Joe Flacco, Steve Smith and Torrey Smith's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 5

Coming off a drubbing of the Carolina Panthers secondary in Week 4, the Baltimore Ravens aerial attack appeared poised to wreak havoc against the Indianapolis Colts' 21st-ranked pass defense on Sunday. Unfortunately, the trio of quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receivers Steve Smith and Torrey Smith just couldn't get it going.

Here's a look at the performances from all three players on Sunday:

Player	C/Att	Yds	TD	INT
Player	Rec	Targets	Yds	TD
Joe Flacco	22/38	235	0	1
Steve Smith	5	7	34	0
Torrey Smith	3	8	38	0

Much of Flacco's inconsistent performance can be attributed to a Baltimore offensive line that was continuously beaten by the blitz. The Indianapolis defense was not afraid to bring extra pressure, and the quarterback's protection wasn't able to hold up as a result.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweeted his thoughts after Flacco was sacked on a 4th-and-1 play early in the contest:

That was also accompanied by an poorly thrown pass that resulted in an interception. Flacco's inability to successfully limit turnovers on a consistent basis severely hinders his fantasy value.

Flacco is no stranger to roller-coaster regular seasons. Since he entered the NFL in 2008, his season-long passer rating has fluctuated from 93.6 all the way down from 73.1. The quarterback should be considered a viable backup and spot starter when his matchup appears favorable.

Steve Smith wasn't only affected by Flacco's poor showing, as he also didn't help his fantasy owners by fumbling on Baltimore's first offensive play of the game. Still, Smith is most certainly Baltimore's No. 1 target going forward. Despite a lackluster showing in Week 5, he's still a viable starting wide receiver in all fantasy formats.   

Torrey Smith just couldn't seem to get on the same page with Flacco against the Colts. He received a similar amount of targets to his counterpart, but missed several opportunities. Zrebiec commented to the duo's struggles:

Smith spoke about his play via his Twitter account after the game:

"

I'm sick right now...never been in this position before...very trying times for me on and off the field but I will be better from this

— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 5, 2014"

Smith continues to look like an afterthought in Baltimore's passing game. Until he is utilized more in Gary Kubiak's offensive system, fantasy owners should relegate him to the bench unless a dire need for a flex option arises.