Flyin' Flacco Crowned With Rookie Of the Year Honors

The Baltimore Ravens long-time search for a quarterback to build their team around may be over after their 2008 first round draft pick, Joe Flacco, won Diet Pepsi’s 2008 NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  

Every season, the Baltimore Ravens had a reputation for having one of the most dynamic defenses in the league. With players such as Ray Lewis and Ed Reed leading the way, the Ravens' defense always made the team seem like they were impossible to beat.

However, the quarterback position was always one piece missing to the puzzle.

Despite having one of the best defenses in the league each season, the Ravens struggled each year to find a consistent offense. The Ravens struggled to find a quarterback to build their franchise around.  

Kyle Boller, Steve McNair, Chris Redman, Tony Banks. These were all decent quarterbacks for the Ravens, but they were not the Peyton Manning or Tom Brady type of a quarterback to build a franchise around. Even when the team won the Super Bowl back in 2000 season, Trent Dilfer was just an average quarterback.

The offense for the Ravens year after year has always had the strong defense to support them in games. If the offense could put up an average amount of points, the defense would usually be able to keep their opponents in line.

In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected Flacco out of the University of Delaware with their 18th pick. Many analysts examined whether or not Flacco’s lack of experience in Division I-A football would be a factor for his success in the NFL.

At the beginning of preseason, the Ravens found themselves with a three-way battle for starting quarterback between Kyle Boller, Troy Smith, and Joe Flacco. The Ravens, who were always known for their struggles at quarterback, all of a sudden had three guys on the roster who they believed could lead the team at quarterback.

There is a saying in life about how everything happens for a reason. With the way Flacco struggled in the 2008 preseason, there is no argument that he should have been the third string quarterback for the Ravens this season. Instead, he found himself starting in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a shoulder injury to Boller and an illness to Smith.

Flacco’s debut may not have looked great on paper.  He went 15 of 29 passing for no touchdowns and no interceptions. However, it was the “little” plays that helped the rookie lead the Ravens to a 17-10 win on opening day.

In his first career game in the NFL,  Flacco set a franchise record for the longest touchdown rush for a quarterback when he scrambled for 38 yards against the Bengals.  After struggling in the preseason, Flacco was starting to look like the type of quarterback the Ravens had searched so long for.

The Ravens finished the 2008 regular season with an 11-5 record that was good enough to clinch the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. Flacco started all sixteen games for the Ravens. Even though his numbers weren’t at the top of the league, the Ravens defense made it easier for Flacco to lead the offense.

Flacco finished his rookie season with 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Not bad for a quarterback that most analysts questioned because he was a Division I-AA.

In the playoffs, Flacco continued to make history as quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Not only did he become the third rookie in NFL history to win his first career playoff game, but he became the first rookie quarterback to ever win his first two playoff games. However, Flacco and the Ravens fell short of Super Bowl XLIII after they lost in the AFC Conference Championship to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Flacco may not have been a big factor on offense in the playoffs for the Baltimore Ravens. He may have struggled in the Conference Championship game against the Steelers. He may have one of the best defenses in the league, which can be seen as a major advantage.

Still, the fact that Flacco was able to help lead the Ravens' offense to two playoff wins on the road against the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans is an impressive statistic for a rookie.

Winning Rookie of the Year honors seems to be only the beginning of a promising career for Joe Flacco. Nobody expects a rookie to accomplish the things Flacco did during his first year in the league.

The Ravens and the city of Baltimore may be disappointed they fell short of Super Bowl XLIII. However, they should be excited about finally finding a quarterback to build their franchise around.