Becoming Elite
Joe Flacco has risen above the flock of failure
By Caleb Odom
The common phrase used by the media and the sports world to define greatness in the NFL is that it is all about the rings. The Super Bowl is what every player is chasing so winning or not winning the big game for the most part defines a career. The spotlight is cast the brightest on the 32 NFL quarterbacks because as the saying goes if the team wins the quarterback is a hero and if the team loses, it is the quarterback's fault.
In the NFL, there are four main categories that quarterbacks fall into: rookie, young gun, established, and elite. All four of these types of quarterbacks are after one thing; greatness. The thing is that they are all in different spots on the road of their career. Each quarterback has a story. Some are long while others have just begun.
The rookie quarterback is in his NFL infancy. The expectations for success are important but time is on the rookie's side as he learns about the game he thought he knew. The days of being one of the best in college are gone because in the NFL everyone is good at what they do. Some rookies struggle, let the big stage get to them, enjoy life off the field too much, and are eventually gone before anyone had time to remember them.
But then there are rookie quarterbacks that like Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, and Robert Griffin III who jump into the spotlight like they were born there. Those types of rookies can take a nosediving franchise and put them in the playoffs when a little help from the rest of the team. Wilson led the Seahawks to the second round of the playoffs after beating Griffin III's Redskins in the NFC Wildcard game. All Luck did was lead the Colts to a AFC Wildcard game after Indy lost Peyton Manning to Denver.
The next type of quarterback is the young gun who has a few years of experience but they are not quite established yet as a NFL quarterback. The young gun is still fighting for that signature moment that establishes them as the quarterback of a team. An example of some young guns are Cam Newton with the Panthers, Josh Freeman with the Buccaneers, and Collin Kaepernick with the 49ers. Only time will tell if these signal callers are around long enough to become established or even elite.
Being an established quarterback is a gift and a curse because yes these quarterbacks are good enough to have longevity and the recognition of fans as the face of the franchise but they have yet to win the Super Bowl. Players like Chargers' quarterback Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo with the Cowboys, and Matt Ryan with the Falcons are all examples of established quarterbacks. They know how to win but they have never won the most important game in February. Up until this past Super Bowl, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was clearly an established quarterback but the jury was out on if he had what it took to win a Super Bowl and become elite.
The elite quarterback has gone the distance in at least one season winning the Super Bowl or in some rare exceptions not won a Super Bowl but accumulated remarkable statistics or a career like Dan Marino. The legendary Miami Dolphins signal caller Marino is often dubbed the greatest quarterback to never win it all with his lucky number 13 jersey. The Hall of Famer, Marino, did however throw for 61,361 career passing yards with 420 touchdowns in route to being named to nine Pro Bowls.
But the elite active quarterbacks in the NFL are the Patriots' Tom Brady with three wins in five Super Bowl appearances, the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger with two wins in three appearances, the Giants Eli Manning who is two for two against Brady's Patriots, the Broncos' Peyton Manning with one in two appearances both with the Colts, the Saints' Drew Brees with one, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers with one, and now the Ravens' Joe Flacco with won win.
Flacco has transcended the Romo's and the River's of the game by leading the Ravens over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII with his 22 for 33 with 287 yards and 3 touchdown performance to earn him the Super Bowl MVP honor. So as the confetti fell from the rafters of the Super Dome in New Orleans there was no real doubt that number 5 for the Ravens was truly an elite NFL quarterback because after all the numbers don't lie and a Super Bowl ring says it all.
The rookie quarterback is in his NFL infancy. The expectations for success are important but time is on the rookie's side as he learns about the game he thought he knew. The days of being one of the best in college are gone because in the NFL everyone is good at what they do. Some rookies struggle, let the big stage get to them, enjoy life off the field too much, and are eventually gone before anyone had time to remember them.
But then there are rookie quarterbacks that like Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, and Robert Griffin III who jump into the spotlight like they were born there. Those types of rookies can take a nosediving franchise and put them in the playoffs when a little help from the rest of the team. Wilson led the Seahawks to the second round of the playoffs after beating Griffin III's Redskins in the NFC Wildcard game. All Luck did was lead the Colts to a AFC Wildcard game after Indy lost Peyton Manning to Denver.
The next type of quarterback is the young gun who has a few years of experience but they are not quite established yet as a NFL quarterback. The young gun is still fighting for that signature moment that establishes them as the quarterback of a team. An example of some young guns are Cam Newton with the Panthers, Josh Freeman with the Buccaneers, and Collin Kaepernick with the 49ers. Only time will tell if these signal callers are around long enough to become established or even elite.
Being an established quarterback is a gift and a curse because yes these quarterbacks are good enough to have longevity and the recognition of fans as the face of the franchise but they have yet to win the Super Bowl. Players like Chargers' quarterback Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo with the Cowboys, and Matt Ryan with the Falcons are all examples of established quarterbacks. They know how to win but they have never won the most important game in February. Up until this past Super Bowl, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was clearly an established quarterback but the jury was out on if he had what it took to win a Super Bowl and become elite.
The elite quarterback has gone the distance in at least one season winning the Super Bowl or in some rare exceptions not won a Super Bowl but accumulated remarkable statistics or a career like Dan Marino. The legendary Miami Dolphins signal caller Marino is often dubbed the greatest quarterback to never win it all with his lucky number 13 jersey. The Hall of Famer, Marino, did however throw for 61,361 career passing yards with 420 touchdowns in route to being named to nine Pro Bowls.
But the elite active quarterbacks in the NFL are the Patriots' Tom Brady with three wins in five Super Bowl appearances, the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger with two wins in three appearances, the Giants Eli Manning who is two for two against Brady's Patriots, the Broncos' Peyton Manning with one in two appearances both with the Colts, the Saints' Drew Brees with one, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers with one, and now the Ravens' Joe Flacco with won win.
Flacco has transcended the Romo's and the River's of the game by leading the Ravens over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII with his 22 for 33 with 287 yards and 3 touchdown performance to earn him the Super Bowl MVP honor. So as the confetti fell from the rafters of the Super Dome in New Orleans there was no real doubt that number 5 for the Ravens was truly an elite NFL quarterback because after all the numbers don't lie and a Super Bowl ring says it all.
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