There was sizeable likely for awkwardness, friction even.
In a single corner, with a battered hip, sat the most accomplished quarterback in Ravens historical past — a former Tremendous Bowl Most Precious Participant and a person-time proprietor of the richest contract in NFL heritage. In the other sat the team’s most modern initial-spherical decide — a Heisman Trophy winner with stunning legs and a suspect arm, at the very least if you listened to his sharpest critics.
Involving them lay the fate of a group that had not created the playoffs in 4 decades. Would mentor John Harbaugh continue to be with the rookie, Lamar Jackson, or go again to Joe Flacco, the calm hand who’d won him so numerous major online games?
Harbaugh texted Flacco on a Tuesday early morning to inform him the news he would share with the environment the up coming day: Jackson would be the Ravens’ starter going forward. “Every decision is based on what can make us the strongest possible group we can be,” Harbaugh explained to reporters.
With this blunt assertion on Dec. 12, 2018, he kicked off a new period of Ravens football, a single that has involved gaudy normal-period data, innumerable Jackson highlights and less playoff achievement than the staff attained in the initial five yrs of Flacco’s run.
The Ravens will experience their former quarterback for the first time Sunday when he fills in as beginning quarterback for the New York Jets in the 2022 period opener. This sets up an inevitable time of reflection on what the workforce obtained with Flacco, what it may reach with Jackson and on the instant of changeover from a person quarterback to the other.
Jackson and Flacco never ever came off as shut over their calendar year with each other in Baltimore. When the Ravens traded for the final select in the initial round to choose Jackson, they established a loudly ticking clock on the remainder of Flacco’s time with the franchise. It was just that no one particular realized precisely when the alarm would go off. The two males are 12 yrs aside in age and almost as significantly apart in demeanor: Flacco so understated that teammates and coaches make pleasurable of him for it, Jackson easygoing but boisterous. As quarterbacks, they could not be far more distinct: Flacco the thrower of wonderful balls from a preset placement in the pocket, Jackson one particular of the most fluid improvisers we have at any time found on a football industry.
For all that separated them, having said that, Flacco and Jackson dealt with the 2018 time gracefully. The rookie spoke deferentially, constantly reminding us that Flacco had been where by he needed to go. The veteran mentioned he was not ready to concede his starting spot but that he admired the way Jackson ran the crew when he had to phase in.
“They equally taken care of it great,” Harbaugh recalled. “If I believe back again rapidly, Lamar was energized to be with Joe and study from Joe, in phrases of what Joe could educate him as a quarterback, and he did a good occupation, I thought. Joe was terrific with Lamar Joe supported him and helped him, and even at the stop there — when Joe came back again and Lamar was the quarterback — Joe was extremely supportive of him there.”
This extended to the team’s dwelling playoff loss towards the Los Angeles Chargers, in which Jackson played poorly and read loud boos from fans who preferred Flacco inserted in relief. “If you try to remember the story in the playoffs, Joe preferred Lamar to remain in the match there,” Harbaugh claimed.
The decision to swap quarterbacks commenced organically. Flacco experienced started out the year effectively, but the Ravens have been about to shed their fourth video game in 5 weeks when Pittsburgh Steelers defensive finish Stephon Tuitt drove him to the ground and injured his hip. Flacco performed the relaxation of that afternoon but was out when the Ravens returned two weeks afterwards towards the Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson was the starter simply because he had to be, but the group remodeled with him at its heart, successful his 1st 3 begins and surpassing 200 rushing yards in every of all those online games.
By the time Flacco was all set to enjoy again, the Ravens experienced a apparent path to the playoffs, and Jackson was the most clear rationale. Harbaugh designed the unsentimental determination to adhere with what was doing work.
“It’s not effortless standing on that sideline, understanding that you have no hand in what is likely on,” Flacco mentioned at the time. “But … you have to be a expert about it.”
Perhaps for the reason that of the way Flacco and Jackson performed them selves, teammates by no means felt they had to choose a camp.
“They ended up both excessive execs about it,” limited end Nick Boyle said. “Stuff like that takes place all about the NFL, and a whole lot of periods, it is a substantial media thing, a large turmoil thing inside of the locker home. But Joe managed it awesomely, Lamar dealt with it awesomely, and I believe they nonetheless have a great romance.”
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey famous that even though the transition transpired just four several years ago, it feels like a lifetime in NFL phrases (only 12 latest Ravens were on the roster in 2018). “I kind of bear in mind it going on seamlessly,” he reported. “I assume Joe received harm, so it was variety of an damage matter, and then Lamar started winning all these games and we have been just driving behind him. … I just don't forget it staying a minor odd, for the reason that when I got here, Joe was the QB, Tremendous Bowl MVP, experienced finished a lot. So, it was intriguing in that issue, but as considerably as how it went, I believed both of those guys handled it really properly.”
The Ravens have not appeared back again. They finished with the league’s most effective file in Jackson’s 1st comprehensive season as the starter, and he was named Most Important Participant, an individual honor Flacco hardly ever arrived near to winning. They built the playoffs once again in 2020 and held the AFC’s leading seed final time just before injuries, like 1 to Jackson’s ankle, dismantled them.
Flacco did not fare as very well, likely 2-6 in just one partial season as a starter for the Denver Broncos right before returning to the East Coastline as a seasoned backup for the Jets, who are hoping 2021 initially-spherical decide on Zach Wilson is their quarterback of the foreseeable future. At 37, with the end of his job probably drawing close to, Flacco is the similar steady existence.
“He’s been the similar because the working day I satisfied him,” Jets coach Robert Saleh claimed on a meeting connect with with Baltimore reporters. “I’m positive you fellas are acquainted with his persona he’s really even-keeled, very same guy each individual one working day, does a fantastic work in planning, extremely likable in the locker home, and he’s just been a extremely calming pressure, if you will, just managing the offense.”
What do Flacco and Jackson, the principals in the drama (or non-drama) of 2018, think of each and every other now?
“He intended a whole lot [to me],” Jackson mentioned. “Playing with a Super Bowl quarterback, observing what he did on the field, stuff like that, how he took aside the game, took apart exercise and things like that. Looking at him sling the ball from a person facet of the industry to the upcoming facet of the area, from our 20 [-yard line] to the opposite opponent’s 20 [-yard line] … It was absurd. It will be great viewing him.”
In a common narrative twist, Jackson is now in the place Flacco was getting into the 2012 period, participating in on the previous yr of his rookie agreement with no extension signed and a probably elite team on his shoulders. That scenario led to Flacco’s defining achievement: a flawless run by way of the playoffs capped by his MVP performance in Tremendous Bowl XLVII and a history contract quickly after.
Flacco laughed a short while ago on the Jets’ formal podcast when former teammate Bart Scott recommended Jackson may possibly “harness his interior Joe Flacco” by betting on himself. But he does not be expecting to converse deal when they see each and every other Sunday.
“I’m confident that will not appear up,” he mentioned. “Lamar’s a excellent child, and I’m confident he’ll be anxious about just actively playing the football sport.”
Week 1
RAVENS@JETS
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Tv: Chs. 13, 9
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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