Flacco Wins Games In The Playoffs
Flacco has a 7-4 record in the playoffs. This will also be his third trip to the AFC championship game. He also played in the game last season as well as in his rookie year. If it weren't for a couple of bad breaks at the end of last year's title game, he could have put a Super Bowl appearance on his resume as well.
During Saturday's game against the Broncos, Flacco showed that he could be the reason why his team won. In the past, the defense and a solid running game have allowed Flacco to simply be a game manager. However, no game manager throws for touchdowns in the final minute of each half in a playoff game. His 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones to tie the game at 35 just showed how far he has come.
His Accuracy Has Not Been What It Needs To Be
An average quarterback completes around 60 percent of his passes. Flacco has completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes in each of the past two seasons. In the playoffs, his completion percentage has been even worse. In the 2012 playoffs, Flacco has completed only 52 percent of his passes. If he expects to be treated like an elite quarterback, he needs to be more accurate with the football.
Although the Ravens running game allows them to hold the ball for longer periods of time, relying completely on the deep ball is not a winning strategy. Fewer passes are completed and less time is run off the clock because the clock stops after an incompletion and it only takes a few seconds off the clock to move the ball 70 yards in one play. Furthermore, an attack based solely on the ability to throw the ball deep can backfire as it is easier to defend if you know it is coming.
His Teammates Believe That He Is Elite
With the impending retirement of Ray Lewis, the Ravens will need someone to rally around. It is fitting that the players on the team would look to their quarterback to be the new leader of the team. When a quarterback does not play well, his teammates will not come out and publicly support him. However, players and coaches have said that Flacco is among the five best quarterbacks in the league. Although that can still be debated, you don't let someone go when you believe that they are a valuable commodity.
Flacco Will Get Paid Like An Elite Quarterback
The question of whether or not Flacco is an elite quarterback is an important one because he has no contract beyond this season. If the Ravens think that Flacco is among the best in the league, it will set the initial parameters surrounding how much he will get paid for the next five to eight seasons. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, he will most likely receive the franchise tag. That will entitle Flacco to a salary of $14 million next season. However, a salary upwards of $20 million a season is likely on a new long-term salary assuming that he is regarded as among the best in the league.
No one can deny that Joe Flacco is a quarterback who has a cannon for an arm. His leadership is another quality that he brings to the table that the team sorely needs going forward. Therefore, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Flacco will get paid like a top five quarterback even if most fans regard him somewhere in the second tier of quality players at his position.
Written by Don Phan, a TTR contributor.
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