[News] Ravens' Top Offseason Job: Help Joe Flacco Play At Top-Tier Level

[BR News]

Head Coach John Harbaugh wants to get a strong offensive line and some more playmakers to surround quarterback Joe Flacco. Harbaugh said the Ravens need Flacco to play at a Tom Brady-like level since he makes Tom Brady-like money.

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[The Greek]

wish he had made a comment like the one jay gruden made today. hope they right this ship

[The Greek]

he kept his coordinators but wonder if he makes any changes with position coaches after the super bowl

[Ravenseconbeast]

So what does Flacco have to do Mink? Nothing?

There in lies the problem in Baltimore. HELP HIM! FIRE THE REST! CHANGE THIS! CHANGE THAT!

except everything is improving except flacco. hello????

he is the problem. he needs to play like a top tier QB. He needs to stop eyeing 1-target half the time. He needs to stop overthrowing/underthrowing barely catchable balls that can't produce YAC yards. He needs to build rapport with young receivers to make them into playmakers(never done that). He needs to stop relying on polished veteran receivers @ panic time.

Nothing Flacco did shows progression and WORK ETHIC to be the great one.

#1 issue: FLACCO!

Then you can see changes drastically happen. Shift in minor pieces will help. But Flacco is the center that moves all the chain. Until then the clock will not move for Ravens to be back in SB contention.

[Crusader]

Blaw, blaw, blaw, blaw

[surfdude]

Good lord ! Flacco is going into his tenth season and this is still being brought up ? Joe is a 2nd tier QB and that's fine he had one nice run throwing up jump balls and that makes him elite ? I think not. To be elite one has to be consistent and that leaves Joe out of the conversation.

[jsarrocohome@yahoo.com]

Whats harbaugh smoking flacco is no Tom Brady But I wish he was close

[jsarrocohome@yahoo.com]

So what does Flacco have to do Mink? Nothing?

There in lies the problem in Baltimore. HELP HIM! FIRE THE REST! CHANGE THIS! CHANGE THAT!

except everything is improving except flacco. hello????

he is the problem. he needs to play like a top tier QB. He needs to stop eyeing 1-target half the time. He needs to stop overthrowing/underthrowing barely catchable balls that can't produce YAC yards. He needs to build rapport with young receivers to make them into playmakers(never done that). He needs to stop relying on polished veteran receivers @ panic time.

Nothing Flacco did shows progression and WORK ETHIC to be the great one.

#1 issue: FLACCO!

Then you can see changes drastically happen. Shift in minor pieces will help. But Flacco is the center that moves all the chain. Until then the clock will not move for Ravens to be back in SB contention.

Man you Nailed It

[b93333]

Flacco has the highest QB salary in the NFL when averaged over the life of his contract... per the Cheat Sheet. He finished the 2016 season ranked 24th in QB rating... per the Sunpapers. Nuff said.

[Tim Wilson]

Problem 1. Flacco's salary divided by his ability - He's a little better than average when he has a good D and special teams. He also has the ability to stay calm and win some games in the clutch. However with the way the salaries are for QB's (Not his fault) you simply can't tie up this much money on a guy who doesn't read defenses well, doesn't seem to know when to audible, doesn't seem to understand the concepts of a hard count etc. Do you see how many 1st downs and big plays the truly elite QB's get by using their mind? Rodgers hard count, draw you offsides, and then throw a bomb since he has a free play. Brady QB sneak on a hurry up snap count so the defense isn't settled for the 1st down.

These are the types of nuances that an elite QB carries in his toolbox, and Jo after this many years simply doesn't possess ANY single attribute that leads me to believe he gets it between the ears.

Problem 2- We don't draft enough DOGS anymore or superstar upside type players. Which is why we don't have any real IMPACT players or the old fashion Raven tough guy types. This post seems cynical and I love my Ravens but I just miss the days of Ray, Ed, Suggs, Ngata, Mccaliste r= Superstars and
Tough Guys = Kelly Gregg, Bart Scott, Bernard Pollard... I feel these types of players make Harbaugh feel threatened and that's why we continue being nice guys who finish last ( Not last but you get my meaning)....

[Smitty012]

Proud to be a Raven Fan!

[ravens4life86]

John Harbaugh error number 1, Know your players and know what works.

1, The Ravens organization Identity didnt change from Smashmouth Running&Defense to Wide open chuck&Duck offense just because Flacco makes 20million a year.

2. Yes, Brady is a legendary qb and gets loads of credit. But every sb run Brady has had a top 10 Defense, (whether Revis&Browner, Bruski,Vrabel,Lawetc) and hes had a running game Corey Dillion, this year he has Blount going for 1200 yrds and 18tds.
So Brady isnt this 1 man band. Their runs have been built on running&defense more then Brady believe it or not.

So with that said, most important thing is remember Joe is a playaction deep bomb qb. You have Perriman&Wallace if you keep him both were underutilized all year, because the run game was not committed too.

Run the dang ball, and use playaction..
Bolster the defense. Pass rush is must.
CB Must, and Safety must after Webby gets cut

[feartheflock]

The comparison still applies. Joe is like another Alex Smith.

[20306cab]

The only thing that can help Pathetic Joe now is Divine Intervention. It happened ONCE in 2013 in Denver. It AIN'T happenin' again. Now it's all payback and restitution. Unfortunately, we're ALL paying for that. Ten years of 84.5 % rating is ENOUGH!!

[CQ1]

Flacco does not have 'upstairs' as what many other QB's have. He's been in the league going on10 years. If he doesn't have IT by now- he's not going to have it.
What a load of mullarky.....try to turn him into Brady like. All you have to do is compare him with the play of other QB's. He is a mediocre QB- at best. As long as we have him we will only be mediocre- along with many of the brass that continue to play the bullpoo game. This is going to be great watching this shenanigan play out.

[outkast1]

Yes, he takes up a lot of salary space, but he is supposed to raise the level of those lower-priced players around him. Tom Brady has NONE of his offensive linemen  in the Pro Bowl ! We know why he ended up at Delaware State. He is terrible........

Edited January 4 by outkast1

[Moderator 3]

1 hour ago, The Greek said:

he kept his coordinators but wonder if he makes any changes with position coaches after the super bowl

He said today that there WILL be coaching changes and that they're interviewing for a QB coach.

[Popeye the sailor man]

You know what's funny, for the last 5 years, I've been complaining about Joe Flacco while the fans were booing me about my comments, so here I am just sitting back and having a good time reading all the cons from the fans about what I've been saying about Joe Flacco, on any other team, I do believe Flacco has a better opportunity to excel into a better QB but just not as a Ravens, he make all the other Ravens look's badddd, never ever did I ever see a QB so cool that he himself doesn't know what he Is..It's time for Flacco to go, there are other teams that will pay off Flacco's remaining years he has left with the Ravens and get another QB in the draft and start over, beginning of every season every year the Ravens are nothing but hype, we're going to the Super Bowl, we're going to win so many games, etc, etc, etc...That's all bullcrap

[fusuymada]

I have to laugh. Coachspeak between now and when the season starts is just intolerable.

Don't tell me about coaching changes when you kept the guy who made the worst call in the history of the Ravens. You're not serious. No, seriously, they are not serious about that. This guy ran less than Trestman and threw more short passes which I didn't think was humanly possible.

Better O-line. You can't put out turnstiles like DuCasse and Zuttah and have defenses take you serious. Talent evaluation on the front line is pathetic but don't get me started on Castillo.

Healthier knee better chemistry? First I will buy the knee thing as it was obvious he was moving better. So let's see his butt out there with Perriman, Wallace, Campanaro, etc... During the off-season. That's how you build chemistry. Keep Pitta away, he gets too much of Joe"s attention. Time at practice is too limited with ALL the receivers and when you are up the butt of your TE its hard to build chemistry with anyone else.

Joe needs to study defenses more as his football IQ is poor and I'm being nice. He needs to realize when you make 120 mil. Your job starts earlier than everyone else, it lasts longer than anyone else, it is on off days and the off-season something you need to devote time to constantly. When Flacco says after the season is over he puts football aside for a couple months and about a month before going back he starts throwing again. That is not an acceptable attitude or expected work ethic for a 120 mil. player.

Playmakers. We had playmakers this year. Our RB are very good. 5+ yards averages in most games, we just don't give them the ball. SSS is a playmaker, Wallace was dynamite under Trestman, Perriman didn't have enough targets to develop because Joe checked his #1 reciever and if he wasn't open he just dumped it off. Joe was horrible in the pocket this year, really bad. No awareness, no movement, just really pathetic looking at times when he just folded into a fetal position even when no one was close.

[FlocksGottaFeed]

Does Our Organization Really Want to "Help Joe"? Really?

Here's the deal: If we really wanted to help Joe the 1st thing to do is to acknowledge and accept who he is. He will never likely be a top-tier QB by the end of his career. He is a reasonably efficient QB who if put in the right conditions can have 'top-tier' QB games from time to time. I'm still a fan of Joe's, but I think our organization is completely missing the boat on what it would take to elevate his play and make it more consistent. More play makers, coaching continuity and dedication are good, reasonable wishes, but Joe's more important need is urgency. It's mental beyond everything else.

1. Firstly, have him admit to himself that he's not a top-tier QB currently although he's had a few great games (playoffs and SB). This will only challenge him to work harder to get to that goal and/or humble him enough to know that he must sacrifice enough to help the entire offensive unit to become top-tier. This may mean giving-up some of his salary to procure more talent around him (i.e. - Brady).
2. Coaching/Continuity: The Marty-thing was a mistake. It won't help Joe to get there at all. The best move would have been to keep Marty as a QB Coach (only). That's adequate continuity. He should have just remained as a season fill-in and continue his earlier role because of his amicable relationship with Joe, but change is needed.
3. Bring-in a new OC that runs the current system, but lights a fire under Joe and doesn't allow him to dictate his play, scheme or even allow him to over-assess his development. Start with the most difficult variations of the current scheme during the off-season and stay with them.
4. Lastly, address his ego before it's too late. Yes, Joe has a huge ego. Examples of this are the "I don't want to be lining up at Z and X. I want to line up behind center..." wildcat rant even though the play averaged over 10 yards per attempt, on the ELITE question "I mean, I think I’m the best," he said back then. "I don’t think I’m top-five, I think I’m the best. I don’t think I’d be very successful at my job if I didn’t feel that way. I mean, come on." and his consistent insistence on not audibly out of bad play calls, work with the entire receiving core and skill players during off-seasons and generally not accepting critic even when it's due.

This said, it's mental. If the organization wants to truly help this soon to be 10 year veteran QB and elevate the team as well, challenge is resolve - don't pander to his comfort-zone. He performs better in that role and so does the rest of the team.

     

[outkast1]

4 minutes ago, Popeye the sailor man said:

You know what's funny, for the last 5 years, I've been complaining about Joe Flacco while the fans were booing me about my comments, so here I am just sitting back and having a good time reading all the cons from the fans about what I've been saying about Joe Flacco, on any other team, I do believe Flacco has a better opportunity to excel into a better QB but just not as a Ravens, he make all the other Ravens look's badddd, never ever did I ever see a QB so cool that he himself doesn't know what he Is..It's time for Flacco to go, there are other teams that will pay off Flacco's remaining years he has left with the Ravens and get another QB in the draft and start over, beginning of every season every year the Ravens are nothing but hype, we're going to the Super Bowl, we're going to win so many games, etc, etc, etc...That's all bullcrap

Joe Flacco 182 career tds. and 117 ints. vs Matt Ryan  240 tds. and 114 ints. 58 more than Sloppy joe

[JonnyBaltimore]

I'm sorry but expecting Flacco to be a franchise quarterback and playing up to his contract is really setting ourselves up for disappointment. You're not going to get it. It's time to own up to the fact that we overpaid after 1 great post season run.

With this personnel, Harbaugh needs to realize that it can only be RUN first and then PA off that (like Kubiak's system). Flacco being nothing more than a good game manager that can throw the deep ball. He just does not have the IQ to take this team on his shoulders.

I find Flacco's and Harbaughs post game interviews almost nauseating.

[JonnyBaltimore]

I'm sorry but expecting Flacco to be a franchise quarterback and playing up to his contract is really setting ourselves up for disappointment. You're not going to get it. It's time to own up to the fact that we overpaid after 1 great post season run.

With this personnel, Harbaugh needs to realize that it can only be RUN first and then PA off that (like Kubiak's system). Flacco being nothing more than a good game manager that can throw the deep ball. He just does not have the IQ to take this team on his shoulders.

I find Flacco's and Harbaughs post game interviews almost nauseating.

But give credit to Harbaugh for riding his butt into the off season, because it's not okay for Flacco to underperform like that.

[bluehen]

  2 hours ago, Ravenseconbeast said:

So what does Flacco have to do Mink? Nothing?

There in lies the problem in Baltimore. HELP HIM! FIRE THE REST! CHANGE THIS! CHANGE THAT!

except everything is improving except flacco. hello????

he is the problem. he needs to play like a top tier QB. He needs to stop eyeing 1-target half the time. He needs to stop overthrowing/underthrowing barely catchable balls that can't produce YAC yards. He needs to build rapport with young receivers to make them into playmakers(never done that). He needs to stop relying on polished veteran receivers @ panic time.

Nothing Flacco did shows progression and WORK ETHIC to be the great one.

#1 issue: FLACCO!

Then you can see changes drastically happen. Shift in minor pieces will help. But Flacco is the center that moves all the chain. Until then the clock will not move for Ravens to be back in SB contention.

Man you Nailed It

If it was simply that easy to make an average QB play like a top tier QB, everyone would have one. If you are going to keep Joe (probably no other choice), then they better surround him with receivers that can consistently get open, a top OL and an talented RB's, OH and a QB coach that he will listen to!

[mearzunkies]

The comparison still applies. Joe is like another Alex Smith.

Alex Smith is solid as is Joe.

[mearzunkies]

You know what's funny, for the last 5 years, I've been complaining about Joe Flacco while the fans were booing me about my comments, so here I am just sitting back and having a good time reading all the cons from the fans about what I've been saying about Joe Flacco, on any other team, I do believe Flacco has a better opportunity to excel into a better QB but just not as a Ravens, he make all the other Ravens look's badddd, never ever did I ever see a QB so cool that he himself doesn't know what he Is..It's time for Flacco to go, there are other teams that will pay off Flacco's remaining years he has left with the Ravens and get another QB in the draft and start over, beginning of every season every year the Ravens are nothing but hype, we're going to the Super Bowl, we're going to win so many games, etc, etc, etc...That's all bullcrap

You made me LMAO. Thanks.

[ellicottraven]

Not happening unless a new coordinator is brought in that can force him into not committing idiotic mistakes.

[ndinoto03]

Not happening unless a new coordinator is brought in that can force him into not committing idiotic mistakes.

I think you mean new head coach.

[ALSKAN RAVEN FAN]

Joe does need to make some more plays. The biggest thing Joe needs to work on in my opinion is pocket awareness and his accuracy throwing the ball. at times he sits in the pocket too long waiting for something to happen down field then gets hit or swarmed by defensive guys. Is that all on Joe? I think it's 60% Joe's fault because he has to be aware of when to throw, Run or just throw it away and live to play for the next down. It's 40% WR's / TE's/ RB's fault for not making something happen in getting seperation and sometimes when it hits them square in the chest they drop it any way. Some of Joe's throws are behind the guys thats on him and honestly he does not hit the guys in stride as much as he should.

[mearzunkies]

  24 minutes ago, Popeye the sailor man said:

You know what's funny, for the last 5 years, I've been complaining about Joe Flacco while the fans were booing me about my comments, so here I am just sitting back and having a good time reading all the cons from the fans about what I've been saying about Joe Flacco, on any other team, I do believe Flacco has a better opportunity to excel into a better QB but just not as a Ravens, he make all the other Ravens look's badddd, never ever did I ever see a QB so cool that he himself doesn't know what he Is..It's time for Flacco to go, there are other teams that will pay off Flacco's remaining years he has left with the Ravens and get another QB in the draft and start over, beginning of every season every year the Ravens are nothing but hype, we're going to the Super Bowl, we're going to win so many games, etc, etc, etc...That's all bullcrap

Joe Flacco 182 career tds. and 117 ints. vs Matt Ryan  240 tds. and 114 ints. 58 more than Sloppy joe

I prefer the playoff game wins and SB victory myself;)