Flacco earning respect

[OutsideRzAcE]

One of the best thing about victories like these is that guys like Joe and Torrey are starting to get the league-wide respect they deserve

 

Ravens' Flacco outplays Manning, earns respect in beating Broncos

 

By Clark Judge | Senior NFL ColumnistJanuary 13, 2013 12:17 am ET

 

DENVER -- Enough already. It's time to lay off Joe Flacco, once and for all.

 

Not only did he put his Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game for the third time in his five seasons; he bested Peyton Frickin' Manning with one of the most memorable performances in one of the most memorable games in playoff history.

"He grew up today," linebacker Ray Lewis said after Baltimore's 38-35 double-overtime win over Denver.

That's one way of putting it. Another is he proved what he's been proving for years: That Baltimore is fortunate to have him, and he's the right guy at the right time for the Ravens.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/clark-judge/21545400/ravens-flacco-outplays-manning-earns-respect-puts-club-back-in-afc-title-game

 

[vmax]

As fans, we need to get off his case and accept him for who he is. The media too.

The Ravens win with Joe at QB. Yes it's a team sport but they can play with anybody with Joe as the QB.

 

Most teams do not have a QB who can make the throws that Joe did yesterday. That's why they dink and dunk like Manning did.

 

We watch every game that Joe and the Ravens play. We "live and die" with them so we see Joe when the O is clicking and when it's not. We get this "Good Joe/Bad Joe" image in our heads.

What we are not aware of...what Denver fans are seeing right now is "Bad Peyton". If you follow every game of the best QB's you will see Good Brees/Bad Brees", Good Mannings/Bad Mannings, Good Rodgers/Bad Rodgers...Rivers...Brady....Ryan....Rthsslxxxbrrrgrrr...

 

Then it drops off amoung NFL QB's....there are more bad, inconsistent days...Schaub, Dalton,.....but these guys win too.

Then there are a ton who wilt under pressure, can't make the play and are generally losers.

 

Fans in every city are aware of their QB's shortcommings. This game humbles everybody at times. We just thinks somethings wrtong with Joe because we watch him weekly and not the other guys.

Where's Brees, Rivers, the Mannings, Rodgers, Rthlssxxxbrrgrrr sitting now?

Why?

 

Joe is so mentally tuff and fearless. He does not back down from shit. He's durable as hell. He's played in major pain and won.

[OutsideRzAcE]

Amen. Joe has duds from time to time, and that can drive a fan nuts. But the man wins way more than he loses, and now he is as comfortable in the postseason as he is in the regular season. I'll take that for the next 10 years.

[dc.]

Again, I can't believe I'm reading on ESPN from at least one writer exactly the opposite... it wasn't Joe, it was Denver's mistakes.

[vmax]

Most importantly, Joe's team believes in him. Really...that's all that is important.

That's the acid tesat.

 

"Joe has a cannon," Jones said of Flacco, who's in a contract year with negotiations on a potential blockbuster deal tabled until the offseason. "That's why we call him, 'Smokin' Joe.'"

 

Allusions to boxing legend Joe Frazier aside, Flacco made a cement-like impression on his teammates in the Ravens' locker room, where he was saluted following a dramatic win that propels the Ravens to the AFC championship game for the second consecutive year.

 

"He grew up today," Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis said. "I told him, 'You're the General, lead us to victory, you lead us today.' I'm just here to facilitate things, just lead us. To look in his eyes, he had something different about him today and I just wanted to encourage him. I've always been a Joe Flacco fan and always will be, but to watch what he did today was probably one of the greatest things I'll sit back and remember."

http://www.baltimore...0,4352652.story

Edited January 13, 2013 by vmax

[Spen]

Everyone knows my feelings on Flacco, and I still hope I am wrong, but he has earned a nice contract. What is it - three AFC championships in his time here? I know they were not all him but any way you look at it its very impressive.

[oldno82]

When Joe has decent protection, which he got from the rehab-ed OLine yesterday, he can compete with anybody.

Give him a nice contract!

 

Max you've summed it up very well.

[Spen]

I don't think Joe's inconsistency is the lines fault and I don't think he is close to elite. I am very happy with his last few playoff games and I do look forward to seeing him have a full year with Caldwell as OC.

 

So I am still not sold on him, but I feel better about him than I ever have.