Pat Kirwan of NFL.com did a report on the players that he thinks are under-rated on their current list of the Top 100 Players of 2011. Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco came in at number 90, but Kirwan sees no reason why he shouldn't be ranked higher. Even Kirwan puts up the numbers between Joe and Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan and they are virtually identical The biggest gap is what Flacco and the Ravens have done in the post season while Ryan and his Falcon teammates have not won a single playoff game n the exact same span of time.

Kirwan notes that most every fan outside of Baltimore would rate 'Matty Ice' the better quarterback, but there is absolutely nothing in the stats of the team or player to separate him. Some say it has something to do with leadership ability but even if Ryan is the better 'field general,' what has that translated to in his short three year career?

The more I read about this and the more I see the numbers and hear the arguments, the more I am beginning to wonder that if Ryan had gotten deeper in the playoffs and still lost, would there actually be more criticism of him like there has been of Flacco. Perhaps the fact that the Ravens have won in the post season and seem to be inches, yards, seconds and minutes way from going all the way year after year is working against Joe's reputation as one of the best young QB's in the NFL.