However, the Patriots’ success against such quarterbacks this season has varied. Consider Sunday’s game against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens their in-house rubber match.
Coincidentally, the Patriots have faced three of the NFL’s brightest young stars in the first month of the season. New York Jets rookie Mark Sanchez completed 14-of-22 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in their Week 2 victory against New England. Sanchez had a quiet first half, but he opened it up after halftime at the Meadowlands and helped control the pace of play.
Last week, 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan completed 17-of-28 passes for 199 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in the Atlanta Falcons’ 26-10 loss at Gillette Stadium. Ryan’s numbers were efficient, but he couldn’t move the Falcons’ offense once they were forced to go to the air.
Flacco, the second quarterback taken in last year’s draft, was paying attention to Ryan’s performance in Foxborough, and he feels a professional connection to Ryan because of their draft ties.
“It’s awesome to see another guy in the league going out there and having success,” Flacco said of Ryan. “They just went up there and played [the Patriots], and they’re doing well this year. Like I said, it’s good to see your peers playing well. Anytime you can kind of relate to a guy just because you’re kind of going through similar things, it’s kind of good to see you’re both adapting to the situations you’re thrown into and making the most of them.”
Flacco and Ryan each led their teams to 11-5 records and playoff appearances during their rookie seasons, and they’re both on their way to similar results in 2009. Flacco threw for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last year while completing 60 percent of his passes, but he has opened it up in his sophomore campaign with 839 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 65.4 completion percentage in three victories.
His first-year credentials speak for themselves, and his growth as a performer and a leader in his second season have impressed his Ravens teammates. Flacco credits everything to the tangible experience he had in 2008.
“Nineteen games last year,” Flacco said. “To play 19 games was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. What it’s done for me this year is, I feel like I can’t even explain it. If this was my fourth game ever, it would be a lot different than it is now, being my 23rd. Anytime you’re thrown in there and asked to lead a team and score points and win games, your learning curve is going to speed up, and you’re going to become better quicker. Like I said last year when I came in, I had said I wanted to play from the beginning, and I hoped I was fortunate enough to do that, and it ended up happening.
“All along, I had said I wanted to play in the beginning for this reason. Not necessarily to play right away – I mean, obviously I wanted to play right away — but I figured it would help me out so much in my long term down the road in my career — second year, third year, fourth year. I’m just light years ahead of where I would have been if I was going into my fourth game right now.”
