Tag: Joe Flacco

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels can make NFL history vs. Eagles

Jayden Daniels has a chance to make NFL history on Sunday.

My phone vibrated Monday morning. When I looked, I noticed a text from a good friend.

While driving early Monday, he was listening to a radio station. The host said something that really grabbed his attention, which made him think of me, a Commanders fan.

He texted me, telling me how impressed he was that Commanders’ Jayden Daniels has a good opportunity to become the sixth NFL rookie QB to start this year’s Super Bowl.

He was shocked when I replied, “Actually, no NFL rookie QB has ever started a Super Bowl.” Another exchange, and then I realized he had heard the radio host being confused, thus leading to my friend’s confusion.

It’s not all that uncommon, actually. In his first year of NFL experience, Daniels became the sixth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game. However, because the station was not a sports station, the host incorrectly said “Super Bowl” instead of “conference championship game.”

For the record, who are the five NFL rookie quarterbacks who have started a conference championship game?

  1. Shaun King: In 1999, King started for the Buccaneers with the third-best scoring defense. They lost to the Rams in St Louis 11-6 in a defensive struggle.
  2. Ben Roethlisberger: The 2004 Steelers with the top-scoring defense in the NFL. But they lost by 14 to the Patriots (41-27).
  3. Joe Flacco: The Ravens in 2008 went 11-5, having the third-best scoring defense. But they lost to the Steelers 23-14.
  4. Mark Sanchez: The 2009 Jets, with the No.1 scoring defense, fell to the Colts 30-19 in the AFC title game.
  5. Brock Purdy: The 2022 49ers had the best scoring defense in the NFL. However, they lost to the Eagles 31-7 in the NFC championship.

The dominant characteristic of those teams was their defense being among the best or the very best during the particular season; they were led on offense by the rookie quarterback. Yet, all lost the conference title game.

The 2024 Commanders? The Commanders did have the 5th scoring offense, but their scoring defense was all the way down at 18th.

In conclusion, those teams were led by a dominant defense in all five cases above. The Commanders, the exact opposite is the case. They are actually led by their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels.

 

Browns have these two former players to thank for additional draft picks

The Browns are set to receive three compensatory picks thanks to these players.

The Cleveland Browns will receive three additional 2025 NFL draft picks, and they can thank former players Joe Flacco and Jordan Elliott for that.

Nick Korte at Over the Cap has estimated each team’s compensatory picks, using a formula that balances competition based on talent lost versus talent gained in free agency. According to his calculations, the Browns will receive two additional sixth-round picks and one seventh-round pick.

After the conclusion of talent added and talent lost for the Browns in 2024 free agency, the losses of Flacco and Elliott were not canceled out. An additional seventh round pick was not canceled out as well.

Flacco signed with the Indianapolis Colts this past offseason after his NFL Comeback Player of the Year revitalization in Cleveland, while Elliott signed with the San Francisco 49ers after four years with the Browns. The Browns currently have 11 picks in the 2025 NFL draft. This includes three sixth round picks now.

When’s the last time Steelers played Ravens in NFL playoffs? What fans need to know

The Steelers and Ravens will take their rivalry to 2024’s AFC Wild-Card round. Here’s a look back at their thrilling postseason history.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens this Saturday, January 11, 2024, in this season’s Wild-Card round of the playoffs. The Steel City has faced its AFC North rivals four times previously, and the postseason history between these two foes is rich with competitive spirit. Here is a historical look at how the previous four playoff meetings between the Steelers and Ravens played out.

2001 Playoffs: Divisional Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers faced the reigning Super Bowl XXXV champions, the Baltimore Ravens, in the divisional round of the 2001 playoffs on January 20, 2002. It was the first postseason meeting between the two teams, and Pittsburgh made sure to end the Ravens’ aspirations of back-to-back Super Bowl victories with a 27-10 Steelers win. One Steeler who stood out was none other than RB Amos Zereoué, who helped seal the victory with two rushing touchdowns on the night.

2008 Playoffs: AFC Championship Game

The second meeting between these AFC North rivals took place during the 2008 season in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2009. Once again, the Black and Gold ended the Ravens’ playoff hopes, sending Baltimore packing with a 23-14 Steelers victory. This game featured one of the most iconic plays in Steelers postseason history, as SS Troy Polamalu intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco and returned it 40 yards for a pick-six late in the fourth quarter.

2010 Playoffs: Divisional Round

Pittsburgh’s postseason dominance over Baltimore continued in the 2010 season’s divisional round on January 15, 2011. The Ravens gave the Steel City a tough fight, but the Steelers ultimately prevailed, securing the Pittsburgh victory, 31-24. One of the standout performances of the game came from FS Ryan Clark, who forced a fumble on Ravens RB Ray Rice and intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

2014 Playoffs: Wild-Card Round

All good things must come to an end, and so did the Steelers’ perfect postseason record against the Ravens on January 3, 2015, in the 2014 season’s Wild-Card round. There was little for the Black and Gold faithful to cheer for in this matchup, as both the offense and defense struggled mightily, leading to a 30-17 Steelers loss. A bright spot for Pittsburgh was K Shaun Suisham, who accounted for nine of the team’s 17 total points.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

QB Joe Flacco highlights mindset Colts need to find success

When meeting with the media, QB Joe Flacco highlighted the type of mindset that the Colts need to have in 2025 to find success.

When speaking with reporters following the Indianapolis Colts’ season finale win over the Jaguars, quarterback Joe Flacco was asked how close this team was to taking the next step and getting over that playoff hump.

As an upcoming free agent, Flacco could have given the cliché answer, detailing how close the team is and if a few things went differently the season could have ended up being more successful.

But that isn’t the route Flacco went. Instead, he was upfront and highlighted the proper mindset that the Colts need to have going forward.

“When you’re 8-9, there’s probably a ton of spots where you could look and convince yourself that we were almost there,” Flacco said. “I don’t necessarily think that’s the right mindset. I don’t think we should be trying to trick ourselves into thinking that we’re almost there. I think we should acknowledge, ‘Yeah, we are almost there, but we’re not there.’ I think when you acknowledge that, you free yourself up to get better and take that next step.”

While Flacco was asked about the 2024 season and what’s ahead in 2025, his answer highlights what went wrong this year as well.

Coming off a 9-8 season in 2023 where the Colts again missed the playoffs, GM Chris Ballard chose to keep the status quo and ran back basically an identical team in 2024.

Rather than really honing on what kept the Colts from being a playoff team in 2023, the focus seemingly was, as Flacco described, on all the areas where Indianapolis felt close. And the result was not a step forward this season, but a step backwards.

In order to avoid the same thing happening again in 2025, as I wrote about recently, Ballard and the Colts need to lean heavily into creating competition on this roster, which hopefully sparks growth instead of regression.

John Harbaugh is thinking New Orleans, Ravens want Super Bowl LIX

Baltimore Ravens HC John Harbaugh has his eyes on New Orleans and Super Bowl LIX, where he won the Lombardi in 2013.

It’s personal for Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in 2025.

Having won Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans just over a decade ago, Harbaugh believes his team can make it right back to the Big Easy this upcoming February.

“Dial in,” he said. “Let’s go.”


Harbaugh didn’t have the superstar talent that is quarterback Lamar Jackson, nor running back Derrick Henry, at his disposal back then of course. His 2012 championship roster relied on the leadership of Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis and the sudden elite play of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to get him over the hump.

As the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff picture, it is likely that the Ravens will end up playing a road match up to, if and when, they make it to the AFC Championship Game.

For Harbaugh, playing on the road in the postseason isn’t particularly a bad thing though. During the last Ravens’ Super Bowl run, the team defeated both Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the road before advancing to the big game.

In Harbaugh’s way in 2025 stands terrific head coaches: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott, and Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid, to name a few.

Ultimately, Harbaugh is tired of consistently being the guy of almost could. Instead, this time, he wants to prove wants and for all that the Ravens franchise made the right decision by staying faithful to him for all of these years. He can do that if he just keeps his eyes on the prize, which would yield him a second Super Bowl title.

Jaguars vs. Colts: Key matchups

Jaguars vs. Colts: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars season is coming to a close as they travel to Indianapolis with a chance to end the year on a high note against the Colts.

It’s been a rocky year for the organization. The team that owner Shad Khan called the most talented Jaguars team ever cratered to a lock in the first 10 slots in April’s NFL draft.

Furthermore, this could be head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke’s last game in their respective positions.

A lot of change should be on the way in Jacksonville. Yet, there is a game to be played as the Jaguars hope to secure their fifth victory of the campaign.

For the final time this season, Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups ahead of the Jaguars’ matchup against the Colts.

Jaguars defense vs. Colts quarterback Joe Flacco

Entering the season, the Jaguars’ defense was supposed to be a strength and was boldly predicted to be a top-10 unit in 2024. Instead, it’s been one of the worst in the league right alongside the Carolina Panthers.

This week presents an opportunity for Jacksonville’s defense to end on a strong note. The unit’s play in recent weeks has gotten better thanks to improved discipline, the development of rookie interior linemen Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson, and the production of pass rush duo of Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.

This front will be taking on a Colts offense that has allowed the eighth-highest pressure rate in the NFL at 37.8 percent, according to Next Gen Stats. With Joe Flacco and the lack of mobility will allow the Jaguars to be more aggressive at attacking the QB and could evolve an increase in blitzes from defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

Flacco has his moments in the sun but is prone to mistakes as of late. If the Jaguars want to end the year right, getting home on the veteran signal-caller and forcing him into bad decisions will be key.

Hines-Allen will be unavailable for the game due to personal reasons, emphasizing the need for big days from Walker, Smith and Jefferson, among other Jaguars’ trench players.

Jaguars offensive line vs. Colts defensive line

This game will be won and lost in the trenches. Jacksonville has held the edge compared to its opponents in this regard in recent weeks, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

The Jaguars’ offensive line has seen consistent play up front from their interior with guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Schreff alongside center Mitch Morse. Right tackle Anton Harrison has improved his played in recent weeks as well, and the team currently bestows a 12.3 percent pressure rate allowed, the fifth-lowest in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

However, the front five will face one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen, DeForest Buckner, who possesses the second-highest pressure rate in the league among pass rushers with at least 200 rushing snaps (12.3 percent).

Slowing down Buckner won’t be easy, but blocking the rest of the Colts’ defensive front might not be as hard. The unit has been an Achilles heel for Indianapolis all season, posing an advantage for Jacksonville.

If the Jaguars can quiet Buckner in the trenches, this could spell success for quarterback Mac Jones and company.

Fantasy football sleepers to play in Week 18

Here are some fantasy football sleepers to play in Week 18 of the 2024 season.

While the majority of fantasy football leagues have concluded, there are still some leagues that partake in a Week 18 championship, and we’re still here to help those who need it.

And, even though the vast majority of fantasy managers are no longer competing, we can use these sleepers for prop betting and DFS plays.

Don’t forget to check out The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference to find some potential boom games this week.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 18 free-agent forecast

Here are the top waiver-wire targets in fantasy football for Week 18 of the 2024 season.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Colts will start Joe Flacco vs. Giants in Week 17

With Anthony Richardson downgraded to out, the Indianapolis Colts will start QB Joe Flacco against the New York Giants in Week 17.

The New York Giants had been gearing up for their Week 17 game against the Indianapolis Colts, expecting to see Anthony Richardson at quarterback, but they will face well-traveled veteran Joe Flacco instead.

Richardson had been dealing with back and foot issues and did not practice all week. He was ruled out on Saturday.

It’s been a running theme for the Colts regarding Richardson.

Paul Breti of Colts Wire offered a preview of what the 39-year-old Flacco brings at this stage of his career.

On the year, Flacco has appeared in five games, completing 67% of his throws at 6.9 yards per attempt with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. When Flacco was under center in Weeks 9 and 10 while Richardson was the backup, the offense struggled to get going.

The Colts are 6-5 with Richardson starting and just 1-3 with Flacco under center.

“He’s got all the skill set in the world,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said of Richardson this week. “Again, he’s a dual-threat player and he can affect any part of the field. Whether it’s with his legs or throwing it however far he needs to throw it.”

The Giants won’t have to worry about that now.

[lawrence-related id=738413,738389,738390]