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Joe Flacco responds to Ray Lewis questioning his 'fire' on the field

Published Dec. 9, 2016 1:05 p.m. ET

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Andrew Lynch

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco hasn't exactly been lighting up opposing defenses this season, and former teammate Ray Lewis recently joined FS1's "Speak For Yourself" to take Flacco to task for his lack of passion on the field.

"I don't know how many times you'll hear somebody just really go out on a limb to defend (him, like) 'he's the greatest teammate I've ever had'," Lewis said. "I don't know how many times you'll hear that. Maybe it's because his personality just isn't that personality. He's not a rah-rah guy. He won't say much. But in the game of football, there has to be some burning fire behind you."

On Friday, Lewis' comments made their way to Flacco, and he responded.

Via ESPN.com:

"It's a little surprising coming from Ray," Flacco said after Friday's practice. "But it's been something I've dealt with probably back before high school. It's just part of my personality. When things are going good, it's questioned as if it's a good thing. When things aren't going as well as you might like them to be, it's always a question as to whether is my personality is that of one fits what an NFL quarterback should be. It's not anything I'm not used to. But it is a little bit different coming from Ray."

Flacco continued, saying that the Ravens want the two-time champion to feel welcome at the facility:

"You want to be able to listen to what he says and all that," Flacco said. "I know he hasn't been here for a while. We want him to feel a part of this place. We want him to come around."

For the season, Flacco is completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt, totaling 2,374 yards and 9 TDs with 9 INTs. Those numbers aren't awful, but they're certainly not eye-popping either. Lewis, of course, played for the Ravens for the entirety of his 17-year career, making 13 Pro Bowls and helping the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2000 and again in 2012 with Flacco.

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