Playoffs: Flacco’s time to shine
NFL’s highest-paid player earns his pay every postseason.
In the afterglow of a playoff victory over Pittsburgh last weekend, Ravens coach John Harbaugh proclaimed Joe Flacco “the best quarterback in football.”
Given time to reflect on his comment, Harbaugh didn’t back down.
“I said it. I meant it,” Harbaugh said after Tuesday’s practice.
Flacco’s numbers in the postseason support Harbaugh’s lofty assessment.
After throwing two touchdown passes in a 30-17 win over the Steelers, Flacco improved to 5-0 in his last )ive playoff games. He has 13 TDs, no interceptions and a 116.6 quarterback rating during that span. He was Super Bowl MVP two years ago, is 10-4 in the postseason and has more road playoff wins (seven) than any quarterback in NFL history.
Flacco has twice as many playoff wins as peers Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.
So, is this guy elite or what?
“At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what everybody wants to think,” Flacco said. “It obviously means a lot for a head coach to stand up in front of everybody in the whole world and say those kind of things. Whether it really means anything, I don’t know. But it de)initely means a lot to me.”
Harbaugh became Baltimore’s coach in 2008, the same year the Ravens made Flacco their top draft pick out of Delaware. The two have been to the postseason in six of seven years.
“Joe has a great arm, is a very good athlete, a big, strong guy in the pocket, can make any throw in any kind of weather,” Harbaugh said.
Especially in the playoffs.
“He’s a good quarterback, period,” said New England coach Bill Belichick, whose top-seeded Patriots (12-4) host the Ravens (11-6) on Saturday.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Belichick said. “He has a great arm, can throw the ball the length of the )ield with guys hanging all over him. He’s mobile. He’s athletic enough to extend plays, makes good decisions, uses all his weapons.”
Flacco and the Ravens beat the Patriots 28-13 in the AFC Championship game two years ago to advance to the Super Bowl. Flacco joined Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw 11 touchdown passes without an interception in a single postseason.
“Big-time players show up when you need them most, and that’s how he’s been,” Ravens fourthyear receiver Torrey Smith said.
Soon after Baltimore beat San Francisco 34-31 in the Super Bowl, Flacco received a contract worth $120.6 million that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
To this point, it’s been a worthwhile investment. Although the Ravens went 8-8 and missed the playoffs last year, they’ve never had a losing record and are 82-44 (including the postseason) with Flacco as a starter. He’s also started every game since the outset of his rookie year.
Flacco has thrown 166 passes in the playoffs since his last interception, in the 2011 AFC title game in New England.
“I’m doing the best I can to put everybody in position to do good things,” he said. “Put the ball in their hands and let them take over.” Tuesday’s Games ■ (At) Devils +, Sabres I: Patrik Elias had a goal and two assists to reach Q,000 points for New Jersey. Travis Zajac and Michael Cammalleri each had a goal and an assist as the Devils won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. Q,. ■ (At) Flyers :, Senators I (SO): Wayne Simmonds scored the tying goal in regulation and had the winner in the shootout to lift Philadelphia. ■ Lightning +, (at) Canadiens :: Tyler Johnson scored twice in Tampa Bay’s four-goal second period, and the Lightning won the matchup for the top spot in Eastern Conference. ■ Hurricanes at Predators: Late ■ Sharks at Wild: Late ■ Avalanche at Blackhawks: Late ■ Blue Jackets at Stars: Late ■ Blues at Coyotes: Late ■ Red Wings at Oilers: Late ■ Islanders at Canucks: Late NHLnotes ■ Maple Leafs fire coach: Randy Carlyle was fired as Toronto’s coach following a trip in which the team lost five of seven games and showed few signs it would regain the promise from earlier in the season. The dismissal comes after ,0 games, with Toronto <QQP-_, fourth in the Atlantic Division and holding one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Assistants Steve Spott and Peter Horachek will be behind the bench for today’s game against the Capitals. Carlyle went HQ-=J-QH in QJJ games over parts of four seasons. ■ Wild: Forward Zach Parise missed Tuesday’s game against the Sharks to be with his ailing father, former NHL player J.P. Parise. The elder Parise scored <_J goals during a Q=-year career. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last January and is currently in hospice care.
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