If things get rough, we can Flacco

[tigercruise]

When are you and others going to hold Harbaugh and Ozzie accountable? It's not all Joe's fault.

Absolutely. Harbaugh for not realizing he's a coach and not a cheer leader and Ozzie for NEVER improving on the offensive line. Flacco has zero time to even set up before they're in his face. Put Manning or Brady behind our line and they are average at best.

[OriginalColtsFan]

I know you're kidding here, but so many people (on the net & call-in shows) are convinced Cousins is the next Johnny U. today. I'll give him credit for beating the Ravens on 12/9, and he may go on to have a great career. But haven't seen this movie before? Remember when Kevin Kolb was seen as a franchise QB because he won a couple games filling in for McNabb? How has that worked out?

Kolb. Then Vick. Yeah. Philly is SO on track, their head coach is gonna be gone in 2 weeks. (Not that he SHOULDN'T...he definitely SHOULD. But remember...HE'S the one who trained Harbaugh (if you can call it that). And the Ravens HAVE become, slowly but surely (and quite sadly), the south AFC version of the Iggles.) Going with Cousins would just further that slide into a bottomless pit.

[OriginalColtsFan]

Absolutely. Harbaugh for not realizing he's a coach and not a cheer leader and Ozzie for NEVER improving on the offensive line. Flacco has zero time to even set up before they're in his face. Put Manning or Brady behind our line and they are average at best.

Average? They'd be on IR. Bank on it.

[Rael]

I know you're kidding here, but so many people (on the net & call-in shows) are convinced Cousins is the next Johnny U. today. I'll give him credit for beating the Ravens on 12/9, and he may go on to have a great career. But haven't seen this movie before? Remember when Kevin Kolb was seen as a franchise QB because he won a couple games filling in for McNabb? How has that worked out?

I remember a backup QB who looked great. So great that a certain ex-coach told us to take a leap of faith with him. What is Scott Mitchell up to these days anyway?

Or, in another iteration of the same movie, wasn't a certain Rob Johnson supposed to be the next BIG THING based on his performance coming in to replace the starter?

Or, remember when a certain backup came in to replace a legend and almost saved the season when the legend was out for the year. Yea, that guy got replaced by Brady friggin Quinn.

[Aclobat]

Average? They'd be on IR. Bank on it.

Manning would be paralyzed and Brady's ACL would be permanently destroyed.

[NCBirdfan]

On no, oh no. This whole debacle is Flacco's fault. If only we had Cousins to save us.

Stats are meaningless.

Stats are meaningless unless they count against you know who.

[Slidemaster]

Ok so if this new QB who you think they will draft in two years who is suppose to change life for the Ravens performs like or worst than Joe are you going to be calm and understanding or a whining pessimistic crybaby?
Pick one and no dancing around the damn question.

When have I danced around the question, ever?

If the QB they draft does poorly, then I'll call him on performing poorly. This has nothing to do with an allegiance to a particular player. It has to do with who can get the job done at the level we need with consistency. Flacco isn't that guy, and I support continuing to look until they find the guy who is.

[Marshan Man]

Agreed. After 5 years we still don't know if FLacco is our long term solution...what's up with that?!?

Shouldn't that be considered a problem???

[Ravens2006]

Flacco has 16 turnovers on the season. 6 of them have come in the last 3 games. He's played poorly recently, so a certain segment of the masses only cares to remember that. He deserves criticism for his mistakes. Throwing him away because of a bad stretch is, well, foolish.

Ya know Ben had 15 INTs and 10 fumbles in his 5th season. I'm sure the Steelers wish they had canned him after that year. And don't give me the "he'd already won a ring by then" line... during their title runs with him at QB they sported a great running game, a great defense, and really weren't much of a passing team. They dominated field position with defense, wore down opponents with a bruising run game, and occasionally beat you over the top after sucking the DBs in on run support. A lot like the Ravens were built, until this year.

[SugarRay52]

Here's a comparison of stats for you:
QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate

QB1.)
8-6 294 487 60.4 3590 20 4.1 15 3.1 80 7.4 6.8 12.2 256.4 84.0


OB2.)

9-5-0 288 487 59.1 3474 20 4.1 10 2.1 61 7.1 7.0 12.1 248.1 86.2

Difference between the two is QB1 has two Superbowl MVPs, plays in a big media market and is apart of the ultimate football family. It's pretty obvious who I'm talking about, QB1 isn't having an "elite" year so far either. If QB2 wins at least one SB then he too shall get a pass just like QB1 has. I would also like to point out that before he won two Superbowls QB1 used to frustrate his team's fans just as much as QB2 has frustrated his, they wanted to run him out of town. A friend of mine is a fan of QB1's team and he gave up on him completely before he won his first Superbowl.

[Slidemaster]

Here's a comparison of stats for you:
QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate

QB1.)
8-6 294 487 60.4 3590 20 4.1 15 3.1 80 7.4 6.8 12.2 256.4 84.0


OB2.)

9-5-0 288 487 59.1 3474 20 4.1 10 2.1 61 7.1 7.0 12.1 248.1 86.2

Difference between the two is QB1 has two Superbowl MVPs, plays in a big media market and is apart of the ultimate football family. It's pretty obvious who I'm talking about, QB1 isn't having an "elite" year so far either. If QB2 wins at least one SB then he too shall get a pass just like QB1 has. I would also like to point out that before he won two Superbowls QB1 used to frustrate his team's fans just as much as QB2 has frustrated his, they wanted to run him out of town. A friend of mine is a fan of QB1's team and he gave up on him completely before he won his first Superbowl.

Winning 2 Superbowls is a pretty damned big difference.

[Troubadour]

Come on, Joe was too tired to make it to his rocking chair on the sidelines.

[Ravens2006]

Here's a comparison of stats for you:
QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate

QB1.)
8-6 294 487 60.4 3590 20 4.1 15 3.1 80 7.4 6.8 12.2 256.4 84.0


OB2.)

9-5-0 288 487 59.1 3474 20 4.1 10 2.1 61 7.1 7.0 12.1 248.1 86.2

Difference between the two is QB1 has two Superbowl MVPs, plays in a big media market and is apart of the ultimate football family. It's pretty obvious who I'm talking about, QB1 isn't having an "elite" year so far either. If QB2 wins at least one SB then he too shall get a pass just like QB1 has. I would also like to point out that before he won two Superbowls QB1 used to frustrate his team's fans just as much as QB2 has frustrated his, they wanted to run him out of town. A friend of mine is a fan of QB1's team and he gave up on him completely before he won his first Superbowl.

My guess is that QB1 won his first Superbowl as a wild-card whose defense got on a crazy good roll, and had a no-name WR save his *** in the Superbowl by catching a hail mary with the side of his helmet... and won his second Superbowl as a 9-7 wild-card, constantly had fast WRs taking short passes long distances, and was again bailed out by an incredible catch on a game-winning drive in the big game.

I'll also guess that QB2 has seen a former Pro Bowl WR drop a go-ahead TD late in a divisional game for a birth in a conference title game, then another former Pro Bowl WR drop a huge late first down throw that would have kept the game alive... and also saw a former big name WR drop a final-seconds-would-have-won-the-game-and-put-them-in-the-Superbowl pass in the endzone.

Sometimes the difference between a guy getting the "elite" label isn't really THAT guy at all...

[SNAFU]

I'll ask you this question that I asked in another thread earlier. How many pic-6s has Flacco thrown in his career and how does he compare with his peers? Can you even remember the last time he threw a pic-6? How many interceptions has he thrown in his career and how does that compare with his peers? He has had problems with fumbling. He shares some of the responsibility for them, but his OL has a share in them too.

I believe that's his first pic-6 in 5 years. I don't remember any other ones.

[NCBirdfan]

I believe that's his first pic-6 in 5 years. I don't remember any other ones.

Thank you. You have validated my point. His pic-6 was awful on Sunday, but definitely not the norm for Flacco. When passing, Flacco has frequently been protective of the ball and making sure it has little chance of being picked off. His only problem (and it is a big one) is not being able to hold onto the ball when pressured. IMO getting better blocking up front could help solve this.

[SNAFU]

Thank you. You have validated my point. His pic-6 was awful on Sunday, but definitely not the norm for Flacco. When passing, Flacco has frequently been protective of the ball and making sure it has little chance of being picked off. His only problem (and it is a big one) is not being able to hold onto the ball when pressured. IMO getting better blocking up front could help solve this.

Ala the Patriots offensive line, where Brady could get a manicure back there before being sacked.

[Baltimore Ravens Lets Go!]

I would LOVE to have a reporter ask Harbaugh at his weekly press conference whether or not he was thinking about putting Tyrod Taylor in the game yesterday. As hyper-sensitive and thin skinned as Harbaugh is, I think his head would literally explode from his shoulders. It would be high comedy at its best. It wouldn't take much to send him right over the edge at this point.

If I was Flacco I would welcome Harbaugh putting Tyrod in the game. That would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Flacco is not nearly as bad as some morons are claiming. He made a horrible decision and throw that knocked them out of any hope of winning the game. So what? Even the great QB's have that happen once in a while. Why isn't Flacco due a Mulligan? Big Ben did the same thing in OT against Dallas. Should he be benched for Batch?

[Tollbooth Willie]

I'm beginning to wonder if Joe isn't playing hurt. The Joe of the last 3 games has been like Bizzarro Flacco.

[Slidemaster]

If I was Flacco I would welcome Harbaugh putting Tyrod in the game. That would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Flacco is not nearly as bad as some morons are claiming. He made a horrible decision and throw that knocked them out of any hope of winning the game. So what? Even the great QB's have that happen once in a while. Why isn't Flacco due a Mulligan? Big Ben did the same thing in OT against Dallas. Should he be benched for Batch?

If it was a one time thing that would be one thing, but Flacco has been wildly inconsistent since he came into the league, and is a turnover machine.

[NCBirdfan]

I'm beginning to wonder if Joe isn't playing hurt. The Joe of the last 3 games has been like Bizzarro Flacco.

Well, if he were injured, he wouldn't be announcing to the world that he is one breath from death like some certain other quarterback in the division (which will remain nameless ). He plays through the pain without dramatizing it and letting others know about it.