Joe Flacco back to form in Ravens' win over Steelers
http://www.usatoday.com Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports
BALTIMORE -- If Joe Flacco wants to eradicate the Wildcat packages from the face of the Baltimore Ravens playbook, whining about it in public is not the ticket.
That approach, demonstrated earlier this week, isn't exactly team-first.
Yet Flacco showed Thursday night how to best get his point across.
Put the offense on his back, or at least his right arm, and thrive.
Flacco had one of those NWR performances -- No Wildcat Required -- to lead the Ravens to a 22-20 victory against their AFC North nemesis Pittsburgh Steelers.
BOX SCORE: Ravens 22, Steelers 20
It was essentially Flacco's strongest on-the-field statement this season. A big game the Ravens needed to win. No horrendous mistakes. No need to punch up the offense with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor running the single wing.
Flacco started big a 54-yard completion to Torrey Smith that set up a TD on the opening drive. He finished in rhythm, too, with a 10-yard completion to Smith that set up a 48-yard Justin Tucker fielfd goal that proved to be the difference.
He wound up completing 24 of 35 passes for 251 yards.
This was hardly about numbers. Flacco, remember, has had three 300-yard games this season -- and in each case the Ravens lost. He threw seven picks in those games.
On Thursday night, he looked a lot like the Flacco who caught fire in the playoffs last season and collected the Super Bowl MVP award that squeezed the Ravens into signing him to a six-year, then-record $120.6 million contract.
This undoubtedly gives the Ravens (6-6) some hope for the stretch run. They will need Flacco's big arm throwing passes that cut through the cold, dense air, if they are going anyplace deep in the playoffs.
As good as the defense has been, sans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the 30-ranked offense has been the serious ball-and-chain.
It has not all been on Flacco, who lost his most dependable receiver (Anquan Boldin) during an offseason salary cap trade to help pay for his big contract, then opened the year by losing deep threat Jacoby Jones for several weeks with a knee injury.
His line has been a mess. Flacco was sacked more times through 11 games (37) than he was all of last season (35).
And his running game has been pathetic. The Ravens entered Week 13 averaging an NFL-low 2.9 yards per rush, and with the O-line too often getting pushed backward, that includes the once-mighty Ray Rice (2.9 yards).
Baltimore has scored 30 points just once this season, and the 22 points against the Steelers were the most in seven games.
No wonder O-coordinator Jim Caldwell inserted Taylor into last Sunday's game against the New York Jets to run the Wildcat for six plays.
It was a plea for help.
Flacco hated it. On one level, you can't blame him.
Respect has been tough to come by for Flacco -- who may not be in the "elite" category as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, but has as many Super Bowl victories as the latter three and has proven that he can win the tough games in January. Wherever.
So, when his own coaches take the ball out of his hands, even to hand it off to a running back (and those perilous prospects), it does not sit well.
Flacco went so far as to call it a high school ploy.
Maybe that wasn't the most team-centric way to put it, but on another level maybe it was a positive for the Ravens.
Flacco showed some moxie to voicing his disapproval. During a press conference earlier this week, he must have dissed the use of the Wildcat a half-dozen times -- as if to be sure that he would not be misquoted. Even predicted we wouldn't see it again.
So, for the guy whose leadership skill was questioned amid the transition from the Ravens being Ray Lewis' team to Flacco's team, that was strong stuff.
Then he backed up his position.
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