Is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco finally running out of chances? An ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago had everybody wondering when it may be time to start considering a change, but the Ravens weren’t going to go there just yet. Then, a divisional loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers riled up the Baltimore fan base.
For years now, the Ravens have been getting by with a serviceable Joe Flacco. So, he won them a Super Bowl. Big deal. What has he done for them lately, though? The Ravens know that Flacco’s time is almost up. Hence the reason why they traded back into the first round to draft Louisville quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
With Jackson breathing down Flacco’s neck, he got off to a rather stellar start to 2018. But all good things must come to an end. And Flacco’s hot start for 2018 looks like it is finished. On Sunday against the Steelers, Flacco threw 37 passes while averaging only 5.5 yards-per-pass with zero touchdowns. Oh, and I must mention that Flacco had Lamar Jackson open for a touchdown during a red zone drive where Flacco completely missed him.
Does Flacco Ignore Jackson? Or Miss Him?
Lamar Jackson was WIDE OPEN on 3rd and Goal, but Joe Flacco didn’t see him
A wide-open Lamar Jackson was waving his arms and almost practically jumping up and down to get the attention of the quarterback. In case you missed it, Flacco didn’t even look his way. Ravens fans were far from pleased with Flacco’s mistake, and they are also quite disappointed with his performance as a whole.
After the loss, everybody called for the benching of Flacco. People are sick of seeing him be mediocre, or below-average. There’s a hungry rookie quarterback who’s ready to eat. The Ravens may play Jackson for running plays only, but everybody is tired of the trickery. They want to see the rookie get his chance to play quarterback on a full-time basis.
Is the Benching Coming Soon?
Asked if he would consider starting Lamar Jackson at QB, John Harbaugh said: “Joe’s played well, so I don’t want to get into all of that. We’re rolling right now with what we got. Of course, at some point in time, this guy [Jackson] is a quarterback.”
Even though everybody is calling for the benching of Flacco, it’s not going to happen just yet. According to Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley, Flacco is going to remain the starter. While this isn’t what everybody wants to hear, this decision makes sense. Maybe not for everybody else, but for the Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh.
With Harbaugh rumored to be on the seat, there’s no room for errors. If he decides to switch from a veteran quarterback to a rookie midway through the season, he won’t get any slack for mistakes. Looking at the history of quarterbacks in their rookie years, they are bound to make mistakes. They are not perfect, and that’s just the way it goes. So, as long as Harbaugh is the coach for this year, and Flacco isn’t a turnover machine, he’s going to roll with what he’s got for now.
However, if Flacco remains consistently below-average moving forward, Harbaugh will have to come to the realization that replacing Flacco is all he’s got. Then at that point, he will be on his very last leg for his tenure with the Ravens. And the ball will be in Jackson’s court. For now, though, Flacco will stay under center.
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Joe Flacco: How Much Longer Does Ravens QB Have before Benching?