Best Ravens moments of the last decade

With a new year underway, we here at Ravens Wire take a look back at the last decade to find some of the most meaningful franchise moments

The big ball has dropped, confetti has rained from the sky and final kisses with loved ones were had to signify the 2010s are officially over. It’s been a great decade for the Baltimore Ravens, who have won 98 regular-season games, made the postseason six times and won Super Bowl XLVII. But there have been many defining moments in Ravens history over this last decade and plenty of key memories for fans.

To help ring in the new decade, we here at Ravens Wire take a quick look at the best moments for Baltimore over the last one.

Matthew Stevens:

Joe Flacco’s historic playoff run

Fans might not remember it now but the Ravens were not exactly known for great quarterback play prior to Flacco. They had gone through a list of names even the most diehard of fans would be hard-pressed to remember. From Tony Banks to Jeff Blake and Stoney Case, it was rough sledding for Baltimore until Flacco was drafted in 2008.

But even leading up to their Super Bowl run in 2012, most pundits were still doubtful Flacco could even be a consistently mediocre quarterback, much less an “elite” one. So it felt like beautiful vindication when Flacco heated up in the postseason to put together a historically impressive run.

Over three games in the playoffs, Flacco threw for 853 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions to get the Ravens into Super Bowl XLVII. There against the San Francisco 49ers, Flacco threw for another 287 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to win the Super Bowl MVP.

While Flacco had put together an amazing number of wins in his career prior to this playoff run, it was still too easy for pundits to take credit from Baltimore’s quarterback and place it on their defense or the whole team. But his 11 touchdowns and no interceptions tied NFL great Joe Montana for postseason stats, which couldn’t be ignored or brushed away. For at least a little while, Flacco was legitimately the league’s best quarterback.

Though some fans have been quick to dismiss Flacco’s meaning to the franchise with Lamar Jackson’s emergence, this was a key moment in Baltimore’s franchise history and put them on a road to continued success.

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Lamar Jackson has set a host of Ravens passing records in 2019

A look at some of the Baltimore Ravens passing records Lamar Jackson has already set in 2019.

Now entering Week 16, there can be little doubt that the MVP of the 2019 NFL season is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson has been simply electric and has wowed fans of all teams (even those he has beaten) with his deeds as a runner. He broke Michael Vick’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback on Thursday night, after all.

But what may have escaped the attention of many is just how good a season as a passer Jackson has had. He leads the NFL with 33 touchdown passes, throwing his scores at a league-high rate of 8.9%. For good measure, Jackson’s 80.9 QBR is also the best among all quarterbacks (his 112.9 passer rating is ranked third).

Jackson’s deeds are also earning him a special place in annals of the Ravens passers. His 33 touchdown passes are tied for the most by a Ravens quarterback in a single season, while his 8.9% touchdown rate is an all-time team record. You have to go all the way back to the first year of the teams’ existence for the other instance of a quarterback registering 33 scores — Vinny Testaverde in 1996. Testaverde had a 7.61 yards per attempt average back then, while Jackson has a team-record 7.81 this year.

Jackson has completed 66.2% of his passes this season, with 245 of his 370 attempts finding a receiver. This is the highest completion percentage by any Ravens quarterback in a single season (minimum 200 attempts). Jackson’s interception rate of 1.62 is also the second-lowest in team history. Joe Flacco had a 1.58 rate in 2018.

Just for good measure, Jackson also owns the team records for quarterback rating (111.2) and adjusted-net-yards per attempt (8.07). The next highest on the latter list is Flacco, and he only managed 6.66 ANY/A in 2014.

For Jackson, claiming Baltimore’s first MVP award would be another proud achievement in a season replete with them. It is hard to see anyone stopping him from doing so.

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Drew Lock recalls watching Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco play against the Chiefs

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock remembers going to Chiefs games to watch Kansas City face Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco.

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock was born and raised in Missouri and he grew up a “pretty passionate” Chiefs fan. During his media availability Wednesday, Lock recalled his favorite memories from games he attended in Kansas City.

“The Colts in the playoffs with Peyton [Manning] and it’s funny, Joe [Flacco] at Kansas City, the year they went and did their thing,” Lock said. “It’s funny, I ended up here and Peyton played here and now I ended up here with Joe.

“It’s kind of crazy to think those two were in two of the biggest games I remember there. Now, I’m kind of tightly-knit with them now.”

In 2012, the Ravens defeated the Chiefs 9-6 before going on to win Super Bowl XLVII. Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP after throwing three touchdown passes with no interceptions in a 34-31 win over the 49ers.

Eight years before that game, Kansas City hosted the Colts in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs. Manning threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Indianapolis’ 38-31 win on the road. Manning was named the league’s MVP that season.

Manning later landed in Denver and won four straight AFC West titles and helped the Broncos reach two Super Bowls. Manning now serves as somewhat of a mentor to Lock.

Flacco was acquired by Denver in March and he began the year as the team’s starter before surring a neck injury. Flacco has also been a helpful figure for Lock, setting the example of how a pro QB handles himself off the field.

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Broncos should start playing Drew Lock now

Following an absolutely dismal performance from Brandon Allen, it’s time for the Denver Broncos to put Drew Lock on the field.

To the Denver Broncos’ front office, coaching staff and anyone else who wants to listen: we have seen quite enough.

We have seen enough of these veteran retreads at the quarterback position and we have seen enough of Brandon Allen, though he gave quite an effort in the games he has started.

However, against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, as Allen was completing just 10 of 25 passes for 82 yards during another rough loss, fans had to be watching the game and asking themselves, “how much longer is the team going to try and win games this way?”

Aside from a great four years from Peyton Manning, the Broncos haven’t had good quarterback play for what seems like forever. The team has been trying to win with Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum. Flacco and Allen.

None of it has even come close to working and now unless the Broncos win each of their final five games they will have a losing season for the third year in a row.

How did this happen?

This happened because the team has failed to develop a quarterback and has hoped that another team’s castoff will pan out in Denver.

The team did draft Drew Lock in the second round back in April but has decided not to activate him off of injured reserve, going with Allen instead.

As soon as possible, Lock needs to come off injured reserve. It will serve him and the team in no way to keep him off the field this season. The Broncos need to know what they have in Lock, his strengths and weaknesses and whether or not he is worth pursuing even past this year.

Why rush? Many people may be asking themselves that. The simple answer is because unless a team finds competent quarterback play, it is not going to win. And until the Broncos get a player they can grow from the ground up in their system, these losing ways are likely to continue.

“This team is close” and “this team is much better than its record.” These are things that fans and even the analysts on TV have said all season. But even if those things are true, it is in spite of the play at quarterback, just as it was with all of those names mentioned above.

Here’s what head coach Vic Fangio had to say about the idea of Lock playing:

#Broncos Fangio said hasn’t thought of Drew Lock playing question yet. It will remain top topic this week #Denver7 pic.twitter.com/TJOzuMX0x5

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) November 24, 2019

It seems like Fangio hasn’t thought of a lot of things. But here’s what I have thought of.

A quarterback who only throws for 82 yards and completes about 40 percent of his throws while making costly turnovers is one that is going to cost you basically every single game. Is Lock not at least that good? There is absolutely no excuse not to have him on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers next week. None.

This is not to say that Lock is the answer. But it is to say that Flacco and Allen definitely are not. In other words, the “quarterback of the future” may not be on the roster.

Unless he is.

The only guy the Broncos currently have who could possibly be that future guy is Lock. So there should be no more waiting. This season, in terms of being a playoff team, is over. It is time to look toward the future and make some real, tough assessments to see where change is needed.

Because change is needed, in multiple areas. But just as it starts at starting pitcher in the major leagues or point guard on a basketball team, it starts at quarterback in the NFL.

That is not likely to ever change.

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Bills opponent outlook: Broncos history, statistics and more

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field. Buffalo is riding high after it’s best offensive endeavor of the season against the Dolphins in Week 11. Denver is one of the better teams in the NFL with a sub .500 record, and will be a handful to compete against.

Here is everything that you need to know about the history between Denver and Buffalo:

Buffalo and Denver first met on September 18, 1960 in the inaugural season of the AFL. Denver won that game 27-21.
Buffalo won nine straight against Denver between 1962 and 1967.
Buffalo and Denver met in the 1991 AFC Championship Game. The Bills narrowly defeated the Broncos 10-7.
Their last meeting was on September 24, 2017. The Bills won 26-16.
The Bills have the all-time record lead, at 20-16-1 against Denver in the regular season.
The Bills also lead in scoring all-time versus Denver, outscoring them 891-818

2018 Season

Denver, much like this year, was a relatively competitive team in 2018, despite their record. Case Keenum was signed in the offseason, in hopes to solidify their quarterback woes since Peyton Manning retired. It wasn’t enough, as the Broncos offense didn’t have a lot of star power, and the defense, although very talented, gave up some losses for them.

Denver finished the season 6-10, missing the playoffs for the third-straight year. They earned wins over Seattle, Arizona, Oakland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Pittsburgh.

Another disappointing season for General Manager John Elway, who would look to bring about more change following the 2018 year.

Last season, Denver finished 19th in Total Offense, with 5,602 yards. 24th in scoring, with 329 points. 19th in passing yards with 3,695 and 12th in rushing with 1,907 yards.

Case Keenum, coming off of his miracle season with the Minnesota Vikings, actually threw for a few more yards with Denver. His touchdown to interception ratio is what hurt him and his tenure, as he was traded to Washington after his year with the Broncos was over.

Keenum was ranked 14th in passing yards in 2018, with 3,890 yards to his credit, along with 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

Rushing was a strong point for Denver in 2018,. After losing C.J. Anderson, who had regressed, quarterback wasn’t the only hole that the Broncos faced. Led by drafted rookie Royce Freeman, and undrafted rookie Philip Lindsay. One of the more underrated one-two punches in the NFL, the pair finished very well, and helped carry struggling offense.

Lindsay finished the highest as far as yardage, ranking ninth in the NFL amongst rushers, with 1,037 yards. He also accrued nine rushing touchdowns. His backfield partner, Freeman, finished 38th in rushing yards, with 521 and five touchdowns.

Receiving hasn’t been one of Denver’s strong aspects either, as they have lost a few weapons over the years since Manning left. Emmanuel Sanders was their leading receiver in 2018, finishing 27th with 868 yards and four touchdowns.

Emerging receiver Courtland Sutton, was next in yardage totals at the receiver position, with 704. He came in at 51st in the NFL. No other Broncos receiver or tight end finished in the Top 100.

Defensively, the Broncos were 13th in total defense, allowing 5,842 yards, as well as in points allowed with 349 points scored on them. Their passing defense came in 20th, giving up 3,929 yards by air. The rush defense, 12th with 1,913 yards given up on the ground.

2019 So Far

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Future QB Rankings: Rating all 32 NFL teams’ situations from worst to best

Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.

Future QB Rankings: Rating all 32 NFL teams’ situations from worst to best

Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.

Tom Brady might be the best quarterback ever, but he’s not the best in the NFL right now. He certainly won’t be the best in 2022.

He’s human, after all, and at age 42, regression is inevitable even for someone with six Super Bowl rings. That puts the New England Patriots in an uncertain situation at quarterback two or three years down the road. The New Orleans Saints, with 40-year-old Drew Brees under center, find themselves in a similar scenario.

Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, likely will face difficult personnel decisions at the quarterback position much sooner than that. Only a handful of teams, notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, appear secure in their quarterback situation for years to come.

All this got us thinking about the quarterback situations of the future — and where each of the NFL’s 32 teams ranks in terms of preparedness at the game’s most crucial position.

By quarterback situations, we mean the full overview of each team’s quarterbacks group, including backups and a potential succession plan, if necessary. For this exercise, we will define the future as three to four years down the road.

To help form these opinions, we consulted with a blue-ribbon panel of one former head coach, two former general managers and one current general manager. They were asked for their thoughts on each team’s quarterback situation. They provided insight to inform our rankings.

With that in mind, we present Touchdown Wire’s future quarterback rankings for every NFL team, from worst to first:

32. Miami Dolphins

Earlier this season, many observers accused the Dolphins of tanking to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and presumably select a quarterback. Since then, Miami (2-8) has been eclipsed by the ineptitude of Cincinnati (0-10) and Washington (1-9), so the Dolphins might not get the first QB off the board. Currently, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen on their roster. Rosen has failed in his playing time. There’s no way he’ll be back next year. The Dolphins have the option to hang onto Fitzpatrick, 36, who’s currently under contract next season at $5.5 million. It makes sense to keep Fitzpatrick around for one more year to help groom a young quarterback. That could be LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa (although his recent hip injury now complicates his draft status), Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Two members of my panel said they like Burrow better than Tagovailoa. Either way, it’s going to take some time to develop a young quarterback.

31. Chicago Bears

For the moment, Mitchell Trubisky is Chicago’s starting quarterback. But it doesn’t appear that he will be in that role next year — although he remains under contract and the team holds a fifth-year option on the No. 2 overall pick from 2017. Given his level of play this season, it’s highly unlikely he will receive the option year, and he might not even see 2020 with the Bears — although the cap hit for cutting him would be slightly more than $9 million. The Bears are 4-6 after going 12-4 last year. There’s one main reason for the decline. That’s Trubisky. My panelists say he’s holding the offense back and could end up keeping a good team out of the playoffs. All four panelists agree Trubisky should be nothing more than a backup. Current backup Chase Daniel’s contract expires after this season. So there’s no telling who will be Chicago’s quarterback next year. Maybe the Bears will draft a quarterback. But with a talented roster already in place, the Bears should be first in line to sign New Orleans backup Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent.

30. Cincinnati Bengals

Veteran Andy Dalton has been benched, and the Bengals are giving rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley a shot. There should be no turning back to Dalton, even though he remains under contract for 2020 with a $17.5 million scheduled salary. The Bengals can cut Dalton after the season without any salary cap ramifications. It’s too early to judge Finley. Cincinnati is going to end up with an early draft pick and could have a shot at Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts. The Bengals will be starting over. But, given their current state, that’s not a bad thing. “Dalton had more than enough time and couldn’t win consistently,” one panelist said. “I have no idea what they have in Finley. But they have to draft a quarterback if they’re sitting there at No. 1 or 2.”

29. Washington Redskins

The current situation is a mess. Veterans Colt McCoy and Case Keenum, who clearly aren’t the answer, each is in the last year of their contract. The Redskins have little choice but to play rookie Dwayne Haskins, who has five interceptions and two touchdown passes, the rest of this season. Call it an audition for Haskins. But this situation is complicated because the Redskins currently have interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over when Jay Gruden was fired. There will be a new coach next year, and he might not like Haskins. With an early draft pick likely, the new coach might want his own guy. Give up on Haskins after only one season? Arizona did it with 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen after drafting Kyler Murray. All four of our panelists said Haskins was overrated when he was drafted.

28-25 / 24-21 / 20-17 / 16-13 / 12-9 / 8-5 / 4-1

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8 things to know about the Bills’ Week 12 opponent, the Broncos

Eight things to know about the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills’ Week 12 opponent.

The Bills (7-3) host the Denver Broncos in their Week 12 matchup at New Era Field.

Here are eight things to know about their upcoming opponent:

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

A true No. 1

The Bills found themselves a true top-wideout in John Brown. Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton is neck-and-neck with Brown this year. Brown has 56 catches for 817 yards, that’s good for the ninth-most yards of any receiver in the NFL and most for any in the AFC. Sutton is right behind him, but has less catches so he’s a big more of a deep-threat guy. Sutton has 39 grabs for 805 yards. Both players have four touchdowns this year.

But in Sutton, he leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. While you consider Brown better perhaps because of your fandom for the Bills, consider this: If you also think Josh Allen is a good quarterback, you can admit Sutton’s thriving with much worse QB play this season with Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen. The bad taste comes from his draft status. He was the Broncos No. 40 pick in the second-round of 2018. Perhaps the Bills could’ve waited a year and not taken Zay Jones at No. 37 in 2017?

Pro Football Focus also ranks him as the seventh-best wideout in the NFL current (86.4).

💪 Courtland Sutton with the STRONG catch#DENvsMIN

(via @thecheckdown)

pic.twitter.com/U0bfDOb1W9

— PFF (@PFF) November 17, 2019

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Will Broncos QB Brandon Allen continue a trend vs. Vikings?

The Vikings have already had Chase Daniel and Matt Moore beat them this season. They are hoping Allen isn’t added to this list.

With Joe Flacco out for the rest of the season with a neck injury, Brandon Allen finds himself as the starting quarterback of the 3-6 Denver Broncos.

Allen, a 2016 sixth-round pick out of Arkansas, started his first-career game in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns and finished with 190 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He attempted just 20 passes.

The Browns defense isn’t exactly the Vikings defense and there’s a good chance Allen will have to throw the ball if the Broncos want to steal one at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings have been solid against the run, allowing just 91 rushing yards per game, a mark that ranks seventh in the NFL. The pass defense, however, has been exposed. Minnesota is allowing 241 passing yards per game, a mark that ranks 18th in the NFL. That will be Denver’s opportunity.

The Vikings have already had Chase Daniel and Matt Moore beat them this season. If Allen is added to this list, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer might just lose it.

NFL announces Lions at Broncos will be on Sunday December 22nd

When the Detroit Lions 2019 regular season schedule was announced there was once curious date omitted: their Week 16 matchup with the Denver Broncos was scheduled as to be determined. Today, we know that matchup will take place on Sunday, December 22nd, 2019.

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When the Detroit Lions 2019 regular season schedule was announced there was once curious date omitted: their Week 16 matchup with the Denver Broncos was scheduled as to be determined.

Today, we know that matchup will take place on Sunday, December 22nd, 2019 at 4:05 PM, EST on CBS.

With the Lions record sitting at 3-5-1 and the Broncos at 3-6, it’s no surprise that the NFL elected to keep the game on the regular Sunday schedule rather than flex it to the national stage on Saturday.

Further adding to the list of reasons this game is not being flexed, is the starting quarterback situation of both teams — as a Jeff Driskel vs Brandon Allen (maybe Drew Lock) matchup isn’t made for primetime.

The Broncos have placed their starter Joe Flacco on injured reserve, while second-round pick (42nd overall) Lock is ready to start practicing again and may return from injured reserve in the next few weeks. Currently, the Broncos are starting Allen (undrafted free agent in 2016 out of Arkansas) at quarterback.

Meanwhile, the Lions are in the middle of deciding what to do with Matthew Stafford after it was discovered that he has a fractured bone in his back. Stafford’s injury isn’t expected to be longterm, just painful, but with his history of back injuries and the team all but eliminated from the NFL Playoffs, it’s fair to speculate if they will shut him down for the season.