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Joe Flacco News & Rumors

Comparing Joe Flacco and Eli Manning through four NFL seasons
February 7
Baltimore Sun
 
"For the second time in five seasons, New York quarterback Eli Manning has led the Giants to the Super Bowl title -- not too shabby for a former first-round draft pick who was criticized often in his first four NFL seasons. Does that last part sound familiar? In his first four seasons in Baltimore, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, was the subject of a similar storyline. Like Manning, the 1st overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, he was scrutinized by national pigskin pundits and some of his hometown fans. He was mocked for his shoulder shrugs and his laid-back demeanor. And there were questions about whether he was fit to be a franchise quarterback."
Flacco receives praise from Ravens' Bisciotti, Newsome
February 2
Baltimore Sun
 
"Joe Flacco's performance in the AFC championship game might not have silenced all his critics, but in the minds of owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome, there is no question the 27-year-old quarterback is the man to lead the Ravens back to the Super Bowl. "The thing that I like about Joe — and I think in the end, in this business, you get judged on one thing: winning — Joe wins. He continues to win. If one pass was caught, he'd be in the Super Bowl," Newsome said. "I think he'll win Super Bowls, and I hope to be a part of them. The thing you cannot knock about Joe is he's a winner." At the team's annual season-ending news conference Wednesday — 10 days after Flacco threw"
Ravens go overboard with Joe Flacco love-fest
February 2
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Mike Preston
"After nearly 30 minutes, it was apparent that the theme of the "State of the Ravens" address was about kissing up to quarterback Joe Flacco. In the weeks leading up to the AFC championship, Flacco had talked about being underappreciated here in Baltimore and was concerned about his role in the offense. Some of the national experts were saying he was nothing more than a clock manager, and you could see it irritated Flacco. Inside The Castle, the coaching staff knew that Flacco hasn't handled criticism well, and they were hoping he continued to grow in that area. And in case he hadn't, the Ravens were prepared to slobber all over him with love Wednesday."
Ravens hope to lock up Flacco, Rice
February 2
Carroll County Times
 
"Wearing a blue sport coat, loafers and his trademark tan, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has rediscovered his smile after a devastating AFC championship game loss to the New England Patriots. That doesn't mean the Anne Arundel County businessman isn't still feeling the hurt of a crushing defeat where wide receiver Lee Evans dropped a potential touchdown pass in the final minute and kicker Billy Cundiff flubbed a chip shot field goal in the final seconds. "No, I'm not over it," Bisciotti said Wednesday during a state of the team press conference at team headquarters. "The more you get into 2012, the more you realize the pain is going away. I don't think any of us are over it, but we"
Figuring out a contract for Joe Flacco will be difficult
February 1
Baltimore Sun
 
"A little over 10 months ago, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti provided a timetable for negotiations with quarterback Joe Flacco on a long-term contract extension. "I would anticipate an extension that starts in 2012," Bisciotti told The Baltimore Sun. "Our goal is to get it done for 2012 for sure." The clock is officially ticking. The Ravens start the offseason with numerous questions to answer. They have 13 unrestricted free agents, including star running back Ray Rice and Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs. They have gotten older in several key spots on both sides of the ball and their offensive line appears headed for another shake-up. But as usual with the Ravens, much of the attention this"
Ravens should wrap up Flacco sooner than later
February 1
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Peter Schmuck
"This may sound strange, but whatever doubts that may have lingered about Joe Flacco's future as the Ravens franchise quarterback should have been stripped away the moment New England Patriots rookie Sterling Moore stripped Lee Evans of what should have been an AFC-title-winning touchdown catch. Sorry to have to remind you of that awful moment. It probably still stings to think about it. But Flacco outplayed Tom Brady and put the ball right where it was supposed to be with the Super Bowl on the line in a hostile stadium against a team that was a decided favorite going into the game. It doesn't get much more clutch than that, though that pass to Torrey Smith in Pittsburgh was pretty"
Weight of future championship falls on Flacco's shoulders
January 22
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Kevin Cowherd
"Go ahead, tell me who's under more pressure on championship Sunday than Joe Flacco. All the Ravens quarterback has to do in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots is this: • Show a certain teammate (and maybe teammates) that he doesn't get rattled in big games. • Prove to some Ravens fans that he's got what it takes to win a championship. • Convince the nay-sayers in the national media that he's a pretty damn good quarterback who can take the Ravens to the Super Bowl. • Score enough points in the madhouse of Gillette Stadium to keep the Ravens in the game against one of the best quarterbacks of all time and a high-powered Patriots offense featuring dual monster tight"
Simms thinks Flacco is good enough, but knows Brady is on another level
January 21
Baltimore Sun
 
"Being a two-time Super Bowl champion, Phil Simms knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in January, and he thinks Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco did more than enough last Sunday. Simms, a former quarterback of the New York Giants who will provide color commentary during CBS's broadcast of Sunday's AFC championship game (Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties), said on a national conference call Tuesday that Flacco played "very well" in the 20-13 divisional round victory against the Houston Texans, even though his final stat line wasn't very impressive. He believes the New England Patriots will be wary of Flacco's big arm and big-play ability Sunday. "I'm sure the Patriots are"
Reed and Flacco exchange words (playfully) at practice
January 20
Baltimore Sun
 
"With the media assembled -- their cameras rolling and notepads being scribbled upon -- beside the primary entrance inside the Ravens' indoor practice facility, quarterback Joe Flacco and Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed walked out together for the start of Thursday afternoon's practice. Flacco and his backup, Tyrod Taylor, turned left. Reed and veteran linebacker Jarret Johnson veered to the right. When Flacco and Reed got about the length of a first down apart, Flacco turned and uttered two words to the teammate who publicly criticized his offense this week. "[Bleep] you," the quarterback said playfully. "[Bleep] me?" Reed responded. "[Bleep] you." That good-natured encounter in front of the"
Reed and Flacco exchange words (playfully) at practice
January 20
Baltimore Sun
 
"With the media assembled -- their cameras rolling and notepads being scribbled upon -- beside the primary entrance inside the Ravens' indoor practice facility, quarterback Joe Flacco and Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed walked out together for the start of Thursday afternoon's practice. Flacco and his backup, Tyrod Taylor, turned left. Reed and veteran linebacker Jarret Johnson veered to the right. When Flacco and Reed got about the length of a first down apart, Flacco turned and uttered two words to the teammate who publicly criticized his offense this week. "[Bleep] you," the quarterback said playfully. "[Bleep] me?" Reed responded. "[Bleep] you.""
Flacco, Ravens say that Reed's comments about quarterback are no big deal
January 19
Baltimore Sun
 
"At about 1:30 Wednesday afternoon, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, clad in a red jersey, calmly walked into the team's indoor practice facility and began throwing some warmup tosses. Less than a minute later, safety Ed Reed came out and veered to the right, joining the rest of the Ravens' defensive backs. The two high-profile Ravens spoke Wednesday to clear the air following critical comments that Reed made about the highly-scrutinized quarterback on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. Reed said that Flacco "was kind of rattled" and "just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense" in the Ravens' 20-13 victory over the Houston Texans in an AFC divisional playoff game last Sunday. Reed also"
Flacco has shined against playoff teams, avoiding interceptions and winning games
January 18
Baltimore Sun
 
"Say this for Joe Flacco - and this certainly bodes well for the Ravens heading into their showdown with the New England Patriots Sunday in the AFC Championship game - the much-maligned quarterback has certainly been at his best in his team's biggest games this season. The Ravens are 7-0 this season against 2011 playoff teams and one of the reasons for that is Flacco has been able to make plays and keep the ball out of harm's way. In those seven games, Flacco has thrown 10 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He also has completed 126 of his 202 pass attempts, good for a completion percentage of 62 percent. Flacco's completion percentage for the regular season was 57.6, a career"
Reed criticizes Flacco for his play against the Texans
January 18
Baltimore Sun
 
"A day after saying that the Ravens defense is still the "big brother" of the team, free safety Ed Reed called out Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco after Flacco completed 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns and was on the receiving end of five sacks in Sunday's 20-13 win over the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round. In a Monday interview with SiriusXM satellite radio, Reed said Flacco "was kind of rattled a little bit" Sunday. "They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving it to him. I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense," Reed said. "I don't know how much of [that was] the play"
It's time for Cameron and Flacco to prove their worth
January 17
Baltimore Sun
 
"It's fair to say that both Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron feel they have been under-appreciated in their four years in Baltimore, but they can change that if they devise a game plan to beat the New England Patriots Sunday. It's an opportunity for Cameron to put to rest the ghosts of all those failed offenses here during the last decade and Flacco to become the most famous quarterback in town since Trent Dilfer. This city is still starved for offensive heroes, and a win might secure a long-term contract for Flacco, who has one year remaining on his current deal, and a job for Cameron."
Critics hound Ravens QB Flacco even as his success continues
January 15
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Jerome Solomon
"Joe Flacco has started and won 44 regular-season games in his first four years as an NFL quarterback. No quarterback has won more in his first four seasons. In each of those seasons, Flacco led the Ravens to the playoffs, something no other starting QB in NFL history has done. Plus, Flacco and the Ravens won a postseason game in each of his first three seasons. All road wins to boot. Yet today, as the Ravens host the Texans in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs, questions persist about whether Flacco is a top-flight quarterback. Considering his record, perhaps no NFL player receives as much criticism as the 6-6 former Delaware Blue Hen. It is impossible for him to ignore, though he"
Flacco not thinking contract although playoff run could make Ravens' decision easier
January 15
Baltimore Sun
 
"Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco caused quite a stir in early April when he told my former colleague, Jamison Hensley, that he felt it was time for the team to extend his rookie contract, which expires after next season. "I think I've established myself," Flacco said at the time. "If you're not confident with who I am, I'm not sure what [difference] a year is going to make." To his credit, Flacco hasn't said much about his contract since and his focus has been on leading the Ravens on a Super Bowl run. It will start tomorrow when the Ravens play host to the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium."
Joe Flacco ready to answer his critics during Ravens' playoff run
January 15
Baltimore Sun
 
"Joe Flacco says that he doesn't hear much of the criticism. He abstains from reading about the Ravens in the local papers. He mostly ignores watching all the NFL pundits on television and he certainly doesn't listen to talk radio, where his merits as a quarterback are tediously debated on an hourly basis. But when word got back to Flacco that he was taking the brunt of the blame for last January's playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the normally stoic Raven seethed. "There's a lot of disappointment when you lose a playoff game. We lost the game," said Flacco, who went 16-for-30 for 125 yards, threw one touchdown and committed two turnovers in the 31-24 defeat at Heinz FIeld. "I played"
The battle of the quarterbacks will go to Flacco on Sunday
January 10
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Mike Preston
"Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates can't Tim Tebow the Ravens. He has some charismabut not the big play ability of Tebow, which is why the Houston Texans won't beat the Ravens here Sunday in an AFC divisional- playoff game. The Ravens and Texans are similar and have the same formula for winning, but Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has more experience, a bigger arm and more big play ability than Yates, a rookie who has started only six games. If this was Flacco versus Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers or New Orleans' Drew Brees, then those teams have the edge. But Sunday, it will be advantage Flacco and the Ravens."
Flacco kept from making big plays, but Rice wasn't
January 2
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco gouged the Bengals' defense with big plays through the air when the teams played in November. On Sunday, he struck again in a 24-16 Ravens victory at Paul Brown Stadium. Baltimore successfully fended off the Bengals' pass rush until the third quarter when defensive ends Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap teamed for a four-yard sack of Flacco with 1:33 left in the quarter. "I'd give that sack back to get a win," Dunlap said. Flacco finished the game 15-of-19 passing for 130 yards and one touchdown. The Bengals sacked Flacco once when the teams played at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 11. He threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-27 passing in that game."
Ravens' Flacco adamant that just making playoffs isn't enough
December 22
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Kevin Cowherd
"Joe Flacco was positively chatty at the Castle the other day, and it was something to see. Maybe he'd just knocked back a couple of Red Bulls. Or maybe he'd been locked in a closet and hadn't talked to anyone in days. But asked whether he appreciated making the playoffs every year and about his desire to go deeper in the postseason this time, the Ravens quarterback dropped his usual monotone and grew animated."
Flacco focused on avoiding more fumbles
December 8
Baltimore Sun
 
"Joe Flacco is one of the NFL's leaders in pass attempts and yards. The Ravens quarterback is also a leader in a category he would prefer to shed: fumbles. Flacco has committed a league-high 11 fumbles this season, one more than the St. Louis Rams' Sam Bradford and the Cleveland Browns' Colt McCoy. His six lost fumbles rank second to Bradford's seven. Flacco, who was stripped by defensive end Jabaal Sheard and lost the ball in Sunday's 24-10 victory over the Browns, hadn't fumbled more than nine times or lost more than four in a single season in his career."
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hopes to remain perfect vs. Browns
December 4
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has often been criticized for his inconsistent play. Unfortunately for the Browns, Flacco has consistently been lights out against them. "The guy's an awesome quarterback," Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava said. "He just takes charge of the offense, and he makes all these crazy throws. He's real confident in the way he plays, and he's a threat on the field that we have to get ready for." Flacco will look to improve his record against the Browns to 7-0 when he and the Ravens visit Cleveland today. He'll encounter the Browns' No. 1-ranked pass defense (174.7 yards allowed per game) while trying to achieve his goal. Flacco, though, doesn't seem to be"
Offense on good run in protecting Flacco
December 3
Baltimore Sun
 
"After the Ravens' eighth contest of the season – a 23-20 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers – Joe Flacco was tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks, getting taken down 19 times. Since then, the quarterback has dropped into a tie for 16th, getting sacked just two times in his last three games. In the Ravens' 16-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night, Flacco finished the contest without getting sacked for the first time since Sept. 26, 2010 against the Cleveland Browns. Much of the credit should go to the offensive line, which has appeared to solidify with the return of left guard Ben Grubbs (strained ligaments in toe on right foot) for the game against the Steelers."
Flacco says chemistry with Evans is still there
November 23
Baltimore Sun
 
"In the eight consecutive starts that Torrey Smith has made, it's clear that his speed has helped the rookie wide receiver connect with quarterback Joe Flacco. After all, Smith ranks second to the Cincinnati Bengals' A.J. Green in receiving yards by a rookie, and Smith leads the Ravens in receiving touchdowns with five. But could Flacco's chemistry with Smith impact his relationship with Lee Evans, Smith's predecessor who returned on Sunday after a seven-game absence because of a left ankle injury? Flacco doesn't think so."
Dalton's first 9 resemble rival Flacco's
November 20
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"Through his first nine NFL starts, Andy Dalton continues to have one of the best NFL rookie seasons in NFL history. When it comes to comparing his quick start and the effect he has had on the Bengals, it resembles the one that his counterpart in Sunday's game had with the Ravens. After years of struggling to find a franchise quarterback, Baltimore found one in 2008 when they drafted Joe Flacco with the 18th overall pick. All he has done is lead the Ravens to three straight playoff appearances. Dalton and Flacco face each other for the first time today at M&T Bank Stadium in a key AFC North clash. Both teams are 6-3 with the winner tying idle Pittsburgh atop the division. "I think some"
Flacco's had trouble beating Bengals' cover-2 defense
November 18
Baltimore Sun
 
"Prior to this season, the prevailing thought was that the Pittsburgh Steelers were the mountain that Joe Flacco had yet to conquer. That has obviously changed after the quarterback led the Ravens to their first regular-season sweep of the Steelers since 2006. But maybe the focus should have been on a different AFC North rival. In six career meetings against the Cincinnati Bengals — the Ravens' opponent this Sunday — Flacco has endured some of the poorest outings in his career. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Ravens are 1-3 in their last four contests with the Bengals. "They are a physical football team," Flacco acknowledged. "Like I said, they have played well. Their offensive line, their"
Flacco delivers with game on the line
November 7
Baltimore Sun
 
"The difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens is no longer in the quarterback. When the game was on the line Sunday night, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco outlasted Pittsburgh quarterback and rival Ben Roethlisberger. In the past, when Roethlisberger had led the Steelers on a potential game winning drive late in the fourth period, the Ravens had no answer. But Sunday night, Flacco brought the Ravens back with a 13 play, 92 yard drive in the last 2 minutes and 16 seconds. Get the Baltimore Football app for iPhone and Android Flacco finished off the Steelers with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith down the right sideline with eight seconds remaining. The Ravens have swept"
Ravens QB Joe Flacco answers doubters with last-minute drive
November 7
Baltimore Sun
 
"It was interesting to tune into sports talk radio in the Steel City prior to Sunday's game between the Ravens and Steelers, if only to hear an opposing city's take on quarterback Joe Flacco. For several hours, caller after caller checked in to state the belief that Flacco, who was just 1-5 in Heinz Field prior to last night, would never play well enough to lead the Ravens to a win. A parade of hosts joined the chorus. All the Steelers had to do was rattle him a little, they believed, and he'd give the game away. Just look at the way he played against Jacksonville, and against Arizona in the first half. Just look at his history in Pittsburgh. Whatever the conventional wisdom was, Flacco"
Hits on Flacco becoming a concern
October 18
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Ken Murray
"Joe Flacco's 97-yard touchdown drive on the Ravens' first possession Sunday was impressive on a number of levels. The fourth-year quarterback completed seven of eight passes for 82 yards, throwing to four different receivers in every direction. He finished off the near-nine minute drive with a sneak for the touchdown. But what made that drive so much more impressive was the fact that Flacco was getting drilled by a Houston defense that plays in the same aggressive, physical style as the Ravens. In his Monday news conference, coach John Harbaugh was concerned about the number of times the Texans got to Flacco. "The thing that was a little bit disappointing was our pass protection," Harbaugh"
Flacco's personality might not be the problem many think it is
October 16
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Kevin Cowherd
"This one's for all the Joe Flacco haters out there, the ones who woke up this morning thinking: another NFL Sunday, another chance for no. 5 to screw up. The haters have been all over talk radio since the Ravens' win over the Jets two weeks ago. Sure, they're a small minority of Ravens fans. But, boy, are they loud. My buddy Mark Viviano has a theory about sports talk radio. He says 75 percent of the listeners are normal, intelligent sports fans. The other 25 percent are hateful jerks. But it's the hateful jerks who make 90 percent of the calls. Anyway, going into Sunday's Ravens-Texans game, the Flacco-haters are all lathered up."
Flacco judged by most important numbers: win-loss record
October 11
Baltimore Sun
 
"Last Thursday, ESPN NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay were asked to pick the one young quarterback with less than four years of NFL experience they would build a franchise around, and neither picked Joe Flacco. (Kiper selected the Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford, while McShay chose the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan.) The exclusion illustrates the inconsistent play of Flacco, who has followed eye-opening performances against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 and the St. Louis Rams in Week 3 with lackluster showings against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2 and the New York Jets in Week 4. Flacco is one of only four quarterbacks with at least two starts who is completing less than"
Flacco: Super Bowl offenses are built around passing game
September 27
Baltimore Sun
 
"Maligned in past seasons for being too predictable and conservative, the Ravens offense was neither in Sunday's 37-7 rout of the winless St. Louis Rams. Facing the league's worst run defense, the Ravens instead took to the air, and the result was a career-best 389 passing yards for quarterback Joe Flacco, three first-quarter touchdowns for rookie receiver Torrey Smith and a franchise-record 553 total yards. The performance left the usually low-key Flacco heaping praise on the aggressiveness of the game plan. It also provided more evidence of the urgency the Ravens feel in trying to establish a downfield-passing game to better match up against some of the league's elite teams, even if it"
Ravens-Rams game will be a test for Cameron, Flacco
September 22
Baltimore Sun
 
"Who would have thought even five days ago that a Week 3 game against the winless St. Louis Rams would suddenly become a referendum on the long-range potential of the Ravens' new-look offense? Certainly not anyone who wears purple to work on Fridays, because the resounding victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener seemed to prove that the Ravens had finally established themselves as an elite offensive team. Cam Cameron unveiled the game plan and Joe Flacco executed it to near perfection against one of the league's best defensive teams, and everyone around here assumed that all would be right with the football world, at least until the playoffs. Of course, the Tennessee"
Joe Flacco and his wide receivers not clicking
September 19
Baltimore Sun
 
"The addition of wide receivers Lee Evans and Torrey Smith presented quarterback Joe Flacco with two more weapons, and was supposed to make the Ravens more dynamic on offense. But after two weeks and one discouraging loss, the Ravens are already facing familiar questions about their downfield passing attack. In a disappointing 26-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Flacco threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, but he never got much going down the field. Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans combined for five catches and 91 yards and Smith, the former University of Maryland standout, remained without a catch in his rookie season. "We have to get everybody involved early, especially those guys that are"
Flacco defiant about his failures vs. Steelers
September 11
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"It was a frigid 15th of January when the Steelers defense trotted out to the line of scrimmage for the second half, accompanied by a standing, searing roar from the overflow crowd at Heinz Field. The night sky was set ablaze by Terrible Towels, making for a black-and-gold spectacle that soon would overwhelm the event itself. See, this wasn't an ovation as much as an admonition. Baltimore led by 14 points, and the Steelers faced elimination. "It was a time when we needed it," recalled Ryan Clark, the Steelers' safety. "You know, it's like a relationship. You have to build that trust. We knew the fans would be there because they always show up for us. And they knew we'd be there because we'd"
Flacco not focused on rivalry with Roethlisberger
September 8
Baltimore Sun
 
"No one has more wins in his first three seasons as an NFL quarterback than Joe Flacco. But when the Ravens quarterback faces Pittsburgh, all he hears is how he's winless against Steelers quarterbackBen Roethlisberger. Sunday's season opener gives Flacco another chance to break his 0-6 record against Roethlisberger. "I don't ever want to go out into a game and feel like I have something to prove personally," Flacco said. "I am going to go out there and give our team the best chance that we can to win. It's our job as a team to go out there and play up to our abilities and win the game." In eight games against Pittsburgh, Flacco has completed 53.4 percent of his passes and averaged 193.7"
Lee Evans and Joe Flacco find same page quickly
August 27
Baltimore Sun
 
"Lee Evans gives the Ravens what they've been missing through the Joe Flacco years — a speed receiver who can get behind the defense and catch the ball. They call him a vertical threat. But by any other name, Evans is the missing piece to a short-sighted and heretofore imbalanced offense. In Anquan Boldin, the Ravens have one of the NFL's premier — and most powerful — intermediate receivers. In Ray Rice, they have a durable, play-making running back who can twist linebackers into soft pretzels. In Flacco, they have a fourth-year quarterback who throws the deep ball better than he sometimes throws the short ball. Now, at last, the Ravens have someone for Flacco to throw that deep ball to."
Hard to get a good read on Flacco this preseason
August 26
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Mike Preston
"In the previous three years, there were signs in the preseason to indicate improvement by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. There weren't any this time. Flacco, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one interception Thursday against the Redskins, has not played in the fourth preseason game for the past two years, and he will probably sit out the finale next Thursday in Atlanta. After watching him Thursday night and in two previous preseason games, it's hard to figure out Flacco and the rest of this offense. Get the Baltimore Football app for iPhone and Android At times, Flacco has played well and thrown nice touch passes to Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin. And there are"
Ravens protect Flacco and please Harbaugh
August 20
Baltimore Sun
 
"The pressure was on. Prior to the Ravens’ 31-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night, coach John Harbaugh publicly expressed his desire to see improved play from the offensive line, especially in the department of keeping the quarterbacks upright. Statistically, the Ravens got what they had hoped for. Rookie Tyrod Taylor was sacked twice, the Chiefs were credited with three quarterbacks hits, and Taylor and starter Joe Flacco were flushed out of the pocket several times, but pass protection seemed better at M"
Fiery Flacco is a welcome sight
July 28
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Kevin Cowherd
"Here's how different the first day of Ravens training camp was Wednesday: Joe Flacco went off on his critics. Well, sort of. Look, I love the big guy. But normally, Flacco at the microphone is the verbal equivalent of anesthesia. Usually, the Ravens quarterback is wary, reserved and modest to a fault. Usually he loathes any question that has to do with self-introspection or, God forbid, feelings. Usually he's kind of — oh, what's the word I'm looking for here? — dull. But not this time. Wednesday it was a different Joe Flacco who addressed the media. He seemed confident and relaxed and spoke about everything from his recent wedding, to the potential loss of teammates Derrick Mason and Todd"
Defiant Flacco sticks up for himself
July 28
Baltimore Sun
 
"When the Ravens open training camp Thursday, the offense will have a new look — and not just because tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Derrick Mason are gone. Joe Flacco will walk onto the field with a swagger, based on his bold statements Wednesday. The typically laid-back quarterback defiantly fired back at his critics, saying, "I'm pretty damn good." During the lockout, he's heard a player on another team talk about how he can't handle pressure and he's heard an NFL analyst question his work ethic. After months of being an offseason punching bag, it was Flacco's turn to deliver the shots. "I play this game to be the best and it doesn't matter what other people say," Flacco said. "I"
Will Marc Bulger be cool with backing up Joe Flacco again?
July 1
Baltimore Sun
 
"When the NFL lockout ends, one of the Ravens' higher offseason priorities will be retaining backup quarterback Marc Bulger, who last season only got off the bench to stretch his now 34-year-old legs and get cups of Gatorade. The Ravens want a veteran behind Joe Flacco on the depth chart, and keeping Bulger is ideal. But does Bulger want to be a backup quarterback, or is he itching to be a starter again? That's one of the many things that has been speculated upon this offseason as we wait for actual moves to converse about. In April, as teams were preparing for the draft, it was reported that Bulger already had an under-the-table agreement with the Cardinals, but now the word on the street"
Flacco ties the knot
June 28
Baltimore Sun
 
"Joe Flacco got his first ring this weekend, although Ravens fans hope he adds another this year. Flacco married his longtime girlfriend, Dana Grady, on June 25 in a low-key ceremony in Philadelphia, according to the quarterback's father. Flacco and Grady started going out at the end of his senior year of Audubon (N.J.) High School and have been dating for nine years. The wedding took place in the same church where Flacco's parents were married. According to a wedding website with their names, they are registered at Crate and Barrel (and Macy's, for that matter). Flacco and Grady haven't immediately gone on a honeymoon."
Ryan Clark talks about Flacco's game and avoids his eyebrows
June 21
Baltimore Sun
 
"I almost made it through my workday without having to blog about someone talking about Joe Flacco, but unfortunately, Steelers safety Ryan Clark was asked on Tuesday to give his take on the Ravens quarterback. Clark took it easy on Flacco, passing on an easy opportunity to make fun of Flacco's facial hair and saying that he is a good quarterback who is "still trying to take that next step to become an elite quarterback." "You know what? I really don't pay that much attention to Joe Flacco or the Baltimore Ravens for it to be my concern," said Clark, who laughed when he heard LaMarr Woodley's comments for the first time when two Pittsburgh radio hosts brought them up. "The times that we"
No news hasn't stopped talking heads from focusing on Flacco
June 21
Baltimore Sun
 columnist Mike Preston
"Because of the three-month long NFL owners' lockout, there has been an increased flow of incredibly stupid stuff from sports media outlets. They keep giving us polls on subjects like "The Ten Worst Helmets" and "The Top 100 players." There are tons of player interviews about other players, and the chat rooms and message boards are out of control. Nationally, no Ravens player is getting more attention than quarterback Joe Flacco, who is about to enter his fourth season. Good or bad, everyone from fans to teammates to former players to TV analysts has an opinion on the former Delaware star drafted in the first round by the Ravens in 2008. What's up with that? "Because a lot of reporters"
Joe Flacco: Lamarr Woodley "doesn't know what he's talking about"
June 20
Pro Football Talk
 
"Since we don't have football practices to talk about this summer, we have to make do with football players talking back and forth through the press. We would like to thank Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley for supplying plenty of material, like when he said the Ravens won't make the Super Bowl in "his lifetime." Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco had an inevitable response over the weekend. "[Woodley] obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. At some level I don't care [what Woodley says] because what does that really mean? But there is another level where it does kind of piss you off a little bit," Flacco told Keith Mills and Pete Gilbert on WBAL, by way of BaltimoreRavens.com."
Another AFC North rival bashes Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco
June 17
Baltimore Sun
 
"I'm not sure what Joe Flacco has done to draw the ire of his peers, but another AFC North rival has come out and bashed the 26-year-old Ravens quarterback. A week ago, it was Pittsburgh's LaMarr Woodley who said Flacco wouldn't win a Super Bowl. This week, it was Cincinnati's Dhani Jones who took a shot at Flacco. In case you don't know Dhani Jones, he is a 12-year NFL veteran who has a show on The Travel Channel. He has started 57 games for the Bengals the past four seasons and recorded 125 tackles and a sack in 2010. "[He's a] capable quarterback [but] if you put a lot of pressure on him, he makes bad decisions," Jones said of Flacco during an interview on NFL Network. "Any time we were"
Hines Ward says the Ravens can win with Joe Flacco
June 17
Baltimore Sun
 
"Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley ruffled the feathers of Ravens fans last week when he told NFL Network that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would never win a Super Bowl "in his lifetime." But Woodley's veteran teammate Hines Ward refused to provide more bulletin board fodder when talking about Woodley's claim. Appearing on NFL Network on Wednesday, Ward said the Ravens have a "great team" and they "can win with Flacco." Ward wasn't "going to put any bulletin board material out there," but he said he understood where Woodley was coming from because you have to go into this heated rivalry expecting to beat the Ravens. "I don't disrespect the Baltimore Ravens," Ward told NFL Network's Rich"
Woodley: Flacco's Ravens won't go to Super Bowl 'in this lifetime'
June 10
USA Today
 
"Steelers OLB LaMarr Woodley is becoming a man more than willing to share his opinions. He aired a few more regarding his AFC North competition on Thursday night's NFL Total Access on NFL Network and was particularly pointed about Pittsburgh's archrivals. Asked if Ravens QB Joe Flacco can lead Baltimore to the Super Bowl, Woodley responded: "No, not at all because they have to go through one team -- that's the Pittsburgh Steelers in that AFC championship. So in order for them to get to the Super Bowl, they have to beat us, and we're not gonna let that happen once we get that close. So that's not gonna happen in this lifetime." The Flacco-led Ravens have lost in Heinz Field in two of the"