Joe Flacco: Winningest Quarterback Of All Time?
by lastcallbmore on Jan 5, 2012 7:00 AM EST
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PrintWell, apparently he is.
According to BaltimoreRavens.com, Flacco has set the all-time wins record for a quarterback in his first four years in the NFL with 44, a stat that surely will surprise a lot of people.
With all the talk of Joe Flacco's completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio and quarterback rating dropping, people seem to have forgotten the most important stat of all. Flacco has won more games than any other quarterback ever at this stage of his career.
Sure Joe has always had a good defense behind him and a strong running game but there have been plenty of other rookie quarterbacks thrown onto teams with talent all around them.
It really amazes me that with all the flack that Flacco takes week in and week out that he doesn't bring it up more. According to BaltimoreRavens.com's Ryan Mink, Joe seemed hardly interested at all in speaking of his accomplishment.
Many Ravens fans became exceedingly alarmed this year because Flacco's numbers were a bit down. I'm not sure what they expect from a guy that has almost his entire receiving core over-hauled in the off season. Joe had spent his whole NFL career throwing to Derrick Mason and Todd Heap and all of the sudden poof, they are gone. Replaced with two rookies from Maryland, an injured veteran and two second-year tight ends. With that considered it's amazing Baltimore was able to capture the AFC North crown and a first round bye."It’s pretty special for us to be able to come out here the last four years the way that we have week-in and week-out to win games," he said. "Hopefully, I can add three more playoff wins on top of what we have the last few years. If we play well, we have the team to do it."
Joe Flacco is never going to be Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. he's not going to be one of these guys that carries his team on his arm all season and breaks passing records. You know why? Because he doesn't have to be... Could he be? I don't know. He has done it. In a must win game, against our division rivals, on the road. So, who knows? Hopefully we never will.
With the team that the Ravens have he only needs to be a part of it. Don't get me wrong, he still has to be a good part of it, which he very much is. This record for Flacco is just as much of a testament to his team as it is to him. Joe is a winner because he is around winners and that kind of thing will rub off on a guy. This team has a locker room full of winners. Some of them didn't even know they were winners until they got here, like Cory Redding and Bernard Pollard. But you ask them now and they damn sure know it.
I for one am glad this team does not have to rely on their quarterback to take over games and win them every week. It makes it just that more special when we need him and he does. We have a group that does it as a team, together as one unit. Some one different will step up every game. If Joe were to go out there and throw the ball all game and run up the scoreboard the rest of the team would get soft and they wouldn't be ready for a fight. This team is ready to fight every week! Each player knows the fate of the team could rest in their hands in one play. They are ready to go to battle for and with each other. We all need a little of that in life. Most people don't get to experience it but those who do are better for it.
So Flacco is a winner among winners and he doesn't need to put up a bunch of gaudy stats to prove it. He can just go out there and do the only thing that matters. Win.
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Definitely proud to have Joe as our QB and I expect him to continue to get better. Like you mentioned he basically had a complete overhaul in WR’s/TE’s and that’s not very easy to do. It’s very impressive the way he’s came back in big games this year and helped lead this team to a #2 seed. Joe will continue to grow and has done everything you could possibly expect given his situation.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
That's MY quarterback!
Take it or leave it. Look around the league and there’s not a lot better out there and if you find one available, bet he’s not as healthy and durable as ours is!
aka 'Rexx'
Yet he is still average.
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
And that average QB swept your ass this year. How does that feel?
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
The Steelers are still in the playoffs so I’m not too upset.
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
Not if Tebow and Jesus have anything to say about it.
Cam Cameron - the creator of the Prevent Offense™, and best-selling author of "150 Short Runs Into the Line on 3rd and 10"
re: Big Ben - "God can have his soul. His ass is mine." - Terrell Suggs
by GrumpyOldBird on Jan 5, 2012 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
Average is better than every other QB we've had,
save maybe VT.
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 5, 2012 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
I don't really think he's average.
Flacco is a good QB, sure, but more importantly he is a QB who you could win a Super Bowl with. I just say he’s average to ruffle feathers.
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
good question on this picture based off the angle…wtf is Keisel hoping to accomplish?
i’m sure he’s in front of him, but the angle…
This is the problem with the Flacco hate, people don’t really know who he is as a person. - Mr. Malor. Crazy Raven fan/possible stalker.
Like Who?
Nice post. Totally agree on all points. But, I’m curious about this comment:
“…there have been plenty of other rookie quarterbacks thrown onto teams with talent all around them…”
Who are you thinking of? You may be right. I just couldn’t think off the top of my head of another quarterback that was surrounded by so much talent on D and at RB for his first 4 years. Montana? Others?
Ben Roethlisberger?
Don't let my defense dictate your offense..
by lastcallbmore on Jan 5, 2012 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Meh. The D was there but they were sort in between running backs for a while there. Bettis wasn’t even starting for big chunks of 2003 and 2004, though he did get voted to the pro bowl that year. Don’t think Ben really had a consistent all-pro running back for his first 4 years the way Joe has had.
Wasn't his first year starting
Fast Willie’s breakout year?
You come at the king, you best not miss.
by organizedchaos52 on Jan 5, 2012 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
I think you could make the arguement for a lot of recent rookie QBs:
- Sanchez: Really solid D in place. Competent ground game that is built to carry the load. I honestly feel like Rex and Co. tried to build that team to be like the Ravens “north” version. But Sanchez hasn’t panned out and I think other than team chemistry, he’s their biggest downfall.
- Ryan: Great ground game, good/great receivers and a D with some key play makers in place. Dome pads some of his success probably, but not enough to sway an opinion of him either way.
- Dalton: This one is interesting to me because it almost all happened in one draft. They get Green and Dalton paired with a good RB and pair it with a solid up and coming D and you get the year like they’ve had. Very similar to what we did with Joe and Rice.
- Rodgers: Before I get my ass chewed out, yes I think he has the potential to be an all time great. But he fell into a ridiculous situation. He was mentored by and watched Farve for years and took the reigns with an offense that, other than RB was built to destroy opposing Ds with ease. Honestly, IMO, the receivers he has could probably all make the NFC Pro Bowl roster, based on talent, if not for Fitz and Megatron taking up a couple spots. Of course, he wasn’t a rookie when he took over at QB but the argument follows the same lines as “QBs who fell into a good team”.
"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed
You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.
by WestminsterRaven on Jan 5, 2012 5:06 PM EST up reply actions
Don't forget about Stafford
Yahoo had a real good piece about the Stafford/Sanchez connection (went 1 & 5 respectively in the draft) and while Stafford certainly appeared to be a bust after 2 injury plagued seasons, he just threw for 5K yds.
You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?
Thanks, I forgot about him. Damn! Haha.
But yea, when you get to throw to Johnson every week, that helps. Plus their D is very solid.
"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed
You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.
by WestminsterRaven on Jan 5, 2012 5:15 PM EST up reply actions
One receiver does not 5,000 yards make. And their D is not very good at all, they gave up tons of points this year.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
While that’s true that one WR doesn’t make or break you, Calvin Johnson is a huge reason why the DET is in the post season: 1,681 yards and 16 TDs. If you add in Pettigrew who has 777 yards this year, which isn’t short of our top WR (Boldin 887 yards), Stafford has many reliable weapons.
The Lions D front is awesome. If Suh wasn’t a knuckle head he could be one of the best. As far as giving up points, when you play a schedule with the GB twice, CHI twice, and NO you’re going to give up points. They’re D isn’t great, but I think that falls on the secondary.
"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed
You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.
by WestminsterRaven on Jan 5, 2012 8:58 PM EST up reply actions
They also are in the mid 20’s in rushing D as well. Their D is really not that great. Lots of talent on that D line, but they also can be ran on.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Are you crazy?
Roethlisburger had Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward and Randel El as receivers… and all in their prime. Furthermore, he also had five Pro Bowlers on the offense alone— including the Steelers running back, Jerome Bettis.
By comparison, FB Le’Ron McClain was the only Pro Bowler on the Ravens offense in Joe’s rookie year, and Joe was throwing to Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton.
Bettis was on the serious decline. And the original question was about great RB and great D to start with. People are making some interesting points. Still don’t see anyone who had the exact combo Joe fell into. But perhaps it’s a moot point. Plenty of quarterbacks fall into great situations. None of them won 44 games like Joe. Once he gets his SB ring, he’ll be good.
Bettis was on the serious decline.
He was still pretty reliable when they won the Super Bowl in 06.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
For sure. But he was not at his best…thus on the decline. Plus if we’re talking about QBs who have “reliable” RBs with them…the list gets pretty long. We’re talking about QBs coming into situations with elite RBs and elite Ds. I this the point about Sanchez is the most compelling. #1 Run game and #1 D…and he still sucks.
The point is that Ben had a more than capable supporting cast. He came into a great situation in Pittsburgh. Not to mention that was Polamalu’s breakout season.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
not really, he did very little.
This is the problem with the Flacco hate, people don’t really know who he is as a person. - Mr. Malor. Crazy Raven fan/possible stalker.
I'd say..
Sanchez for sure. Especially when they had Thomas Jones. That run game was beast, and the defense monster.
Have to Agree With
You there. Given your points, I am surprised there hasn’t been more of compare-and-contrast between Flacco and Sanchez. They are only a year apart and both achieved early playoff success in their careers.
Seems like everybody wants to compare Flacco to just Ryan…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
Sanchez came into a team with the #1 defense and #1 rushing game.
Flacco game into a good team, but not that good. Flacco has also done much more. I like the comparisons to Ryan better, they are similar calibre players, Sanchez is a tier down.
by Roa on Jan 5, 2012 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
Before everyone flips out
and thinks I’m not giving Flacco credit for such an incredible accomplishment let me say that I think he’s a perfect fit for this team, and I’m a huge fan of his. With that said, IMO this stat rings hollow for me. The QB shouldn’t get a W-L column in their stat sheet. It takes 22 guys on a team to win a football game. Only the head coach should be measured in wins and losses.
You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?
@dynamo38 I can agree with your statement, but then we have to take Montana and Bradshaw out of the talk of greatest QB’s of all time, because we look at QB’s with WINS.
You're right about that
but those QB’s have multiple SB wins, not just wins in the regular season. Dan Marino and Dan Fouts won lots of games and have plenty of stats to back up their HOF careers but no one is going to put them in the category of greatest of all time. Why? No SB wins. Which is not to say that Trent Dilfer is a great QB by any stretch of the imagination, but he was on a team (a great team at that) that won a SB. It all boils down to everyone’s personal opinion of course. I just threw out the stat in this case because, for me, it doesn’t add anything or take anything away from Flacco as a QB.
You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?
Dan Marino and Dan Fouts won lots of games and have plenty of stats to back up their HOF careers but no one is going to put them in the category of greatest of all time. Why? No SB wins.
I disagree with Marino. Marino is clearly one of the greatest Quarterbacks of all time. Even relatively late into his career, you were never out of a game if Marino was playing.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
The QB shouldn’t get a W-L column in their stat sheet. It takes 22 guys on a team to win a football game. Only the head coach should be measured in wins and losses.
THIS. This is the reason why the Cy Young voting is starting to focus less on W-L and more on ERA, WHIP, and BA Against. It’s not King Felix’s fault or Zack Greinke’s fault that they get no run support.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
You guys want to take away Joe’s best stat in comparison to other QBs?
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
I’d rather compare the Ravens to other teams than compare Joe Flacco to other QBs. But, if you must, there’s always vlad’s recommended fan post on the right that compares Joe’s individual statistics to those of other QBs in their first four seasons.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
I don’t see how it’s inappropriate to bring up the topic “Is Joe Flacco’s best stat wins?” in the post Joe Flacco: Winningest Quarterback Of All Time?
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
you missed the point completely
the point is that the win’s aren’t Flacco’s stat, they’re the Ravens’ stat. His completion percentage, QB Rating, and so on and so forth are Joe Flacco’s stats.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
the point is that the win’s aren’t Flacco’s stat, they’re the Ravens’ stat.
Can we attribute wins variance to Flacco? Prior to his tenure, the Ravens were very much an up and down team; since his arrival, we’ve been a consistently winning franchise in both the regular season and playoffs. We’ve had good defenses and running games in prior years that did not lead to the same consistent excellence.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
State your case, back it up with facts and reasonable opinions ...
Bruce Raffel
All the guy does is win.
I think only when we win the Super Bowl will people be able to step back and notice all the positive stats about him. And before you compare him to the Super Bowl winning QB’s, note:
Rodgers is in his 7th year.
Roethlisberger is in his 8th year.
E. Manning is in his 8th year.
Brees is in his 11th year.
Brady is in his 12th year.
Joe Flacco is only in his 4th year people! It feels like he’s been here forever, but he’s still a young kid. He just wins games, and I strongly believe with a better OC, he can be great.
I agree with fedfan post
No matter how you play a win is a win. I remember the game with the patriots when he only threw for less than 50 yds yet they won 33 – 14 Flacco has a good group of guys he can afford to be a lil sloppy. Guys like eli manning, drew brees, and brady and most noticeably Peyton manning have to play MVP like to make sure their team gets in the playoffs… Flacco does what he needs to do and that is make sure his team is in position to win… This season has been up and downs but i respected him for finally pulling out the wins at pittsburgh and of course week one.. Critics are going to say he cant win the big games and what not but baltimore a team and we got enough people to support flacco and make sure he will be a great qb… Critics also dont know who could of been our QB… lets jus say we chose right…
true, but there is a counter point here.
Rodgers, 7th year, but won it all in his 3rd year as a starter
Roethlisberer. 8th year, but won it all in his second, and fifth seasons
E.Manning 8th year, but won it all in his fourth season (third as a starter)
Brees…it took him having a real team around him for his..
Brady first year as a starter, and second, and fourth..(second, third, and fifth overall)
All I’m saying is “his fourth year” isn’t really a good excuse. By the way, I’d be careful about the “he just wins games” thing. There are two qb’s in recent memory that have that said about them all the time. One’s a backup in Philly, one shouldn’t even be playing in the NFL.
The Ravens have had more than enough talent to win it. They will most likely win it this year, but using the “give him time” excuse is crazy to me. You either have it or you don’t.
This is the problem with the Flacco hate, people don’t really know who he is as a person. - Mr. Malor. Crazy Raven fan/possible stalker.
I get what you're saying.
My main point is that people are comparing Flacco to SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS. Why not compare him with those who have not won a Super Bowl a la Rivers, Vick, Romo, Ryan, Stafford, Sanchez etc. People regard them as fantastic QB’s (sans Sanchez), but they’re not incredibly successful in the post-season (so far, to be fair).
I said that “all he does is win” kinda tongue-in-cheek lol We’ll see how he responds with a home playoff game. I’m excited for this post-season
Guess who I'm impersonating?
“Stats don’t mean $@%^, Joe Flacco is a bad QB even though my fan base is the only one in the league that believes so, and since we can’t be wrong ever, Flacco must be bad.”
Peter Angelos? Sidney Ponson? Scott Erickson? David Segui? The Orioles?
daytime commentator. night time ninja.
As long as
Flacco throws more tds than interceptions, im behind him all the way. Any qb who limits turnovers is good with me
by Ravens4Life on Jan 5, 2012 4:57 PM EST via mobile reply actions
There are some other people who deserve the same credit
Edgar Jones – DT
Jameel McClain – LB
Haruki Nakamura – S
Ray Rice – RB
Tom Zbikowski – S
My boyfriend’s dad says if Flacco doesn’t drive the length of the field in Pittsburgh, the Steelers would be the 1 seed with a healthy team instead of hitting the road with a wrecked squad that was trying to catch up to the Ravens!
by bshagagi on Jan 6, 2012 4:18 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I don’t think Cleveland and Pittsburgh should be compared this season! But I agree that Ray Rice is amazing!
by bshagagi on Jan 6, 2012 11:09 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
And if my Aunt had nuts she'd be my uncle.
And if the defense wasn’t so good people wouldn’t be talking about Joe Flacco’s wins. And if Mason wasn’t so reliable his numbers would be worse. And if he never had Ray Rice Joe Flacco would have to throw the ball more than he does. And if…
See how stupid you sound? It’s amazing.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
You needed your boyfriend’s dad to tell you that?
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
This is only my second season paying attention! lol
by bshagagi on Jan 6, 2012 11:10 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yes, Edgar Jones, Haruki Nakamura, and Tom Zbikowski have been equally crucial to this team’s success as Flacco has been.
It’s time for a fan post from you. These little one-hitter-quitter Flacco disses are weak shit, and your point is NEVER well articulated. Make a fan post saying why you don’t like Flacco, what you would like to see from a QB instead, and what we could have been doing these last 4 seasons without Flacco. Either that, or just take a hike.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
by jackmca on Jan 6, 2012 9:20 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Ignore him, he's just a troll
He only comments to bash Flacco.
I know this as well as anyone, but I’m waiting for the day when he actually responds to me with something coherent. Until then, I’m going to continue to call him.
I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR
haha understood
Just wanted to warn you. Trolls be trollin’
Joe is just an average QB here for the ride.
The Ravens are an excellent team with excellent players and coaches, for the most part. Our defense controls and dictates the games. Our defense makes Joe look good. He may get one or two decent drives in a game, but he is not a game changer. He cannot lead a team to victory like half the other QB’s in the NFL can. Joe is good for 30 minutes, we need a 60 minute QB. Joe has “Premature Eflacculation”.
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