How can anyone possibly put a positive spin on Sunday’s devastating loss to the Patriots? No one can. I’m not going to bother trying. But I will say this: despite the pair of soon-to-be-historic miscues by Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff at the end of the game, Joe Flacco proved that he is capable of leading this team to a Super Bowl.
He will just have to wait approximately 365 days for another shot.
Let’s take a step back and realize how far Flacco has come. Three years ago in this nearly identical situation against the Steelers, the Ravens needed Flacco to drive down the field and score a touchdown to send his team to the Super Bowl. A handful of plays later, he threw an interception that ended his rookie season in heartbreak.
This year, the Ravens called on Flacco to do the exact same thing. He drove down field and put the Ravens in excellent position to send the Patriots packing and the Ravens to Super Bowl XLVI. Completion after completion, Flacco was steadily proving his doubters wrong and instilling hope in the eyes Ravens fans. That hope was not in vain. Even though the Ravens lost, Flacco proved that he is capable of coming through in the clutch. He just needs someone on the other end to help out.
For a team whose defense is aging and is likely to lose at least one of it’s all-time greats this offseason, Joe Flacco is maturing in front of our eyes.
