Joe Flacco is my starting quarterback

I admit it folks; Joe Flacco is my starting quarterback not because I am a risk taker but because I genuinely believe in his talents.

In 2008, he made his mark as the 8th rookie quarterback in history to start a playoff game.

Let's add to that amazing stat; in that same playoff run he rallied his team to take two road wins and etched the history books again as the only rookie QB to win two playoff games.

This was Flacco after 16 regular season games in his rookie year back in 2008.

 
While you can find articles expressing the same sentiment as myself elsewhere, it seems that newcomers Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford have dominated the headlines along with the usual suspects Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Rightfully so, Brady and Manning deserve the type of attention they receive because of their sheer talent.

Meanwhile, our friend Joe Flacco quietly builds himself into the face of the NFL in the next five to 10 years.

 
One of Joe Flacco's biggest limitations in his first two seasons in Baltimore was his ability to make difficult throws over the middle.

The man has a cannon on his right shoulder, and throws the comeback and out routes better than most NFL quarterbacks. But he has struggled cramming the ball into tight spaces between the hash marks (as we saw in the playoff loss to the Colts). For Flacco to take the next step and become a top-10 quarterback this season, he will have to effectively work the middle of the field.

So far in training camp, Flacco has impressed me with his ability to do just that. He's getting through his progressions quicker and showing more courage and accuracy when throwing over the middle. Of course, having Anquan Boldin and two big-bodied, pass-catching tight ends around probably helps, too.

Flacco still has work to do, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday morning that he's seeing progress from his quarterback. Harbaugh was pleased with the chemistry Flacco is developing with his receivers.