to bail himself or Pitts geriatric defense out of the hole they dug themselves into.  There's simply too much evidence that doesn't support the "Joe will be Joe" argument.

[playlikeawhat]

Yeah year 7 and we're hearing the same old stuff.  Next season he'll break out...LMAO....   As I stated long ago Flacco has weaknesses in his game that just can't be fixed. He'll never do well with a Walker type receiver because he is always late with the ball, doesn't think fast enough and has poor ball placement among others.

 

Flacco is an average to slightly above average player getting paid like one of the best in the game but he isn't. That's going to be a big stumbling block going forward for this team. Two seasons from now that money is going to be a big hurdle and I look forward to seeing him cut if he can't play up to the money he whined for.

I agree.  Flacco has his flaws, definitely, but he's not leaps and bounds below the so-called elite.  Flacco had the stats to justify his pay and a cutthroat agent who didn't care about Joe's limitations or needing a supporting cast (like every other quarterback) to win consistently.  Part of the blame belongs to the F.O.  Between Joe Linta and Baltimore's K-Mart budget mentality with other players, we didn't stand a chance this year lol.

[HoldingCall]

Joe is a pocket passer so pass blocking and pocket protection I believe will be the team's first priority followed by run blocking. If the pass blockers are not suited for run zone blocking then I believe, zone blocking must take a back seat. This should help Rice and Pierce return to what they have been accustomed to seeing. Hopefully the great zone blocking experiment has ended and the team returns to their roots.

[HoldingCall]

I agree.  Flacco has his flaws, definitely, but he's not leaps and bounds below the so-called elite.  Flacco had the stats to justify his pay and a cutthroat agent who didn't care about Joe's limitations or needing a supporting cast (like every other quarterback) to win consistently.  Part of the blame belongs to the F.O.  Between Joe Linta and Baltimore's K-Mart budget mentality with other players, we didn't stand a chance this year lol.

I think they slightly overpaid for the big ticket item then perhaps bargain shopped their way into a valley. Even though the team nearly made the playoff, It's clear they were not at the level of those seen in the playoffs this season. 

[playlikeawhat]

...and like Winning a Super Bowl wasn't enough.

I'm not tagging the fans exclusively.  The coaches and F.O. deserve this too.  I don't see any indication of them fully grasping what they had during the 2012 playoffs.  They FINALLY had an offense the media and other teams respected.  What did they do to preserve as much of it as possible?  Secured a captain but not his crew.  Dumbest move ever.  Birk couldn't be helped but the politics with Moeller and a blue light special request to Boldin after he EARNED the remainder of his contract last year?

[Tank 92]

This.  Joe will never change.  Joe will always be the way he is now.  Ray Lewis took some heat for it but he was right that Flacco will not get better.  If given the right support cast, Joe will take us to the promise land every year.  If Flacco has a poor line, mediocre running game, and average WRs, he will never be successful like some other QBs that can overcome those factors.

 

 

I don't agree with this. Joe HAS improved in pocket awareness and will continue to improve reading Ds. For me, 2013 is a throw out year as there were so many other issues on offense. Obviously the Ravens used all available resources to replace missing pieces on D and had nothing left to fix the O line and provide depth at those positions. I think Flacco did remarkably well considering the circumstances.

 

Just curious........What QB do you think has the abilities to overcome a horrible O line, no running game, no dependable TE and "average WRs" to be successful?.

[JEEPercreepermd]

Yeah, Joe needs to improve on some things. The offense as a whole needs to get better though. We need a receivers coach who teaches these guys to go up for a ball with their hands instead of catching it like a punt. We need a whole new playbook, and at least a legit starting caliber Center

[jimmypowder]

Anyone who watched media darling Russell Wilson last night and his overall poor performance knows

that having weapons and a good oline matter quite a bit ,irregardless of who you are.