How good (or bad) is Joe Flacco

[seanbrock 1,684]

Answer and justify it if you want.

Edited September 11, 2012 by seanbrock

[Shotgun 442]

I thought last year he was around 14th and when the season is over I'll probably be saying the same thing. He gets a lot of flack for things that honestly aren't his problem, like WR's not knowing how to run a route or an OC that's usually shit at game planning. We've seen the guy play in games that made him look like a top-10 QB, but we've also seen him put up some stinkers, which tells me he has all the physical tools to be an elite passer but he isn't as mentally strong as the best QB's in the league. He can be the 6th best QB one week and the 24th best the next, and for that he stays in the average to above-average range in my mind.

[Thanatos 2,847]

He gets a lot of flack for things that honestly aren't his problem, range in my mind.

 

I see what you did there.

 

Flacco is consistently overrated by many guys on NFL.com, and consistently underrated by many guys on here.

 

He's a decent QB, in the top half of the league for sure, probably top-12 or so. He is not as good as they generally say he is, (top-10), but he's working his way up. The fact that he has had a dominating defense for the entirety of his career certainly hasn't hurt his stats.

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

Is he in the top 10? No, probably not, because he isn't as consistent as he should be. But he definitely has the talent, and he should be there. He just needs to start being consistent with his performances

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Pretty tough to say. He was mediocre last season until the playoffs, when he was great. And then he was pretty great in tonight's game as well. Too soon to call for this season, I think.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Aren't decent and mediocre kinda the same thing? He is in that range, he isn't amazing but he isn't awful like some people try to make him out to be.

[Bay 2,003]

Voted 'decent'. So I'm with the majority.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Really hit or miss. Lots of talent but he doesn't flash as much as the other guys I'd stick above him. Stafford and Newton are poised to slump, so he may get a shot to surpass them this year, if he hasn't already.

[Barracuda 629]

Decent. Right around that 12-10 area.

[housemd 338]

He is a decent QB..That's pretty much because he's inconsistent and it's also because Cam Cameron sucks..One day he can shred the Steelers D with deep passes to Smith and Boldin and the other day he can't hit the target against a much worse defense..He's somewhere in 11-13 range..

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

I voted "decent", but I was almost caught up by the choice of "top 10 TALENT". He probably is a top ten talent, but that doesn't make him consistent enough to be a top 10 QB. Jamarcus Russell came into the league with top ten talent too.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

well sean I admit, I was wrong, you are not the ONLY person who thinks that. You have two people now. But I stand by saying you are one lonely dude in thinking he is below average. Nice poll though.

[AL_Royalty 489]

My Lord... This thread again? Every season with this Flacco guy.

 

This week he's great. Next week he might be shit. Until he can play well CONSISTENTLY he's just a guy with a football and a loud mouth.

[baltimoreravens 19]

As a Ravens fan, I support Flacco. He certainly isn't the best QB in the league, but he's very capable. I've read that the best Quarterbacks tend to really hit their stride around years 5-7, which Joe is entering right now. The no-huddle the Ravens offense is implementing is his strong suit and I think this is his year to put up or shut up. Flacco and his agent are certainly confident that he can put up the numbers to earn an "elite" contract. For me, it's always been about a lack of consistency. If he proves himself to be consistent (at home and on the road) this year, I'll believe 100% that he's capable of taking us to and winning a Superbowl (Trent Dilfer did) for Baltimore, and that he'll stay in Baltimore for a long time with a big contact (which I think will be the case even if he has a slightly above average year). Like others, I see him as about #10 in top QBs right now.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I think he's the best of his very overrated draft class. He's overrated by analysts and underrated by fans. Quite frankly, I love his mobility and the fact that he's lead some excellent late game drives. He also uses a lot of weapons and relies less on the checkdown by the year, it seems. Of course, he goes in spurts where he just dumps to Rice and all of that, but not until Ozzie decided that he needed weapons did he really have games where he shined.

[BC 331]

He'll never throw for 5,000 but that doesn't make him bad. He just plays to the strength of his team. What are a quarterbacks two best friends? A defense and run game. He has the best of both. So all he has to do is take what defenses give him and not turn the ball over. He's not a playmaker because he's never needed to be.

 

And by the way, if Billy Cundiff doesn't shank the FG, Flacco would be considered a good QB

Edited September 14, 2012 by BC

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

What are a quarterbacks two best friends? A defense and run game.

 

Offensive lines say hi.

[BC 331]

It's just a saying that goes back 10-15 years

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

I think he has the potential to be in the top 10, as he showed against the Bengals by making all the throws he needed to, but he is too inconsistent for me to put in the top 10. I have him in the 12-14 range.

[Thanatos 2,847]

He'll never throw for 5,000 but that doesn't make him bad. He just plays to the strength of his team. What are a quarterbacks two best friends? A defense and run game. He has the best of both. So all he has to do is take what defenses give him and not turn the ball over. He's not a playmaker because he's never needed to be.

 

And by the way, if Billy Cundiff doesn't shank the FG, Flacco would be considered a good QB

 

Um. That FG only ties the game. Still no guarantee the Ravens win.

[AL_Royalty 489]

Um. That FG only ties the game. Still no guarantee the Ravens win.

True, true. If Cundiff tied it, Flacco could be looked at in an even worse light, had he thrown a game losing pick-6 in OT...

 

Now, if his WR hangs onto the ball in the end zone at the end of that game, people probably do look at Flacco a little differently.

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

How good is Joe Flacco? You can turn to the Ravens/Eagles game and find out right now.

 

Score is 23-24 Eagles lead. Just under 2 minutes remaining in the game. If he can pull this off, I'll give him the same level as Ryan. If not, then he's clearly outside the top 10. This is a drive/situation Matt Ryan has performed well in on so many occasions. Flacco needs to put the team on his back here.

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

And, the summary of the drive:

 

1st and 10, terrible throw to the right side of the field - underthrown off back foot (limited pressure)

2nd and 10, terrible throw deep down the middle - lobbed and thrown up for anyone to grab. Need to make better decisions here.

3rd and 10, completion middle of field to wide open tight end - 1st down.

 

1st and 10, sideline throw into tight coverage (Nnamdi Asomugha) - Tandon Doss drops, PI on Asomugha.

1st and 5, throw into coverage up the middle of the field, incomplete.

2nd and 5, completion in the middle of the field to wide open tight end.

3rd and 2, terrible throw to sideline (Pitta) - extremely overthrown out of bounds.

4th and 2, Terrible throw to right sideline - overthrown and out of bounds.

 

 

By all means, that was one of the most terrible 2 minute drills I have ever seen run by a quarterback. The playcalling WASN'T bad at all. The Eagles' coverage was good, but not unbreakable. He had a wide open guy on 3rd and 2 but instead decided to chuck it over Pittas head on the side line.

 

Flacco just broke down. Just because there are only 2 minutes remaining that doesn't mean you have to go touchdown or nothing. You have 2 minutes. Elite or even above average quarterbacks are patient in these situations while still maintaining a sense of urgency. They are field surgeons. Flacco gets the least bit of pressure, and well - this is what happens more often than not. When the Ravens have the game under control, he's great. When they need him to make plays, he struggles more often than not.

[Thanatos 2,847]

You cannot seriously pin whether or not he is a top-10 QB on a single drive, and then claim that Ryan is better than him.

 

Flacco is better than Matty Ice, in my eyes.

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

I'm not pinning it on a single drive. This happens more often than not to Flacco when the pressure is put on him. He has 2 minutes left on the clock and he immediately believes he has to throw a touchdown on every play and that's just not the case.

 

I used to believe that Flacco WAS indeed better than Ryan. But the past two seasons, I've walked away from that belief. I'm not putting Flacco in the top 10 on the fact that when the pressure is on him, he doesn't get the job done. You don't have to win every close game like that, but you DO have to make smarter decisions and good throws. I saw two passes that were on target that drive. They were only on target/completed because there was no one within a mile of his tight ends. Anyone can throw drags to their tight ends who aren't covered. Those are practically "give-me's" in that situation. But to make such horrible throws? Come on man!