QB Battle

by Rexx on May 10, 2009 12:25 PM EDT Comment 5 comments

Joe Flacco leads the Ravens huddle

NOTE: This story was orignally posted last May 2008. It shows what a difference a year makes. Can you imagine what you would have thought if I had said that I thought Flacco would start the season at QB and we'd make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game!? You'd have had me commited to a mental asylum. Now we all go to see Flacco take us to the Super Bowl in that asylum called M&T Bank Stadium.

So for all you mother's out there, Happy Mother's Day. This post is to allow me to spend time with the wife, rather than typing away any longer on this keyboard. Enjoy!

It appears that coach John Harbaugh will just let the three QB's fight it out during training camp and the last man standing will be the starter on Opening Day 2008. Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco all have good reasons why they should be lined up under center on September 7th, when the Ravens open the 2008 season hosting the Cincinnati Bengals.

Boller's argument is that he's certainly the most experienced of the group. Smith's resume is pretty short but shows potential. Flacco, of course, is the newest member of the group and obviously the future face of this franchise. So what's a rookie head coach to do?

I realize that Flacco will probably be taking snaps with the first team before the season is over. But to start him on Day One might be like throwing him to the lions. Sure, Peyton Manning did the same and paid his dues, but we're talking about Peyton "friggin" Manning! Without someone like Jon Ogden protecting his blind side, Flacco could spend most of his rookie season flat on his back, suffering from whiplash and waking up at night ducking and flinching. Why subject him to this sort of punishment, when he can look pretty on the sidelines in his baseball cap, carrying a clipboard, watching Boller take the abuse and learn by just doing the opposite of whatever Kyle does? Of course, it seems that none of the national media, when discussing the Ravens' dilemma, ever seem to even mention Troy Smith as part of the equation. At the end of last season, Smith seemed to have the players confidence, and certainly the support of the local fans. He at the very least, deserves an honest and fair shot at the job.

If by some chance, Flacco spends most, if not all of the season on the sidelines, it's only because the other guy(s) are getting the job done and quite frankly, all anyone should want is this team to win, be it with Boller, Smith or Flacco. Every team needs three QB's, with one main starter, a respectable backup and the young, third stringer who is there in the event of a catastrophe. My feeling is that either Boller or Smith should win the starting job outright, with Flacco taking over as the backup. If Boller loses the job to Smith, then he should be released, as it would be the final statement that he is just not an NFL quarterback after five unproductive and disappointing years in the league. Smith is young, was only a fifth round draft pick and will not cost the Ravens much to keep him on, be it as the temporary starter or long term as the backup. Flacco will learn as much on the sidelines as he would running for his life, confused from the incredible skills and team speed that he has never experienced in Division 1-AA (or I'm sorry, I meant College Football Sub-Division!).

This looks like a plan to me. I've emailed the Ravens, requesting an interview with new coach John Harbaugh and although I realize how little respect us bloggers receive, I'm hoping that my resume as a fan and season ticket holder convince them to give me some face time with him, perhaps a few other players and at least a tour of the Castle. Keep tuned...

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I think Flacco should be the third string QB

Let him work his way up the depth chart. As for who starts, it should be a competition between Boller and Smith, but I think Boller will win. Smith has size and accuracy issues, and it’s fairly clear the Ravens are looking at developing a scheme for a more pocket-style QB. Boller’s the choice for that. I hope he does well, as winning will be fun, watching a decent offense will be fun, and the comp pick we get for Boller after he leaves in free agency will be fun. Fun all around. If David Carr can find a job after last season with Carolina, people will be knocking down Boller’s door.

Good luck getting an interview. That would be pretty awesome!

by math_geek on May 4, 2008 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree in principle...

...w/ your comments, but disagree w/ Smith size issue. Both he and Boller are just not that accuracy, as Boller was constantly off on critical downs late in the game. Smith has almost perfect mechanics, holds the ball up high over his shoulder, which negates most of the size issues, as so many QB’s throw sidearm. However, Boller should have first shot, then Smith, with Flacco waiting in the wings and learning from their mistakes.

Rexx

by Rexx on May 4, 2008 2:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think....

start out the season with Troy Smith as the starting QB, and unless he kicks a major amount of ass, slowly work Flacco into the offense. In case neither of them are able to get the job done early, sign a veteran quarterback to be a game manager at times, somebody like Daunte Culpepper or even Vinny Testaverde. Kyle Boller can be the janitor for M&T Bank Stadium

The Four-Point Play, read it bitches

by Arichmix on May 11, 2008 2:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree...

...that Smith should hopefully earn the starting job and let Flacco learn from the sideline- at first. But please, no more Vinny (isn’t he about 100 years old by now), as I don’t know if you can collect a NFL game check and Social Security at the same time! Besides, if Boller was the janitor at the stadium, wouldn’t you expect the bathrooms to be filthy?

Rexx

by Rexx on May 13, 2008 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd expect about half the bathrooms to be clean

and half to be disasters. Boller’s the kind of guy whose wife probably demands that he pee sitting down, if you know what I mean. AFAIAC, he is just a place-(kick)-holder at this point, and should be happy he gets an NFL salary for the 1-2 seasons it takes to teach the young’uns before he passes into anonymity.

I don’t think anybody has seen enough of Smith to write him off. There are enough theoretical weaknesses in both Smith & Flacco that they ought to be viewed pretty much equally, meaning neither is automatically “the quarterback of the future”—except that Smith has spent a full season learning the system, has taken some snaps, even started a game in the NFL, and shown some poise doing it.

Ideally, the competition could yield a real starting QB and either a a quality backup (anybody remember Earl Morrall’s moment in the sun?) or some fine trade-bait. Or, they could both turn out woefully inadequate, for the reasons already recited, leading to another signing of a battle-scarred veteran whose bones are held together with spit and trainer’s tape, and fervent prayers for his short-term preservation. But Boller? That ship has sailed, brother.

Is there any chance of putting Archie Manning out to stud one more time?

by fishoutawata on May 19, 2008 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs