What's your problem with Joe Flacco?

(Credit: USA Today/Gannett)

Hello,

Ravens fans, I want you to remember a quote that Joe Flacco said before the beginning of the Super Bowl winning year: "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."

Remember that quote.

That year, we finished 10-6, we clinched the North after Flacco shut his critics up with a 309 yard, 3 TD effort vs. New York. Everyone dismissed as Super Bowl contenders and they expected our playoff run to be short.

Ignited by Ray Lewis's impending retirement, the media criticism that Flacco always seems to get for even being in the league, fueled this team to a 24-9 win over the Colts, a 38-35 double OT victory over Peyton Manning and the Broncos, a 28-13 win over the Patriots, and then a 34-31 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. He finishes with 73 completions for 1140 yards (15 yards per 1 completion), 11 TD, and count 'em NO TURNOVERS. Flacco outgunned 2 rising stars and 2 superstars and yet... his stats were dismissed as a fluke and Flacco was dismissed completely as a quarterback.

While he failed to have a good season last year... In Detroit, he was hit on the knee that should've drawn a flag (Harbaugh was vehemently calling for one), yet there was none. It's like: Wait... Peyton and Eli would get that... Ryan would get that... Brady...

I'm questioning the NFL's, our own fans, and the media's problem with Joe Flacco. Why is it that he has to take on some of the most idiotic criticism in the league. I don't see Peyton Manning getting any heat for bad games... he throws 6 INT against the Chargers and it's like: Oh, big deal... he'll bounce back.

Matt Ryan has not one, but TWO 5-INT games last season and everyone's like: Oh that's all right! Not a problem. He's an elite quarterback, surely he'll bounce back!

Joe Flacco has a couple 4 INT games and a 5 INT game and everyone's like: HE SUCKS! MAN! WHAT A BAD QUARTERBACK! ELITE!? HAHAHAHAHA! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!

PAUSE for a minute, didn't this guy WIN a Super Bowl before Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Mark Sanchez (who was deemed elite and better than Flacco)... Oh yeah not to mention he has a ring more than Marino, Tarkenton, Moon, and some of the biggest hall-of-fame quarterbacks who never won a ring?

Shoot, I compare Joe Flacco to Doug Williams. Doug Williams, despite only playing 88 games in his career, he managed to win a Super Bowl (XXII), gets criticized for being a quarterback. But Doug Williams, I'll say was one who played for pure love of the game. Flacco seems to play for the game, not the money, he's not a prima donna either, and that's what we need more of in the NFL.

My question to you all is this: WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH JOE FLACCO?

Is it because he came from a small school (Delaware)?

Is it because he's not a "take charge" kind of quarterback?

Is it because he's only declared a "game manager"?

I think this criticism is unwarranted, unfounded, and disrespectful. The guy puts his heart and soul into every game. I see a quarterback who tries his very best. I don't see another RYAN LEAF! Leaf blamed his poor play on others, Flacco always takes the fall when the loss is on him.

Steve Smith said during the 98 Rock locker room report that he loved the calm that Joe Flacco brought, he says the play, stays cool, and that's it... He goes to work.

Despite his strong arm, the media dismisses his throws as either overthrown or underthrown. I say this: Ok, there's no perfect pass. Manning doesn't have perfect passes, Ryan doesn't have perfect passes... NOBODY has perfect passes.

So you know what Ravens fans... I want you remember that quote above... If he said: "I suck, I'm a terrible quarterback" everyone would've like: You got that right... If he said: "Man, I'm the best in the league! Ain't nobody stopping me!" Everyone would laugh. But he said that because he was confident.

And with that confidence that season, he managed to win a Super Bowl and he's got the ring. Relish the fact that the team won Super Bowl XLVII with him running the show... Not this, oh I want another quarterback, there's better quarterbacks than him.

Fans, you are going to have to live with the fact that Joe Flacco is the quarterback until he gets hurt or retires from football. It's time to give him credit where credit is due.

~ Joshua