This could go one of either two ways. The positive outcome for Ravens fans would be if Ed Reed’s criticism of Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense on Monday plays the role of motivator. The negative: well, you know — Flacco loses confidence, gets rattled easier, and can’t find a way to put points on the board in New England.
“They had a lot of guys in the box on (Flacco) and they were giving it to him,” Reed said when discussing Baltimore’s win over the Texans in an interview on SiriusXM. “I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense. I don’t know how much of (that was) the play calling … but it just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense, you know, of times past.
“He can’t play like that. One specific play that sticks out to me was when Ray Rice came out and got pushed out of the backfield and (Flacco) still threw him the ball and he had Torrey Smith on the outside. I can say that sitting on the sideline or sitting in the stands. You don’t know what someone else is seeing.”
That sounds like a much different opinion from the one Terrell Suggs shared with us on Tuesday. Reed is obviously a proven leader for the Ravens, so he has earned the right to say whatever he wants about the team. He was also critical of Baltimore’s offensive line, saying they need to do a better job of protecting Flacco.
Whether Reed’s assessment is accurate or not, I can’t help but feel like Flacco has heard enough of the same criticism from the media. As we know, he’s grown very tired of listening to that. Hearing it from a teammate could either be the kick in the ass he needs or make matters worse on the road in the biggest game of the year.
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