I’m not trying to bash Ben Roethlisberger here and there’s no need for that, but I did need a comparison QB to demonstrate the greatness of Joe. This is a story about Joe Flacco, the AFC North Divisions record setting quarterback. For those not in the not in the loop, Joe Flacco set records in his first five years too numerous to mention, but I’ll try.
- First rookie quarterback to start all sixteen games and make the playoffs.
- First rookie quarterback to win two playoff games
- Most starts by a quarterback in first season: 19
- Most starts by a quarterback in first two seasons: 37
- Most starts by a quarterback in first three seasons: 55
- Most starts by a quarterback in first four seasons: 73
- Most starts by a quarterback in first five seasons: 93
- Most wins by a quarterback in first 80 consecutive starts: 54
- Most combined regular and postseason wins in first three years as a quarterback: 36 (tied with Dan Marino)
- Only quarterback to start and win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons
- Most road playoff wins by a quarterback: 6
- Most touchdowns in a postseason: 11 (tied with Joe Montana and Kurt Warner)
- Most touchdowns without an interception in a postseason: 11 (tied with Joe Montana)
- First quarterback to have a passer rating over 100 in all four games of a single postseason.
- Most consecutive playoff games with three passing touchdowns: 3 (tied with Bernie Kosar, Kurt Warner, and Aaron Rodgers)
Note that after only five years Flacco already has more road playoff wins than any other QB in the HISTORY of the NFL. And his best years are ahead of him.
The charts below represent the most stunning fact I was able to uncover about Flacco and Roethlisberger. Flacco has five times the wildcard wins as Big Ben, and lead to the conclusion that Big Ben can’t win the wildcard game and avoids playing them whenever possible (see 2008 & 2010 seasons).
It’s Joe Flacco’s fearless willingness to play (and win) the wildcard games that give him just one less playoff win than Roethlisberger in four fewer seasons. In fact, Tom Brady has only three wildcard wins and has only played in four wildcard games in his 13 years.
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|
|
FLACCO |
|
|
|
|
WILDCARD |
DIVISION |
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP |
SUPER-BOWL |
|
2008 |
YES |
YES |
NO |
— |
|
2009 |
YES |
NO |
— |
— |
|
2010 |
YES |
NO |
— |
— |
|
2011 |
YES |
YES |
NO |
— |
|
2012 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
2013 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
5 WINS |
3 WINS |
1 WIN |
1 WIN |
|
|
|
BIG BEN |
|
|
|
|
WILDCARD |
DIVISION |
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP |
SUPER-BOWL |
|
2004 |
— |
YES |
NO |
— |
|
2005 |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
2006 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
2007 |
NO |
— |
— |
— |
|
2008 |
— |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
2009 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
2010 |
— |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
2011 |
NO |
— |
— |
— |
|
2012 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
2013 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
1 WIN |
4 WINS |
3 WINS |
2 WINS |
Joe is taking a break from the playoff grind after winning last year’s wildcard game (and the Superbowl) but will be back to setting records in 2014. You can’t keep the Wildcard King of the AFC down for long.
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