What did Flacco do to Heath Evans? Kick his dog?

[85Knight]

He was on WNST this evening too. Said the same stuff basically. Even said "you can't credit Joe for the game-tying TD throw". Seriously.

No attention paid to the two throws the previous possession where he delivered third down passes in to two hands of receivers, on consecutive throws, and neither one was caught. No mention of the first throw on the drive where he was trying to hit Pitta on a double-move, wide open in space where he would have probably gotten to mid-field or so... but Pitta fell down in the break. None of those are talked about. Then when he delivers one of the biggest, clutch throws in NFL playoff history... "Ah, no big deal. He didn't really do anything there..."

You could bet every penny on this planet that if the situation was reversed and Manning hit Thomas for 70 yards to tie the game, nobody would be dismissing it because "Ed Reed was peeking". If Brady hit Welker for a long TD in the final minute to tie a playoff game, nobody would be dismissing it because the safety took a bad angle. Nope... it would just be another line item on their legend.

The inability of people to see the big picture is completely amusing to me...

The root cause of it all... really... and he admitted it... he doesn't like guys who talk about themselves. He flat out admitted his bias. They probably have it in their "Audio Vault". So there you go...

Last year somebody asked him if he thought he was good, he said yes, and the story is written. As if Joe called a press conference on an off-day to announce his own elite-ness. Now some morons still think something completely different transpired.

I've never seen a qb get treated the way Flacco is treated. He never gets credit for good passes, instead they were great catches. When he makes a mistake it gets blown up and when receivers drop passes they get ignored. When I watch other qb's around the league I see the same mistakes but a lot less criticism. When is Flacco going to get some credit for being a winner? It's super bowl or bust for him in the minds of a lot people.

[OriginalColtsFan]

I've never seen a qb get treated the way Flacco is treated. He never gets credit for good passes, instead they were great catches. When he makes a mistake it gets blown up and when receivers drop passes they get ignored. When I watch other qb's around the league I see the same mistakes but a lot less criticism. When is Flacco going to get some credit for being a winner? It's super bowl or bust for him in the minds of a lot people.

Agree 100%. It's ridiculous at this point. EVERY GAME I've watched this year has had SPECTACULAR catches in it. When Boldin jumps up to bring down a catch (not the great one on the sideline), it's like: "Oh...look at that GREAT CATCH. Way to help out his QB". WTH??!!! Look at some of the catches in the Falcons game. LEAPING UP at the back of the end zone, JUST managing to get a 2nd foot down, etc. THAT'S a great catch. But who gets the credit? Ryan. He had a GREAT game. It's insane, really. And it's been going on for a long while. But Evans stuff was the most over the top I've seen in a long while. Hell...even Dierdorf was more positive about Joe's abilities.

[85Knight]

Agree 100%. It's ridiculous at this point. EVERY GAME I've watched this year has had SPECTACULAR catches in it. When Boldin jumps up to bring down a catch (not the great one on the sideline), it's like: "Oh...look at that GREAT CATCH. Way to help out his QB". WTH??!!! Look at some of the catches in the Falcons game. LEAPING UP at the back of the end zone, JUST managing to get a 2nd foot down, etc. THAT'S a great catch. But who gets the credit? Ryan. He had a GREAT game. It's insane, really. And it's been going on for a long while. But Evans stuff was the most over the top I've seen in a long while. Hell...even Dierdorf was more positive about Joe's abilities.

Well those naysayers are in for a shock now because I firmly believe and I've been saying it for years that the biggest problem with Flacco was Cam Cameron. He was so stubborn that he never called plays to Flacco's strength, instead he tried to force him to play his way. Flacco will be a better qb now that he's gone and everyone will see it. He's not elite but he's very good when you let him make throws down the field. Everyone talks about the hail mary but if Cam was here Flacco would have never been allowed to attempt that pass to Smith at the end of the 1st half. We would have gone into the half down 21-14 and the rest would have been history. Caldwell is turning him loose more and the results are crystal clear. People are going to run out of ammunition sooner than later.

[SugarRay52]

Agree 100%. It's ridiculous at this point. EVERY GAME I've watched this year has had SPECTACULAR catches in it. When Boldin jumps up to bring down a catch (not the great one on the sideline), it's like: "Oh...look at that GREAT CATCH. Way to help out his QB". WTH??!!! Look at some of the catches in the Falcons game. LEAPING UP at the back of the end zone, JUST managing to get a 2nd foot down, etc. THAT'S a great catch. But who gets the credit? Ryan. He had a GREAT game. It's insane, really. And it's been going on for a long while. But Evans stuff was the most over the top I've seen in a long while. Hell...even Dierdorf was more positive about Joe's abilities.

It's beyond ridiculous the way Joe gets treated, Ryan is now being called elite on ESPN since he finally won his first playoff game, just can't take these guys seriously.

[OriginalColtsFan]

It's beyond ridiculous the way Joe gets treated, Ryan is now being called elite on ESPN since he finally won his first playoff game, just can't take these guys seriously.

I have a good feeling about the game against the Pats. I think it's pay back time for last year's Evans-choke-a-rama.

[shutout]

I don't pay any attention to these gas bags. Some fans get all excited when a media gas bag gives the B-Town team some praise. Are they forgeting that it is the same traveling sh!+ salesman with a mouthfull of samples that they called an idiot last week for trashing the Ravens? So now these dumpster mouths are credible because they have a little purple boner going on?

I was listening to the radio today and they were going on about how you have to be a running team and to look at the four teams left and how well they all run the ball.........last week it was look at the QB driven pass happy league.

[jamesdean]

The bottom line is that Flacco continues to win. Heath Evans can rant all he wants but there's only four teams left and Baltimore is one of them. Personally, who cares whether he's elite or not or how other people across the country perceive him? Peyton Manning is back home, Drew Brees is doing whatever he's doing, Ben Roethlisberger's watching the games with his wife, the rookie sensations are physically and mentally recovering, and yet, there's Joe Flacco still playing and winning. I was listening to 105.7 the Fan on Monday and someone was relaying a story about how so and so "hates" Joe Flacco. The guy said, "why do you hate Joe Flacco so much", expecting the usual critique. The person says, "because all he does is win!" And brother, that's good enough for me.

[Peej7245]

It just occurred to me that over the last four playoff games, Flacco has thrown for 1095 yards! Extrapolate that to a 16-game season and you have a pretty good set of statistics!

Not bad for a QB that is so spat upon by the national media!

[Peej7245]

Well those naysayers are in for a shock now because I firmly believe and I've been saying it for years that the biggest problem with Flacco was Cam Cameron. He was so stubborn that he never called plays to Flacco's strength, instead he tried to force him to play his way. Flacco will be a better qb now that he's gone and everyone will see it. He's not elite but he's very good when you let him make throws down the field. Everyone talks about the hail mary but if Cam was here Flacco would have never been allowed to attempt that pass to Smith at the end of the 1st half. We would have gone into the half down 21-14 and the rest would have been history. Caldwell is turning him loose more and the results are crystal clear. People are going to run out of ammunition sooner than later.

Until someone comes up with a definitive explanation of the term "elite", let's not bother using it. Leave that to the national idiots.

Let's put up a "curse jar" except every time someone types the word "elite" it will be 25 cents please!

[Far from home]

A lot of energy spent on a guy who many have probably never heard of. I didn't know who he was until I saw this thread and looked him up.
He played for the Pats, so it's no surprise that he makes these comments. It seems like everyone that touches that team finds a special place for Baltimore teams in their black hearts.

[NCBirdfan]

I don't pay any attention to these gas bags. Some fans get all excited when a media gas bag gives the B-Town team some praise. Are they forgeting that it is the same traveling sh!+ salesman with a mouthfull of samples that they called an idiot last week for trashing the Ravens? So now these dumpster mouths are credible because they have a little purple boner going on?

I was listening to the radio today and they were going on about how you have to be a running team and to look at the four teams left and how well they all run the ball.........last week it was look at the QB driven pass happy league.

You forgot to mention one thing: The short attention span of sports fans.


Because, those same blowhards know full well that when they do get it right sometimes, all they have to do is toot their horns loud and proclaim over and over how great they are and people will laud them for being geniuses. People will forget just how wrong they were just the previous week. It's money in the bank and they know it.

[CajunRaven]

It's beyond ridiculous the way Joe gets treated, Ryan is now being called elite on ESPN since he finally won his first playoff game, just can't take these guys seriously.

Same thing on NFL AM, talkng about Ryan's great career over 5 years.

Give me a break, I hope the 49ers pummel Ryan into the ground on Sunday and Joe beats the Pats. What will these low brows say then?

[Durrty Bird]

It's beyond ridiculous the way Joe gets treated, Ryan is now being called elite on ESPN since he finally won his first playoff game, just can't take these guys seriously.

He's consistently rated by many analysts as a top 8-10 QB. That would qualify as elite in my book.

Same thing on NFL AM, talkng about Ryan's great career over 5 years.

Give me a break, I hope the 49ers pummel Ryan into the ground on Sunday and Joe beats the Pats. What will these low brows say then?

It has been a great career to be sure and now he has the playoff production to back it up. And I'm sorry but I don't think San Fran is going to be doing any "pummeling" of him. They've got to get to him first.

[NCBirdfan]

He's consistently rated by many analysts as a top 8-10 QB. That would qualify as elite in my book.

It has been a great career to be sure and now he has the playoff production to back it up. And I'm sorry but I don't think San Fran is going to be doing any "pummeling" of him. They've got to get to him first.

Ryan didn't win that game. He threw two costly interceptions and blew a 20-0 lead at halftime. If his receivers didn't make great catches he would be looking at another one-and-done playoff. The offense was practically non-existent in the second half. He is lucky to have the opportunity to play San Francisco. If it weren't for the Falcons #5 ranked defense and a powderpuff schedule Ryan and the Falcons probably wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

[Dub]

Until someone comes up with a definitive explanation of the term "elite", let's not bother using it. Leave that to the national idiots.

Let's put up a "curse jar" except every time someone types the word "elite" it will be 25 cents please!

My definition is a QB needs to accomplish either 2 Super Bowl wins, or 2 MVPs or 1 of each. With that definition there are only 6 QBs that fit that formula, Peyton, Eli, Tom, Big Ben, Brees, and Rogers.

Notice I still kept my 25 cents

[ivanbalt]

He's consistently rated by many analysts as a top 8-10 QB. That would qualify as elite in my book.

It has been a great career to be sure and now he has the playoff production to back it up. And I'm sorry but I don't think San Fran is going to be doing any "pummeling" of him. They've got to get to him first.

He's elite as long as it's not postseason. 1-3 with some atrocious numbers in 5 years isn't very good.

[CajunRaven]

Al Davis - Just win baby.

[Peej7245]

As far as how Rahim Moore chose to play the coverage on the TD pass to Jones, on one replay it was clear that he had to decide which WR to cover, and he made a step or two up field to cover the Ravens receiver who was 20 yards more up field than Jones (not sure if it was Boldin or Smith). By the time it was clear that Joe was going deep to Jones, it was too late to get back in time. It was at least a reasonably smart play by the safety because the odds were that Joe was going to throw the ball 40 yards instead of 70, and to have given up the 40 yarder STILL would have been a lot, so he was torn between which WR to cover. It was not just a totally blown coverage the way it's being presented. At least not from what I saw.

Good analysis...but Moore also had to consider Boldin coming over the middle who had come open behind the LBs.

When I look at 4th and 29's pictures of the play, I see several things done right:

1. All WRs and TEs ran strong patterns (and Joe had at least three receivers open and only had to decide which was the best option.

2. The OL gave Joe time, and when he felt pressure, he had a lane up the middle into which he could move and make a throw.

3. When Jacobey outran the CB he slowed down slightly. Perhaps did Moore see this and get lulled into thinking that the Ravens would try to cut the distance in half?

4. Finally, the pass was a thing of beauty. It travelled high and far and, most importantly, it stayed at the sideline and made the distance Moore had to make up even longer.

[OriginalColtsFan]

Good analysis...but Moore also had to consider Boldin coming over the middle who had come open behind the LBs.

When I look at 4th and 29's pictures of the play, I see several things done right:

1. All WRs and TEs ran strong patterns (and Joe had at least three receivers open and only had to decide which was the best option.

2. The OL gave Joe time, and when he felt pressure, he had a lane up the middle into which he could move and make a throw.

3. When Jacobey outran the CB he slowed down slightly. Perhaps did Moore see this and get lulled into thinking that the Ravens would try to cut the distance in half?

4. Finally, the pass was a thing of beauty. It travelled high and far and, most importantly, it stayed at the sideline and made the distance Moore had to make up even longer.

I think it's Boldin, then, that I'm referring to. Whoever it was, he was also open, just not as deep as Jones, and I think Moore was anticipating the ball going to the receiver who was wide open, but shorter than Jones. That was really the whole point of my post. And by the time he saw the ball flying deep down field, it was too late for him to recover.

[Peej7245]

I think it's Boldin, then, that I'm referring to. Whoever it was, he was also open, just not as deep as Jones, and I think Moore was anticipating the ball going to the receiver who was wide open, but shorter than Jones. That was really the whole point of my post. And by the time he saw the ball flying deep down field, it was too late for him to recover.

Listen to his press conference interview and he actually mentions that he saw the safety freeze.

This is sounding more and more like a deliberate play than a "Hail Mary"!

We'd better ask Skippy Bayless to be sure.