From Postseason Stud to Postseason Dud

Flacco Wasn’t Always January Joe

From 2008 to 2018, Joe Flacco was the de facto starter of the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco was never decorated with Pro Bowl honors, never sniffed the status of All Pro on any level, and he never had a passer rating higher than 93.6 as a member of the Ravens. During his 11 seasons in Baltimore, Joe’s average passer rating was 84.1. That said, fans give Flacco a pass because he ran the table in 2012 on his way to a Super Bowl Championship and MVP. He really was magnificent.

But that four-game heater in 2012 has left fans with the impression that Joe was always on point during the postseason. Newsflash! He was NOT!

In 2008, Flacco’s rookie season, Joe went (2-1), losing to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. His passer rating during the 2008 postseason was 50.8. In 2009, Joe was even worse. During the 2009 playoff stretch, Flacco posted a passer rating of 39.4. Joe was better in 2010, when his playoff passer rating nearly reached 90. Then in 2011’s postseason, he weighed in at 96.1

And then came the heater…

In 2012, Joe was stellar running through the Colts, Broncos, Patriots and 49ers to the tune of 117.2 passer rating, tossing 11 TD’s and not a single INT. It was a legendary performance and as such, it carries weight here in The Land of Pleasant Living. But in the end, during Flacco’s tenure in Baltimore, his cumulative postseason passer rating was 88.6, slightly better than regular season Joe.

To his credit, Flacco got better in the postseason with experience. He didn’t rattle and seldom seemed frenzied. His cool demeanor was an asset. But still, the numbers are the numbers, and a legendary 2012 run doesn’t wash away the playoff stats of previous years from the record books. They are however, facts that the Flacco faithful conveniently choose to ignore.

Some might point to Joe’s impressive playoff record of (10-5) as a member of the Baltimore Ravens as evidence of his postseason excellence. But let’s be honest, that’s a team stat. During those first 4 postseason appearances during which the Ravens were (5-4), Joe’s passer rating was an anemic 70.4. That too, has been swept under the rug by the January Joe tribe.

Lamar’s Legacy

The point of revisiting Flacco’s playoff accomplishments and struggles is to compare them against the heavily criticized postseason efforts of Lamar Jackson. Lamar has started in 6 playoff games and sports a (2-4) postseason record. His passer rating during those 6 games is 75.7 during which he has rushed for an astounding 521 yards.

Clearly the passing numbers fall well short of Lamar’s regular season accomplishments. Perhaps, like with Joe Flacco before him, the playoff experience will bring a level of calmness, enabling him to settle in, play his game, and not be overly amped up to the point that it clouds his decision making and affects his accuracy.

Joe Flacco wasn’t always “Joe Cool”. It took a while. The facts don’t lie.

As the Ravens prepare to take on the Steelers in the 2024 Wild Card Round, Lamar keeps telling the world that he’s locked in. Maybe he is. But that doesn’t mean he has to approach the game as if he needs to be Superman. He doesn’t. Perhaps he should take a page from Joe, relax, play his game and lighten his grip on that lock.

Great things can and will happen if he does.

And then maybe this Lamar playoff narrative can finally be put to bed just like Joe did with that romp in 2012.

[Related Article: The Big Man gets His Flowers]

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/01/08/lombardis-way/flacco-in-the-playoffs/