Is Joe Flacco Missing The "It" Factor?

I thought this was the year. The Year of the Raven. The Year of Joe Flacco AKA Joe Cool. I thought we would see #5 blossom into a true leader of the Ravens offense, one that we haven't seen since we inherited Vinny Testaverde when the Ravens came to town in 1996. I thought this was it! No more worries at the QB position because we are set!

But was I wrong???

Through 2 weeks, The Ravens have the worst turnover ratio in the league, thanks to Flacco's 6 TOs. His anemic 41.2 QB rating is the worst of all starting QBs. So what gives???

Clearly this isn't the Joe Flacco we've seen in 2008 and 2009. When Flacco first started his career, he started it with a bang, having won 11 games and making the Top 5 list for a rookie completion %. It was, what we Ravens fans thought, a peek of what was more to come. A QB who can make plays, but manage the game while the defense, once again, prevails.

In 2009, Flacco started off hot, but declined as the season went along, due to injuries. While the Ravens beat the Patriots during the Wild Card weekend last season, Flacco had very little to do with the victory.

So here it is, 2010. Add Anquan Boldin, TJ Houshmandzedah and 2 rookie TEs that can make this offense complete. Yet no results. He's missed open targets, he's aiming at his receivers instead of throwing at them, he's been throwing off his back foot instead of stepping into the pocket, and he's staring his men down longer than fat kid in a bakery. To make it simple, Joe Cool looks lost out there.

Is Flacco missing the "It" factor in being a QB? Some say he is. But I beg to differ. Does he have "It" right now? Hell no, he's way off from where I think he should be. But that doesn't mean he can't get there. Flacco played a tough Jets defense in Week 1, got ROCKED on the first play of scrimmage, then had to turn around to play the Bengals in Cincy 6 days later, a team that has given Flacco a fit in recent memory. While Flacco hasn't helped his team much with his erratic play, let's not forget about the dropped passes, receivers that can't get open and shady pass blocking. Is Flacco to blame? Absolutely, but he's had help in the process.

The Ravens play Cleveland this weekend. This is a good opportunity in trying to find a rhythm with his new targets. The verdict is still out on whether Flacco has, "It". But I'm hoping he proves me right, and "It" shows up soon.