Super-Steady Joe Flacco Just Right for the Playoffs, Again—Watch Out Patriots

PITTSBURGH — There was still some leftover amazement after halftime of the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game from when Ben Roethlisberger did his spinning, dipping, swooning, then launch-it-downfield maneuver in the second quarter on Saturday night. We've seen this from him before. Ben being Ben. But then it was Joe Flacco's turn.

It was the third quarter, and Baltimore held a 13-9 lead. Flacco dropped back, and James Harrison reached for his shoulder pad, almost grabbing it. Harrison had him. Then Flacco ducked and darted. He scrambled left and threw a perfect, tight pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith for an 11-yard score.

B/R from NBC broadcast

No, it wasn't as flashy as Roethlisberger's jaw-dropper. Flacco is not Michael Vick. Yet in many ways the play was typical Flacco: effective, borderline athletic-looking, but, most of all, a killer. In the playoffs, this is what Flacco will do. He will destroy you.

It won't be the prettiest destruction. It won't be the most athletic—but athletic enough. His passes won't always be the most accurate—but accurate enough. His leadership isn't exclamatory. There are no Favrian gyrations or Bradian head-butts. A pseudo fist pump. A wry smile. A quick jog. That's what you get from Flacco. That's what you mostly saw during Baltimore's convincing 30-17 victory over the Steelers at Heinz Field on Saturday night.

If a man in a time machine landed on Flacco's front lawn and said he wanted to talk about the future, Flacco would smile and say, "Cool ship, dude. Say, you got anything to eat?"

But make no mistake: There is a fighter underneath the cool exterior, and we are seeing the Playoff Joe back in action. Flacco is back in all of his boring awesomeness, and the Ravens are officially the Patriots' worst nightmare.

Oh yes. Yes they are. Go ahead, Patriots fan, and smirk. Show that Patriots fan smugness. Underestimate Baltimore at your own risk. This team is comfortable playing in New England and has won there before. Yet in many ways, these Ravens could play on the moon and not care. It's their mentality.

Once, Ray Lewis was the symbol of that mindset, his fiery demeanor acting as a propellant.

Now, it's Flacco's steadfastness that is the fuel source, and evenness in the playoffs can be as robust as fervor.

In the immediate aftermath of the Ravens' win, on the field, Flacco smiled and shook hands. He bro-hugged a few guys, then sort of meandered on over to NBC's cameras, barely smiling—as Terrell Suggs perhaps bolted from his scheduled NBC interview—and walked around a portion of the stadium shaking the hands of Ravens fans.

Flacco's excitement level resembled someone who just realized that he got a good deal on Post-It notes. Then, after his interview, there was a slow jog off the field to the locker room.

Flacco's ice-man routine is both his greatest strength and weakness. In the regular season, his strong-but-silent act might be lacking when the team needs a pick-me-up. But in the postseason, when steadiness is required, Flacco is perfect.

Flacco's playoff win total is now 10, which ties him with Roethlisberger, is one shy of Peyton Manning and is more than Eli Manning, Steve Young, Dan Marino, John Unitas and Drew Brees.

Flacco also now has seven road playoff wins, which is the most by any quarterback since the 1970 merger. 

"He's the best quarterback in football," said John Harbaugh. "We'll take him any day of the week."

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No, he is not the best quarterback in football. But damn, he's terrific, far better than many think. The biggest thing with Flacco is that, particularly in the postseason, he's a winner. That is a simple construct, to just say he's a winner in the playoffs, but that's what he is. That's the best way to say it.

Remember, we are only two years removed from when the Ravens beat both the Broncos and the Patriots on the road to advance to the Super Bowl. This is almost old hat for Flacco and the Ravens. He always does stuff like this.

Flacco is often left out of the argument of the best quarterbacks in football. I've done it. I've made that mistake of not mentioning him with the elite, and while that "who's elite" argument has become tired and at times silly, it's still important to note that Flacco needs to—must—now always be mentioned in the same sentence with the best. Because he keeps winning big games like these.

I loved this quote from Flacco after the contest: "We played a clean football game and kept at it." That is so Flacco.

He finished the game 18-of-29 for 259 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating was 114. It was a smart, efficient game with good plays and few mistakes.

It was, well, typical Joe. 

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.