21-Nov-2009 04:38am
 
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Ravens rookie Flacco poised to shine in Miami

By DAVID GINSBURG - AP Sports Writer
    2008-12-30 15:30

BALTIMORE (AP) -Joe Flacco has started 16 games this year, so maybe it's time to stop calling him a rookie.

Heck, he never even looked the part anyway.

Thrust into the role as Baltimore Ravens quarterback shortly before his first NFL season, Flacco threw 14 touchdown passes, amassed 2,971 yards passing and showed uncanny poise in the pocket.

``Everybody else wants to say he's just a rookie. Joe, to me, is a very mature kid,'' Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. ``He's a guy who understands the game of football. If you watch him play enough, that's what you can appreciate about Joe Flacco.''

Flacco is a big reason the Ravens went from 5-11 in 2007 to 11-5 this year. But his accomplishments thus far won't mean a thing when he walks onto the field Sunday in Miami for his initial foray into the postseason.

``Joe, he's been playing really well,'' Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. ``We just hope he doesn't start playing like a rookie in the playoffs.''

Not likely. For Baltimore, the postseason essentially began last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game the Ravens needed to win to earn a playoff berth. Flacco went 17-for-23 for 297 yards, including completions of 48, 39, 36 and 25 yards.

His headiest play occurred in the second quarter on a 16-yarder to Derrick Mason. After taking a lateral from Le'Ron McClain on a flea-flicker, Flacco realized the long man on the route, Mark Clayton, was covered. So he calmly went to his second option, Mason, and five plays later Baltimore owned a 10-point lead in what turned into a 27-7 rout.

Not bad for a guy who performed in college at the University of Delaware against such teams as Towson, Hofstra and Northern Iowa.

``It's football,'' said Flacco, who like Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan guided his team into the postseason. ``As long as you have trust in the other guys, that they're going to do the job for you, you just have to go out there and hold up your end of it. And that's what we've done all year.''

The Ravens received some criticism on draft day when they dealt three picks to the Houston Texans to move up eight spots and grab Flacco with the 18th overall selection.

Flacco justified the move far sooner than expected.

Deemed Baltimore's ``quarterback of the future'' by Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome on draft day, Flacco was slated to be third on the depth chart this year. Then, before the third preseason game, Kyle Boller sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and backup Troy Smith began a monthlong bout with a viral infection.

That made Flacco the starter by default. He insisted he was ready to play in the NFL, and it didn't take long for him to prove it.

He began his career by leading Baltimore past Cincinnati and Cleveland. There are several quarterbacks with better numbers, but few have adjusted as well to a new offensive scheme or improved so dramatically over the course of the season. Thanks to Flacco, the Ravens no longer have to rely solely on their stout defense to win.

``I felt like I was comfortable against Cincinnati, but obviously as the weeks go on - and we're 17 weeks into the season now - you grow as an offense,'' he said. ``To grow like we have, it's really good to see. We're going to try to continue that over the next four weeks.''

Can a rookie quarterback get his team to the Super Bowl? Then again, is this guy really a rookie anymore?

``Joe has come a long way. It's like night and day,'' said Boller, who almost certainly won't be back next season because the Ravens have found their quarterback.

``Seeing him now, he's ready for the playoffs,'' Boller said.

To Flacco, it's just another game.

``Five weeks from now,'' he said, ``hopefully I'll be able to look around and say, 'Is this real?' I haven't done that yet, and I'm not really planning on doing that until then.''


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