[deleted]
It feels weird saying this about Joe Flacco but… this was one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NFL history
Ravens were dropping 28+ points on some of the top defenses in the league that playoff run, Flacco was playing like a man possessed.
Absolutely, he destroyed the 49ers defense in the Super Bowl which was arguably the top defense that year (only other contender was the LOB).
Flacco played “lights out” in that Super Bowl.
Always was, I know Anquan Boldin was awesome but him, Torrey Smith, and Jacoby Jones were not a great receiving corps and Flacco still tore teams apart.
him, Torrey Smith, and Jacoby Jones were not a great receiving corps
They sure as hell played like they were in that playoff run.
They weren’t “great” but you make it seem like they were bad. Jacoby Jones was non existent as a WR until the playoffs but Torrey Smith had 841 yards and 7 TDs which is very good for a rookie WR2 that was drafted in the second round. Also Dennis Pitta was a good target when healthy (which he was that whole year).
They definitely weren’t bad, just moreso stating that the Ravens failed to actually surround Flacco with weapons his contemporaries got. This was probably the best weapons he had in Baltimore.
Whenever someone says he wasn’t good because he never threw for 4,000 yards while disregarding his weapons on a run first offense while they win 10-12 games a year it makes my blood boil.
They were an extremely well balanced receiving corps. Smith and Jacoby were burners who could stretch the field and allow Boldin, Pitta, and Rice to operate over the middle.
I’ve seen a lot people say Flacco was a “one year wonder” in the playoffs but really after his second season he always played well in the playoffs with us (except for the 2010 divisional game against the Steelers) and we never lost a playoff game because of him.
I’ve also seen people say that he was never good after signing his mega contract but 2014 was actually his best season. In the playoffs that season he beat the Steelers and then he put up 4 TDs against that Pats defense in the divisional game and got us a 14 point lead two separate times in that game and our secondary got cooked all game and even let Julian Edelman throw for a 50+ yard TD. He was looking like he was going to go for another run that year that if our defense didn’t embarrass themselves (I wish Jimmy Smith was healthy). And then the next year he tore his ACL and MCL and wasn’t the same since.
He was the all-time leader in road playoff wins for a QB until Brady went to TB and stopped getting 1-2 seeds every year.
It makes no sense to be labeled a one year wonder in the playoffs if you take your team to the playoffs your first five years in the league and six of your first seven.
And in every single season he made the playoffs with us he always won at least one playoff game
Flacco era Ravens always felt dangerous when they were in the playoffs but questionable in the regular season. It's weird how the Lamar era Ravens have been mostly the opposite
Imagine 2014 flacco against the legion of boom in the Super Bowl lmao pure cinema
That Ravens vs Broncos playoff game is my favorite ever. Just two juggernauts punching each other back and forth and it goes to 2OT. Insane.
Conversely. I hate it
Broncos taking a knee w/ all 3 timeouts to play for OT was a head scratcher
Two words: John Fox
Who could blame them? They only had Peyton Manning coming off one of the best regular seasons a quarterback has ever had.
Wrong season. But yeah they still have Peyton, multiple timeouts and a kicker with a strong leg. Such a stupid decision
Haha whoops you’re right. I stand corrected
I can only wonder why
The trindon Holliday kick returns really kept the broncos in it. Crazy game. Had it all.
Yeah keeping Peyton Manning to 3tds was sick, darn shame the special teams didn't exist that day defense wise
Yk what f u man 13 seconds
2013 SB.
Uhhh fuckinnn 1991-1994
Uhhh 70-20
Fuckkinn uhm any chiefs playoff game
Uhmmm we beat ya'll 31-7 in the wildcard
This is missing the most underrated throw of that postseason: in OT against the Broncos, 3rd and 13 from his own 3 yard line, dimes Pitta up the seam. If they punt there and give the ball back to that Broncos offense around midfield, not to mention Holliday already had two return TDs that game, there's a high probability to lose. Drive later stalled around midfield and they punted, but Manning threw an INT on the subsequent drive to set up the game-winning FG. Field position, baby!
I vividly recall that play. If that pass is incomplete then Manning probably only needs to drive ten yards to be in field goal range.
Was gonna say this was a clutch af throw
Couple of those were "screw it, Boldin's down there somewhere"
Remember when people were calling him a HoF QB after that season?
Real ones never stopped.
Joe FULLY ERECT
Based.
Elite
Dragon
As a casual fan, is it the case that he's been mostly average since then and had just that one crazy season/postseason?
He was mostly average both before then and after then, he just put it all together in an utterly goddamn magic four-game run in the playoffs.
This is not true. He was pretty much always average in the regular season except for 2014 but after his first 2-3 seasons he was always above average to great in the playoffs with us, not just in 4 games.
He was close to being the AFC Eli Manning. I wanna see he has one single pro bowl, but was a consistently good QB who went absolutely off once January hit. And I think if Lee Evans holds on, they beat NY in Super Bowl 46 and Eli doesn't make the HoF
We still are.
Elite
Ravens 2012 Super Bowl run with regular season matchups:
Man that week 3 game against the Patriots was a lot of refball, as Patriots games always seemed to be back then.
Broncos smacked the shit out of us in the regular season lol right after we switched OCs and we were like "everything is gonna be OK now" then Denver beat us pretty bad lol
But it all worked out in the end
Torrey Smith turned Champ Bailey into burnt toast in that game.
That whole season was magical. I was a senior at Towson University and have so many memories of 2012, and can still remember exactly where I was and who I was with during each of these playoff games. Shout out to the Towson Greene Turtle where I watched the Mile High Miracle because CVP’s was too crowded.
As a Steelers fan I will always respect the legend of, Joey Footsteps Flacco.
Arguably the single best QB postseason of all time. People like to add caveats and talk about it ironically, but it is what it is.
Eh I dunno… Joe Montana in 1989 might have the claim to that throne
Drew Brees 2009 underrated
Rahim Moore made him so much money
Elite Reshiram Joe Flacco
ELITE
This man made a living out of underthrowing Anquan Boldin.
Anquan Boldin highlights
Boldin is an absolute animal.
Remember kids: 4 complete games is all it takes
Dude went absolutely off, it was so fun to watch. Admittedly I remember it the most because I had Torrey Smith in fantasy that year.
Legendary 2025 season incoming
I'll never forget that Jacoby Jones vs Denver game
Bring back taunting! I love when NFL player taunt!
No, I don't think I will watch this.
E L I T E.
I'm a simple man, I see Joe Flacco I upvote.
Broncos fans had to be drinking bleach after that game
The Ravens were favored by 3 against the Colts, then 9 point dogs against the Broncos, 9.5 point dogs against the Patriots, and 5 point dogs against the 49'ers.
That would make them among the least probable Super Bowl winners in history.
Bro had a CANNON
Can’t even hate. It was legendary. And disappointing as shit as a broncos fan lol
Sometimes you just gotta send it. This run made me a believer in “just get into the playoffs, anything can happen”. All road games. The team and key players performed just enough. The ball bounces your way more often than not. They were trailing most of the games in the playoffs. The “lights out” Super Bowl. Just insane.
Joe Flacco is just Jay Cutler who got very lucky one year
Flacco was elite for exactly one postseason. Every other year he was Flukko.
Nah he was pretty good in 2008 and 2011
Boldin was fuckin possessed that post season, a well earned ring
Was just about to say this holy crap that guy was on a heater
I will, obviously, remember how legendary 11-0 was (should have been 12-0 had Culver not yoinked Torrey on a deep go route where Torrey had a clear touchdown), but the receivers balled out way harder than I remembered. They get overshadowed by the 11-0, but man they came up HUGE.
Yeah Torrey 🏆🏆and Jacoby 🕊️ were doing their thing too
Pitta was balling also
Unforgettable run
Then Ozzie was like holy shit let's trade him for literally nothing!
Yup Boldin was unstoppable. Always there to bail out Flacco. Flacco played well, but it was because of Boldin and a washed Champ Bailey that they got to the Super Bowl that year
Give credit where it's due. The Ravens outplayed the Broncos in every facet of that game, besides special teams. The only reason the Broncos were in it is because Trindon Holiday scored on two returns.
The bad timing of Bailey's jump on the Torrey Smith TD bomb is like the main thing i remember lol
How is that the main thing you remember from that game and not the Jacoby Jones TD at the end of regulation?
Rahim Moore had a badly timed jump on Jones's TD. I think he's misremembering the play in both ways. Wrong DB, wrong WR.
Also Moore was the safety and Tony Carter was in man coverage.
Letting Boldin go may have been our biggest mistake as a front office.
Didn’t you guys also miss out on Terrell Owens?
Yeah but he didn't want to come here :(
Yeah but that wasn’t a failure of our front office. Owens wanted to hit free agency to make more money.
Obviously biased with my flair but “only because of a washed DB” is crazy disrespect. If it’s another QB it’s “smartly attacks a matchup advantage” but Flacco’s run is still disrespected
You missed the part where I said Boldin was always bailing him out
I loved him when he was at FSU, but he hit another level when he reached the NFL that I didn't know he had. WR who was built like a LB and played like it.
Did he just channel the spirit of Fitzgerald that entire run cause he was just jump balling EVERYONE at will. Loved watching him play