It's amazing what a good playoff run can do for your reputation.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay will re-air
the Baltimore Ravens' 28-13 victory over the
New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET.
On New Year's Day, Joe Flacco was a good, not great, quarterback whose struggles away from home during the regular season made him a potential postseason liability.
Fast forward three weeks. Flacco's Baltimore Ravens have won three consecutive games, two in frigid and hostile road conditions. In those wins, Flacco has outplayed Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Flacco has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception in the playoffs. According to the NFL Media research department, every quarterback who has thrown eight or more TD passes without an interception has won the Super Bowl and taken Super Bowl MVP honors.
The complete list: Joe Montana, 1989 (11 TDs), Steve Young, 1994 (nine TDs), Phil Simms, 1986 (eight TDs), Troy Aikman, 1992 (eight TDs) and Drew Brees, 2009 (eight TDs). Flacco is one killer performance away from some very impressive company.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
