Joe Flacco Peaking at Right Time Gives Baltimore Ravens Edge in AFC North

Is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco elite? This question is often sarcastically posed on social media to point out Flacco’s inconsistencies even though he’s shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career. Those flashes re-appeared Sunday during a 38-6 victory against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium. 

Flacco isn’t elite, and he doesn’t need to be. All he needs to do is make plays while limiting mistakes. As long as he does, the AFC North is available for the Ravens to claim. 

If his latest performance is any indication, the 31-year-old signal-caller found his rhythm just in time to complement the Ravens’ ferocious defense and exceptional special teams during the franchise’s latest playoff push.

Flacco shredded the Dolphins secondary for 381 passing yards and four touchdowns.

“He was lights out,” veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. said, per ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. “We go as he goes.”

His play resembled his approach during the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII victory. The Delaware product made clutch throw after clutch throw with an 11-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio before he raised the Lombardi Trophy and earned Super Bowl MVP honors. 

Over the next three and a half seasons, Flacco struggled to experience similar success. Even against some of the league’s worst pass defenses, the quarterback didn’t perform as well as he did Sunday. 

A week after Flacco described the offense as “conservative” after a 19-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg responded with an aggressive approach and increased tempo. 

“The idea was to keep the pressure on them and score as many points as possible,” head coach John Harbaugh said, per Hensley. 

In fact, the ninth-year signal-caller provided a new career high with 36 completions, according to Ryan Mink of the Ravens official site, and set a NFL season high as well, according to ESPN Stats & Info: 

Most Pass Attempts in a 1st Half This SeasonSun. Joe Flacco 34W7 Aaron Rodgers 30W4 Joe Flacco 29W2 Joe Flacco 29

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 4, 2016

This is the best version of Flacco seen over the last two years. 

“Flacco’s 119.2 quarterback rating was his best mark since Nov. 24, 2014 in New Orleans,” Mink noted. “His four touchdown passes were the most since he threw five against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 12, 2014.”

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