BALTIMORE, MD – NOVEMBER 04: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens drops back to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
If John Elway really believes that Joe Flacco is the “perfect fit” for the Broncos offense then it’s very obvious Denver needs a new game plan.
It’s very possible that Joe Flacco will turn out to be an upgrade over Case Keenum as the Broncos quarterback in 2019. However, the idea that he’s going to somehow transform the Denver offense is laughable.
That’s exactly why Broncos fans should be concerned about John Elway’s recent comments about the team’s new signal caller. He called Flacco the “perfect fit” for the franchise. That’s not a description that should be used when talking about a 34-year-old quarterback who’s just been beaten out by Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
At best, Flacco should be viewed as a stopgap that can keep the Broncos offense afloat until a better option can be acquired. Frankly, Denver should be spending a lot of time and energy scouting quarterbacks that will be available in this year’s draft. Someone like Drew Lock might not be the best player to lead the Broncos offense this season, but he would certainly offer more upside than Flacco does. Given how far away Denver is from becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender it makes sense for them to pivot towards the future at the game’s most important position.
In fairness to Elway’s evaluation of Flacco, it’s clear the Broncos offense is going to gravitate towards what he does best in 2019. Head coach Vic Fangio will want his offense to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. Expect to see the Broncos go to great pains to establish their ground game before they try to catch opponents off the guard with play action passes down the field. Flacco can still throw a quality deep ball even if his accuracy on short and intermediate throws leaves a lot to be desired.
Keenum clearly wasn’t the answer under center for the Broncos, but the transition from him to Flacco isn’t going to suddenly transform the Denver offense into anything special. At best, Broncos fans can hope for a moderate uptick in production from the quarterback position in 2019. There won’t be anything perfect about Flacco’s time in the Mile High City. This is a team that desperately needs to identify their quarterback of the future and make the transition to him as soon as possible.