Heading into his 15th season in the NFL and second stint with the New York Jets, former Baltimore Ravens franchise quarterback Joe Flacco is slated to play against the team that he played the first 11 years of his career and won a Superbowl with for the first time in Week 1 of the 2022 regular season.
The Jets will host the Ravens at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2022, and with the availability of their second-year signal caller, Zach Wilson, in doubt after sustaining a knee bruise and torn meniscus according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Flacco will likely be one under center for their starting offense.
When asked if the possibility of facing his former team has crossed or been heavy on his mind, the 37-year-old seasoned veteran didn’t overblow or deny the significance of the opportunity.
“I’ve definitely thought about that a little bit, like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s not going to be a big deal.’ But I’m going to know deep down … I’m going to try to make sure it’s not the biggest deal in the world, but at the same time, I’ve been through it enough, I’ve seen guys go through it,” Flacco said in a press conference on August 14, 2022. “It’s a different thing.”
Joe Flacco weighs in on potentially starting for the Jets against the Ravens in Week 1, saying that he’s thought about it “a tiny bit”
Revenge Game Mindset
He has witnessed firsthand what it’s like for some of his teammates that got the opportunity to play against their former teams that they spent the vast majority of their respective careers with. Flacco noticed the difference in their intensity, demeanor, and preparation leading up to those highly anticipated matchups.
In Week 4 of the 2014 season, he had a front-row seat and played a part in former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith torching his former team to the tune of seven receptions, 139 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. After spending the first 13 years of his career with the Carolina Panthers in which he made five Pro Bowls and earned two First-Team All-Pro nods, the two parties had a less than ceremonious parting of ways and Smith unleashed his fury in an iconic performance.
“Make sure you mow my lawn too while you’re out there!”
There’s only one Agent 89. 🕵
“I’ll never forget that day. He was on another planet,” Flacco said with a chuckle. “It worked out good for him. It can probably go both ways.”
Perspective from Coaches
Since Flacco spent over a decade in Baltimore and led the 2012 team to the second championship in franchise history and most of the organization’s infrastructure has stayed intact since he was traded in the 2019 offseason. While several members of the coaching staff are very familiar with him, they also know that they’ll still need to do their homework and be prepared for whoever the Jets have under center.
In a press conference on August 14, 2022, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said that the history between Flacco and the franchise “doesn’t have anything to do with it” in terms of their approach to the game.
“You’ve got to be ready for him in case he’s in there, for sure,” Macdonald said. “But there’s more to be done, rather than just knowing that he would be a backup.”
Head coach John Harbaugh’s legacy is just as intertwined with Flacco as it is with his current franchise quarterback, Lamar Jackson. The two enjoyed tremendous success together in the first half of his tenure at the helm of the team and Flacco’s career. They made playoffs in six of their first seven years together and were one of the most feared teams come late in the season but especially in January.
He respectfully downplayed the significance of the possibility that the two might be facing each other for the first time on opposing sidelines and said that they will “prepare for all the quarterbacks” but did show his Flacco some much-deserved love.
“Once a Raven, always a Raven,” Harbaugh said in a press conference on August 15, 2022. “We’ve got a lot of respect for Joe – and great family. But at this point in time, we’re preparing for the players on the Jets and the schemes and the things that they do, and that will be part of it.”
The team doesn’t view their familiarity with Flacco as an advantage in the advance scouting process because of how much time has elapsed since he last played for the team but has enjoyed watching him from afar.
“He has been playing for three of four years now away from us, and he’s had some great moments,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve seen him on TV a few times. We’ve never played against his team yet, I don’t believe, but it’s been fun watching him, [and] it will be different when you play against him as an opponent. We haven’t done that yet.”
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Ex-Ravens QB Shares Thoughts on Possibly Playing Former Team