The Joe Flacco era has officially come to an end. The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a deal that will send the 11-year veteran quarterback to the Denver Broncos for a reported mid-round draft pick.
Let’s go back and look at the five best moments from Flacco’s career.
No. 5: Game-winning TD to Marlon Brown in Week 14 of 2013 season
The 2013 season was a difficult one for Flacco and the Ravens. Flacco struggled behind an offensive line that allowed a staggering 48 sacks, and the team missed the playoffs after winning Super Bowl XLVII the season prior. But it would also produce some of the best heroics of Flacco’s career.
Baltimore’s Week 14 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings was crucial. The Ravens had climbed back into the playoff race with a 6-6 record. And the last two minutes of this game were crazy. There were four lead changes as both teams pulled out all the stops and scored one touchdown after another after being unable to get anything going all game.
But the most incredible score would be the final one. With just nine seconds to go, Flacco dropped back from the Minnesota 9-yard line and connected with Brown for the game-winner. The pass was perfect, taking advantage of Brown’s height, which ensured that he’d be the only one who could catch it in the back of the end zone. Baltimore won 29-26 and remained in contention for the playoffs for another week. While the Ravens wouldn’t claim a berth, this was still an unforgettable moment in franchise history.
No. 4: 38-yard touchdown run in Week 1 of 2008
Back to the beginning. In 2008, the Ravens were coming off a dreadful 5-11 season that marked the end of the Brian Billick era and brought in the new regime of John Harbaugh. Similar to the circumstances that brought Lamar Jackson to the forefront in 2018, injuries to Kyle Boller and Troy Smith in training camp forced the Ravens to start Flacco before they had planned to.
Flacco didn’t put up the flashiest stat line in his first start, only completing 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards, with no touchdowns or turnovers. But his 38-yard touchdown run would be the deciding score in a 17-10 Baltimore win. Flacco would prove over the course of the season that he could be the guy to lead the team to greatness, taking Baltimore to the AFC championship game.
No. 3: 92-yard drive gives Ravens season sweep over Steelers in 2011
Early in Flacco’s career, one of the knocks on him was that he couldn’t win against Pittsburgh and that Baltimore would always be the little brother with him as long as he was the starter. The Ravens were swept by the Steelers during Flacco’s rookie season, and Pittsburgh came back during the second half to win their AFC divisional round game two years later.
In 2011, he would dispel that notion. He already proved that he could beat Ben Roethlisberger when he led the Ravens to a 35-7 win over the Steelers in Week 1 of the season. But in Week 9, he would prove that he could finish the job and beat them in Pittsburgh.
With only 2:24 left in the game, the Ravens were down by four and at their own 8-yard line. But Flacco led Baltimore on a drive that would end in him hitting Torrey Smith for a 26-yard touchdown with only eight seconds left. As a result, the Ravens got the season sweep over the Steelers and eventually they’d win the AFC North title for the first time in Flacco’s career.
No. 2: Flacco goes deep to Jacoby Jones for a 56-yard TD in Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII has been the biggest moment of Flacco’s career, and he lived up to it. Flacco was having a legendary postseason, with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions in the first three rounds of the playoffs. If he could keep that going in the Superdome against the San Francisco 49ers, he’d bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Baltimore.
Just past the two-minute warning of the first half, the Ravens were up 14-3 and facing a third-and-10 from their 44-yard line. A punt would give the 49ers plenty of time to try to score. But Flacco wouldn’t let the Ravens go three-and-out. He stepped up in the pocket and threw a beautiful deep pass to Jones for a touchdown and a 21-3 lead.
Because of Flacco’s heroics, the Ravens would win 34-31. Flacco was voted as the MVP of the game.
No. 1: Mile High Miracle
The Ravens were nine-point underdogs heading into Denver for the AFC divisional round. The top-seeded Broncos had embarrassed the Ravens earlier in the season, and just about everyone expected them to do it again, putting an end to the Ravens’ postseason run and Ray Lewis’ career.
Baltimore surprised their doubters by hanging in there with Denver and making it a game. But the Broncos scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to establish a 35-28 lead over the Ravens. And with the Ravens facing third-and-3 from their own 30 with 37 seconds left, it looked like the season was over.
And then a miracle happened. Flacco stepped up to get away from the Denver pass rush and he fired a deep shot to Jacoby Jones, who had sprinted past the Broncos secondary, for the game-tying touchdown. In the second overtime period, Justin Tucker kicked a field goal to send Baltimore to the AFC championship game at New England.
