The Baltimore Ravens are coming off of another disappointing defeat on Sunday, this time a 34-17 loss that was never that close to the Denver Broncos. The team has lost three straight and faces a must-win game next week when they host the New York Giants.
The big questions for the Ravens going forward are on offense. The team has moved from a more defensive-minded approach in past years to an offensive attack, but there has been mixed results this season. Things worked great in a 55-20 win against the Oakland Raiders, but that team has one of the worst defenses in the league.
Over the past three weeks the offense has looked lost and this past Sunday was another example. The team fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and installed quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell as the play caller, but that didn't help either. The Ravens are scoring 24 points per game and have the 12th-ranked offense in the NFL.
The past three losses have been stark examples of the issues on offense, as quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown three interceptions and has completed less than 50 percent of his passes over that stretch. Flacco has been a solid quarterback for the Ravens since he was drafted five years ago, but this season has brought out questions about his long-term viability in Baltimore.
Flacco is a free agent after this season and will likely be looking for a long-term deal. The question is, how much confidence do the Ravens have in him, and will they bring him back as their starter for 2013?
This season Flacco has passed for 3,474 yards and 20 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, but is completing only 59 percent of his passes, ranked 23rd in the league behind names like Nick Foles, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Christian Ponder. In April Flacco said he thought he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
"I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback," Flacco said to ESPN.com when asked where he thinks he ranks among NFL quarterbacks. "I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question. That doesn't mean that things are going to work out that way. It just means that's the way it is -- that's the way I feel that it is and that's the way I feel it should be."
The biggest issue for Flacco in his time in Baltimore isn't about winning---he has set numerous records for wins in his early seasons---it's about his play on the field. Flacco hasn't been the most accurate quarterback and has never completed more than 63 percent of his passes as a pro.
He has led the Ravens to five playoff wins in his career, including two trips to the AFC Championship game, and is the first quarterback to start and win a playoff game in each of his first four seasons. All that winning should signal that Flacco will stay in Baltimore, right? Not necessarily.
Flacco was a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and brought the team to the AFC Championship last season, but couldn't get the job done against the Patriots after wide receiver Lee Evans dropped what would have been the game-winning touchdown.
While that play doesn't fall on Flacco, there has always been an explosive element missing from the Raven's offense and many point to Flacco as the reason for that. Flacco spoke about his contract earlier this year to a radio station in Baltimore and said he expected to stay with the team.
"It's not about the money. It's about what you feel you deserve," Flacco told WNST in April. "At the end of the day, they'll take care of it and I'll be waiting."
Depending on how the Ravens view Flacco will determine how much they are willing to spend on him. Similar deals around the league could tell the tale.
The Houston Texans gave Matt Schaub a 4-year $62 million dollar extension that wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for the Ravens, but they were hoping before this season that Flacco would join the elite ranks of quarterbacks. He hasn't done that yet.
Following the Broncos game on Sunday, Flacco was a bit down about the loss and about the three game losing streak for the Ravens.
"We're a 9-5 football team and it feels like we're 0-14 right now," quarterback Joe Flacco said to NFL.com. "That's just the feeling that you have right after a game like this. It's going to test a lot of things in us guys."
Flacco has been a durable quarterback, never missing a start in five seasons and has passed for at least 20 touchdowns in every year but his rookie season. He was the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games and is already the franchise leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Last season Flacco threw for 3,610 yards and 20 touchdowns, but had 12 interceptions while completing just 57 percent of his passes, one of the lowest in the league. In his first three seasons Flacco completed over 60 percent of his passes each year, but also threw 34 interceptions.
During the three-game losing streak, Flacco has thrown for six touchdowns, but posted a 0.4 QBR against the Broncos. Making matters even worse, just as the Ravens were closing in on a touchdown in the first half that would have helped cut Denver's 10-0 lead, Flacco threw an interception that cornerback Chris Harris took back 96-yards for a touchdown, helping to spark the blowout.
All signs point to the Ravens keeping Flacco, but his inconsistent play of late may cost him money in the long run. Other options for the Ravens could be San Francisco 49ers now-backup Alex Smith or a trade for someone like Washington's Kirk Cousins.
