ESPN was doing some of their usual time filler stuff today and they had a number of their guys rank the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Merril Hoge was among those guys and he really likes the Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco.
Unlike his more sensible colleague (and a former quarterback himself) Tim Hasselbeck, who put Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers No. 1 on his list, Hoge went against convention and logic.
When he was questioned about his rankings, Hoge — a former running back who’s currently brain dead — stood by his pick, saying Joe Flacco is the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback “without a question.”
Although he had Rodgers No. 2 on his list, if you take a closer look, you’ll see just how bunk his list is. Hoge’s top five doesn’t include Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. Hoge put Matt Ryan and Ben Roethlisberger ahead of both of those guys.
If you’re looking for a barometer, Hasselbeck didn’t list Flacco in his top five. We wouldn’t put him in our top five either.
Hoge seems to use the logic that because Flacco’s team just won four playoff games, that’s enough to make him the top signal caller in the NFL.
Flacco was indeed pretty solid in the playoffs, but let’s look at where he ranked in the regular season.
- Yards — 14th
- Touchdowns — 15th
- Rating — 12th
- Completion percentage — 19th
Joe Flacco is a perfectly average NFL quarterback who played well — not spectacularly — at the right time.
(Via TBL)
What do you expect from a grown man who wears oversized clown ties to work every day?
No one thought Rodgers was that good until after the Superbowl either. He didn’t even make the probowl that year. See how that works?
Right, everyone who knew nothing about football didn’t think Rodgers was very good before 2010.
Those people were blissfully unaware of him being the first QB in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in his first two seasons.
Bingo
Not sure how anybody can put Matt Ryan ahead of Flacco, even before this playoff run. He should’ve been in the Super Bowl last year and at least the AFC title game the year before if Houshmanzadeh doesn’t drop a 4th down ball that hits him in the hands. 11 touchdowns, no INTs speaks for itself. Bringing up regular season rankings is kind of pointless.
Rodgers’ play in 2011 was beyond elite as well as his career stats. Compare Rodgers’ stats to Joe Flacco’s. See how that works?
I would put Matt Ryan ahead of Flacco right now, though I wouldn’t argue too hard with someone having it the other way. Wins in the playoffs, like wins at any other time are over-weighted. Teams win games, not QBs.
Both those jokers’ list were idiotic. Hasselbeck had Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick in his top 10.
These guys’ minds change with the week.
Flacco enters the top 10 with his playoff performance. #7 is about right.
I now think Flacco is better than Ryan-he has as many playoff wins in his first 4 years as Brady (I believe 11, which is ridiculous). As for the top 10 QBs, after Rodgers, Brady, Manning and Brees, a solid case could be made for Ryan, Flacco, RG III, Eli, Luck, Kaepernick, Wilson, Big Ben, and maybe even Stafford.
Seeing that the Packers once won 26 games in a row, I don’t see how Aaron Rodgers can’t be #1. Joe Falco is just one person. 11 guys are on the field at one time. Some go in motion, some have to be on the line of scrimmage, some get to stand still and some get to snap the ball. Joe Falco was just lucky enough that the middle guy with the ball shot it to him every play or we’d be talking about Jim Rice being the best cornerback.
Good post… in a David Lynch sense.
OK, Matt Ryan and his annual playoff implosion make him better than Joe Flacco. In that case, Alex Smith is probably right in that group as well. Should Baltimore let Flacco walk and sign Smith for a bargain basement price then?
One game doesn’t make a QB better or worse.
By that logic Trent Dilfer was a better QB than Dan Marino. The FALCONS implode in the playoffs, not Matt Ryan. Actually, Ryan played pretty well through the playoffs this year.
Ryan is a better QB because of what he does game in and game out. But like I said, its close. No big argument either way.
Alex Smith is in the exact group he belongs in- the bench sitters.
Alex Smith sux. He is currently in the group he belongs
Heh…not one game, four games.
(1) Indy, (2) Denver, (3) New England, (4) San Francisco
Joe outplayed Luck, Manning, Brady and on fire Cap in the playoffs. Your Dilfer/Marion analogy is criminally oversimplification. It also makes no sense.
Flacco did a good job. It was clear that the Ravens defense almost lost and just won that game. Great win and a defense that is tested. Our defense looked like that recently and hopefully will play at a higher level next season. Hoge is full of crap…Steven A. would of told him he was crazy!
My favorite Matt Ryan playoff moments were the pick 6 to Tramon Williams, followed by the goose egg against the Giants last year, followed by that great shotgun fumble against San Fran. I think the only time Flacco really let his team down in the playoffs by himself was his rookie year and that was in an AFC title game in Pittsburgh that he wasn’t even supposed to be playing in. 11 playoff wins to 1 playoff win is a stupid argument. Matty Deuce is just that, a big piece of deuce.
I am not comparing wins because again teams win games, not quarterbacks. By that measure Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are both better QBs than Aaron Rodgers.
The shotgun fumble against San Fran was a classic though, and inexcusable.
I’m not comparing wins only. It’s worth pointing out that Flacco has also lost more games than Ryan in the playoffs but it’s rarely due to him falling apart at a key point in the game like it has been with Matt Ryan. People don’t blame Aaron Rodgers for his playoff losses because his defenses have been playing the role of “Matt Ryan” 3 of the last 4 years for his team.