Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco
By Jeremy Klump
The NFL Spin Zone ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ series continues with four days until kickoff, profiling Baltimore Ravens quarterback No. 5, Joe Flacco.
The NFL regular season starts in four days. As we wait for the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers to start the NFL season, the team at NFL Spin Zone has decided to profile a player whose number is associated with the amount of days until that first kickoff.
With four days until football, clearly it’s time to profile Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Joe Flacco.
Related Story: Where is Joe Flacco ranked in the QB Power Rankings?
When you think of Flacco, you think of two things: the word ELITE and Super Bowl MVP.
Back in 2012, in an interview with WNST-AM, Flacco announced he thinks he is the best quarterback in the NFL. It came to a surprise for many, as Flacco was one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but clearly he was not the best.
He took a lot of heat for it, even though you should have the swagger to believe you are the best in a position like his. However, fans acted as if Flacco was being cocky and decided to start making fun of him a lot. The jokes of ELITE were big for Flacco, as people made fun of him because they did not feel he was truly an elite quarterback.
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The biggest problem was, the Ravens did not think he was either. Flacco wanted to sign a new contract, a big one. But the Ravens did not feel he was worth what he wanted. That led to Flacco betting on himself in 2012.
That bet on himself, arguably one of the gutsiest things you could do in a sport where nothing is guaranteed, was a career-changer for the signal-caller out of Delaware. In 16 games, Flacco threw for 3,817 yards and 22 touchdowns. Those numbers are solid, but they do not say ELITE. Though, the numbers were good enough to get his Ravens team a 10-6 record and into the playoffs.
In the playoffs, Flacco cemented himself as an actual elite quarterback that year. In arguably one of the greatest playoff runs in NFL history, Flacco threw for 1,140 yards (285 yards per game), 11 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Him impressive playoff run led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory. In the big game, Flacco threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, cementing his amazing playoff run in history while earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
His 2012 season earned him the richest deal in NFL history (at the time), signing for six years, $120.6 million. Flacco had $52 million guaranteed and $51 million guaranteed over the first two years.
The countdown continues: No. 6 Jay Cutler
Fast forward to present time, Flacco hasn’t played up to what his contract paid him. He hasn’t thrown for over 4,000 yards or 28 touchdowns since signing the deal and has only won one playoff game since. To make matters worse, last season he tore his ACL and missed six games.
Luckily for Flacco, we have four days until the 2016 NFL season kicks off. Thus, we will get to see No. 5 try to show he is still the elite quarterback that won Super Bowl XLVII or just back to being an ELITE punchline.