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A few days ago, Pro Football Focus posted grades of 36 Super Bowl performances by quarterbacks. Among the best is none other than former Raven and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.
5. JOE FLACCO, BALTIMORE RAVENS — SUPER BOWL XLVII [LINK]
The question still remains as to whether or not Flacco is, in fact, elite, but regardless, he still owns one of the best Super Bowl performances we have ever seen. Flacco had an 86.5 passing grade in his Super Bowl 47 victory. He stayed with the play better than any of these quarterbacks — on throws where the time-to-throw was longer than 2.6 seconds, Flacco had a 93.7 grade with two big-time throws while completing 11 of 15 attempts for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Some still argue as to whether Flacco earned the Super Bowl MVP trophy over Jacoby Jones, considering Jones also ran back the second-half opening kickoff for 108 yards, but these stats don’t lie.
Against a front consisting of Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis, Flacco managed to stay with the play better than any quarterback. Like PFF said, he hung in the pocket and went 11 for 15 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He threw zero turnovers in this matchup and the entire playoff run. If not for a stadium lighting “malfunction” which stopped play for 34 minutes, allowing the 49ers time to regroup, he may have thrown the 49ers out of New Orleans. He was masterful and because of it, he secured the second Lombardi trophy for the Ravens.