AFC Championship Game 2012: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Joe Flacco?

How do you solve a problem like Joe Flacco?

Being a quarterback in the NFL is a little like being President of the United States: You are the face of an institution, you try to dictate that institution’s path, but if those around you don’t want to help, there’s really not much you can do.

And regardless of how helpless you may be, you’re still going to get all of the blame.

This is a sports site, which means it’s no place for a discussion of politics. But no matter how you feel about Barack Obama, George W. Bush or even Abraham Lincoln, one thing is clear: It’s kind of hard for a president to do anything if Congress doesn’t agree.

That’s the beauty of our “checks and balances” system: People have to agree on stuff before it happens.

A quarterback is the same way. He can scan the defense and make passes, but it’s up to those around him to make plays. Running backs have to move the football, linemen have to block and receivers have to actually catch the ball.

And if they don’t, who will the talking heads on TV and radio complain about? The quarterback.

Just ask Aaron Rodgers. After the Packers’ playoff loss, most people weren’t talking about Jermichael Finley’s allergy to catching footballs; they were making jokes about Rodgers doing a “discount double choke.”

Which brings us to Joe Flacco. Let’s make no bones about it, Flacco is not a good quarterback, but then again, has he ever had to be?

The Ravens make no secret about what their formula for victory is: run the football, play great defense, win ugly games. After their hot start where they went 4-1, the Ravens’ average margin of victory the rest of the season was eight points—they weren’t blowing teams out.

When you commit to the run, games tend to stay close.

The formula has largely worked: The Ravens were 10th in the NFL in rushing, third in total defense and 12-4 in the regular season. Nobody paid much attention to the fact that Matt Moore and Kevin Kolb had better passer ratings than Flacco, or that he threw more interceptions than Colt McCoy or Blaine Gabbert.

Because as long as you’re winning games, who cares?

Just as Batman is in The Dark Knight, Joe Flacco is not the quarterback you deserved, Ravens fans, but he’s the quarterback you needed.

Well, now championship Sunday is coming. And of the four quarterbacks still active in the postseason tournament (Flacco, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Alex Smith), the Ravens signal-caller may be the worst.

He’s never led a team back from a deficit in a playoff game in the fourth quarter–his three counterparts have—even Smith.

(Quick aside: Isn’t that insane? Alex Smith!? I can’t believe it either. Who would have thought you’d ever read this sentence: They left too much time on the clock for Alex Smith to make a comeback. Surreal.)

But the Ravens have never asked Flacco to be that guy. They’ve never tried to be a passing team, because you don’t want to throw the football when you’re leading in the second half; it’s too quick. You run the ball and milk the clock, and if you have to punt in the fourth quarter it’s OK, because you have Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to preserve the win for you.

Well, news flash, sports fans: That ain’t gonna work against pretty boy Brady.

In case you haven’t noticed, the Pats put up a lot of points. While their defense has slowly deteriorated into the league’s worst, the Patriots have doubled down on improving the offense. You don’t need to have a reliable secondary when Rob Gronkowski is setting receiving records.

When Aaron Hernandez is the second-best tight end on your team, you’ve got to be doing something right.

So on Sunday, the Ravens are probably going to need Flacco to be something he’s never been: a franchise quarterback.

If you think that miserable performance he gave against the Texans is going to cut it against the Patriots, you’re in for a rude awakening. The Patriots averaged 32 points per game in the regular season and just dropped 45 on the Broncos.

Do you really think the Ravens can keep them from scoring less than 24?

Flacco is going to have to engineer at least two touchdown drives, not to mention a few that end in field goals. Last week, the Patriots stacked the box and dared Tim Tebow to beat them with his arm (spoiler alert: he couldn’t). The Texans did the same thing against Baltimore, limiting Ray Rice to just 2.9 yards per carry, and Flacco managed to put up just three points after the first quarter.

If the Ravens want to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, it’s time for Flacco to become the kind of quarterback that’s worthy of the 18th overall pick in the draft.

But if I were a betting man, I’d have my money on the Patriots to be all smiles when the clock hits zero on Sunday.

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