No quarterback in NFL history has won more regular-season games over his first four years in the league than Joe Flacco.
Still, the Baltimore Ravens starter isn't mentioned among the elite passers. He's an enormous physical presence with a cannon arm, but he's failed to pull the Ravens into a Super Bowl.
Flacco will annoy you at times, but the Ravens have stuck by him. Entering his fifth season, he's impressed the team with his early work in camp.
"Joe is really on the money, so that's good to see," coach John Harbaugh told Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.
Wilson reported that Flacco already is in rhythm with veteran wideout Anquan Boldin and newcomer Jacoby Jones. Torrey Smith finally gives Flacco a player who can take the top off of a defense, but Smith hasn't shown he can operate over the middle with much consistency.
Part of the problem with Flacco is the scheme in which he plays.
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron tends to abandon the passing game for a run-first attack whenever Flacco gets into hot water. Rotoworld pointed out that you rarely see Cameron employ three-receiver sets outside of third-down situations -- that's behind the times. Meanwhile, the predominance of the spread and no-huddle offense is turning Flacco's contemporaries into video-game passers.
It might be time for the Ravens to set him loose. There will be growing pains, but Flacco's early body of work suggests he's ready to be tested.