FanNation - The Republic of Sport

When QB Joe Flacco was drafted with the 18th pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Raven Nation erupted into Flacco Frenzy. It was all Flacco, all the time, despite the Ravens' insistence that fans not dump all their frustrations and expectations onto his 6'6" frame, at least not yet.

Flacco, the first-round pick out of the University of Delaware, was supposed to have a chance to develop into the quarterback of the future, a luxury that former - and perhaps short-term future - starter Kyle Boller never had. Thrust into the role of "The Man" prematurely, Boller didn't blossom as the team hoped, and the Ravens didn't want to make the same mistake with Flacco.

But last night, in the third preseason game in St. Louis, it was once again all Flacco, all the time.

It wasn't Coach Harbaugh's game plan. Heisman winner Troy Smith, from Ohio State, was supposed to get his shot at the start. I must admit that I loved him at OSU and was thrilled when he was picked up by the Ravens, even though it meant former Bruin Drew Olsen had to be left behind. I wanted to see Smith make the most of last night's chance.

But when I turned on the tv about six minutes into the Ravens-Rams game, it wasn't Troy Smith taking the snap; it was Flacco. Turns out Smith's chance - perhaps his best chance - to win the starting job was thwarted by a virus, and six-year veteran KB, who would be the logical choice to step in, couldn't throw the ball because of a sore shoulder. Smith must've been some kind of sick to miss that opportunity, and KB must've had one heck of a sore shoulder to miss the chance to solidify his position.

So the Ravens turned to their "emergency starter," Joe Flacco. Good or bad, he was "The Man" a bit ahead of schedule, even if it was just for one game, simply because he was, literally, the only man for the job.

It doesn't put the Ravens in an ideal position - two weeks before the season-opener without a clear cut choice for QB - but I think it was a pretty sweet deal for Joe Flacco. Where Troy Smith would've felt intense pressure to prove he should lead the team on Sept. 7, Flacco's biggest goals were not getting hurt, because there was no one to come in for him, and not making a huge mess of things. The game may have looked a mess but it wasn't really Flacco's fault as he went 18 for 36, throwing for 151 yards with a touchdown (the team's first TD pass of the year) and no interceptions. He didn't make a case for himself as the short-term starter, but he didn't need to; he simply made a respectable rookie showing.

Troy Smith might've missed his opportunity because of a nasty virus, but it put Flacco in a good situation. Because he's not part of the competition to start the Sept. 7 game, he was able to avoid the most intense, even harsh, scrutiny Smith and Boller have faced. He got to run the team that, presumably, will someday be his.

He'd been the rookie in for one quarter in each of the previous games, coming in to wrap things up for KB and Smith. But this time, it was his game. He still looked like a rookie, but he was able to gain some composure, having an entire game to settle in. There were, of course, plenty of passes he shouldn't have thrown, but there were also a number that should've been caught. There were times when his inexperience was visible, but also times when he stood up and made the plays he needed to make.

Last night, with the game unexpectedly shoved into his hands, Joe Flacco had to take charge, if only temporarily. And he did his job, showing that while he's not quite ready to take over, he has the potential to be "The Man" in the future, which is precisely why the Ravens drafted him.