1 on 1: Joe Flacco
This time a year ago, when compiling the list of elite quarterbacks, Joe Flacco wasn't on it. What a difference a year makes. A Super Bowl victory and the game's MVP helps that. Flacco emerged as a big game player, capable of leading a championship offense on a team that has historically been identified as a defensive club.
All Flacco did was go out and throw for a career high 3,817 yards with 22 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Heading into 2013, the Ravens roster has undergone a facelift, as is a familiar story with a championship teams.
Pro Bowlers Ray Rice, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata will prove valuable, but the constant in Baltimore must be Flacco. In signing a six-year, $120.6 million contract, Flacco has arrived a top-level NFL quarterback. And for Flacco, it has been a good year. So, how will he follow it up?