[h=3]by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY[/h]Updated
BALTIMORE -- Finally a real reason to be "Wacko for Flacco."
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in action against the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.
For the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, the season opener wasn't perfect. There were ill-advised passes and near interceptions. And it wasnâ??t expedient -- the planned no-huddle offense moved slower than planned.
But after 60 minutes of football in 2012, and a 44-13 Ravens victory over Cincinnati, Joe Flacco's offseason assertion that he belongs in the league's pantheon of passers doesn't seem so ridiculous.
Coming off a fourth season popularly deemed a regression, Flacco threw for 299 yards, completed 21 of his 29 passes and tossed two scores -- a 34-yard beauty to Anquan Boldin, and a 10-yarder to Dennis Pitta.
His 128.4 passer rating was better than any game lastseason, which he finished with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and later told a Baltimore radio station that he wasnâ??t merely one of the top fivequarterbacks in the league: "I think I'm the best."
Granted, there are still quarterbacks named Manning (two ofthem), Brady, Brees and Rodgers in the league, but Flacco looked elite on several throws Monday, particularly on a second-quarter sideline fade route to Jacoby Jones that cleared an outstretched defenders fingers and set up Boldin's touchdown grab.
Flacco had a few lucky breaks on a charmed Monday night, too. A bad second-quarter pass into traffic was nearly intercepted by Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, and a desperation red-zone flip to Ray Rice in thethird quarter was batted up and almost picked off.
While it's a bit too early to crown Flacco, it's not brash to call the Ravens favorites, especially in the AFC North.
Good signs:
The maturation and return to health of Pitta, the tight end who had five catches, 73 yards and a touchdown.
Four sacks for a pass rush missing 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, out with an Achilles injury.
Fourteen tackles and a sack from slimmed-down, 37-year old linebacker Ray Lewis.
Great push from a reshuffled offensive line, which included Ramon Harewood in his first start at guard and Kelechi Osemele at right tackle. Michael Oher moved from right to left tackle, replacing Bryant McKinnie.
Rookie free agent kicker Justin Tucker went 5-for-5 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals with a 46-yarder to start the scoring.
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BALTIMORE -- Finally a real reason to be "Wacko for Flacco."
Mitch Stringer, US Presswire
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in action against the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in action against the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.
For the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, the season opener wasn't perfect. There were ill-advised passes and near interceptions. And it wasnâ??t expedient -- the planned no-huddle offense moved slower than planned.
But after 60 minutes of football in 2012, and a 44-13 Ravens victory over Cincinnati, Joe Flacco's offseason assertion that he belongs in the league's pantheon of passers doesn't seem so ridiculous.
Coming off a fourth season popularly deemed a regression, Flacco threw for 299 yards, completed 21 of his 29 passes and tossed two scores -- a 34-yard beauty to Anquan Boldin, and a 10-yarder to Dennis Pitta.
His 128.4 passer rating was better than any game lastseason, which he finished with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and later told a Baltimore radio station that he wasnâ??t merely one of the top fivequarterbacks in the league: "I think I'm the best."
Granted, there are still quarterbacks named Manning (two ofthem), Brady, Brees and Rodgers in the league, but Flacco looked elite on several throws Monday, particularly on a second-quarter sideline fade route to Jacoby Jones that cleared an outstretched defenders fingers and set up Boldin's touchdown grab.
Flacco had a few lucky breaks on a charmed Monday night, too. A bad second-quarter pass into traffic was nearly intercepted by Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, and a desperation red-zone flip to Ray Rice in thethird quarter was batted up and almost picked off.
While it's a bit too early to crown Flacco, it's not brash to call the Ravens favorites, especially in the AFC North.
Good signs:
The maturation and return to health of Pitta, the tight end who had five catches, 73 yards and a touchdown.
Four sacks for a pass rush missing 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, out with an Achilles injury.
Fourteen tackles and a sack from slimmed-down, 37-year old linebacker Ray Lewis.
Great push from a reshuffled offensive line, which included Ramon Harewood in his first start at guard and Kelechi Osemele at right tackle. Michael Oher moved from right to left tackle, replacing Bryant McKinnie.
Rookie free agent kicker Justin Tucker went 5-for-5 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals with a 46-yarder to start the scoring.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.