Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco lined up at wide receiver on a few plays on Sunday when Baltimore brought in the more mobile backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor to try to give the offense a spark. Flacco didn’t sound too happy about that after the game.
Asked after the game if he liked lining up at wide receiver, Flacco answered, “I want to line up behind center.”
Flacco also made clear that he doesn’t want this to become a common occurrence, saying that playing wide receiver, is “fun for a little bit, but that’s it.”
It’s unsurprising that Flacco would feel that way. Not many quarterbacks voluntarily give up time under center. And Taylor’s performance was uneven: He did run for 17 yards the first time he touched the ball, and he also picked up three yards on a third-and-2 run, but the Jets seemed to figure him out quickly, as his other two runs went for a loss of six and a loss of seven. Taylor’s only pass was incomplete.
Of course, if the Ravens think they need Taylor to provide a spark, Flacco deserves a lot of the blame. His production this year has looked more like what you’d expect from a quarterback on the verge of being benched than a quarterback worthy of the $120 million contract Flacco signed in the offseason. The easiest way for Flacco to ensure that he doesn’t line up at wide receiver is to play better when he’s lined up behind center.
