Superstar Flacco?

"This guy is a superstar..."
-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talking about his quarterback Joe Flacco

Some might think that Harbaugh is nuts. Maybe he's just being supportive of his guy but laugh all you want. He's far more right than wrong. Joe Flacco has never really received much respect outside of Baltimore. A lot of that likely has to do with with his "ah shucks, ho-hum" persona. His laid-back attitude raised questions prior to the 2008 NFL Draft. Despite those questions the Ravens selected Flacco out of itty-bitty Delaware with the 18th pick of the first round. They even traded up to insure that they got him. Everybody involved with the Ravens is happy that they did. A victory in Super Bowl XLVII sealed that emotion. It also sealed a nice contract for the quarterback. A contract that has brought more jeers than cheers. Flacco can't get any respect. I don't think that anyone in Baltimore really cares. They have nothing but respect for their guy.

Joe Flacco is often grouped in the second tier of quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger are found at the top. Russell Wilson, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, and even the often slighted Eli Manning are considered in the next group. Flacco missing from that second group always raises questions because of that Super Bowl that he's won. Ryan's presence in the group ahead of Flacco is the most curious. The two will be forever linked as they were both first-round selections in 2008. Ryan has always received more acceptance as a talented NFL thrower since that draft. Ryan has been slightly more efficient in the regular season but not by a wide margin. The playoffs are a whole other story. It's Flacco's performance in the playoffs that really brings merit to Harbaugh's superstar comment. Flacco and the Ravens are a remarkable 10-5 in the playoffs. Ryan, in comparison, is 1-4 in the games that matter most. Since Flacco established himself, despite his laid-back ways, as a team leader in 2010 it's no exaggeration to say that he's been brilliant in the playoffs. His playoff record since 2010 is 7-3. His touchdown-interception ratio during those playoff games is 24:4. Great stuff there. He outplayed Tom Brady in playoff losses in 2011 and last year and his team was "oh-so-close" to making it to one more Super Bowl and possibly two. In short, Joe Flacco really has been a superstar in the playoffs. Perhaps the best in the league since 2010 in those important games. He hasn't been too bad during the regular season either. He's led the Ravens to the playoffs every season of his career but 2013. Fuel for his critics was that the one playoff miss followed the Super Bowl win and that "big" contract.

The bottom line with Joe Flacco is that he leads his team to the playoffs as a matter of routine. Once he has his team where every team wants to be he's been outstanding. I'd say that pretty much calls for the "superstar" label.