Drinking The Purple Kool Aid

Enter The J Gun October 3, 2010

Enter The J-Gun

Be honest: Baltimore fans weren’t exactly optimistic when the drive stalled at the 2. Be equally honest: Pittsburgh fans weren’t exactly fearful of giving the ball back to the Ravens offense with mere seconds on the clock. We all know how it turned out. A question has been answered in the National Football League. Who is the best hurry-up quarterback in the NFL?

It’s Peyton Manning. But Joe Flacco is number two.

It’s a transformation that can really only be understood by watching every snap of a game. Flacco is an incredibly streaky quarterback who gets in a rhythm (good or bad) by completing or missing consecutive passes (more on that in a moment). But in the hurry-up, if that first pass is completed, so will the next five.

With that in mind, the Ravens should consider taking a hint from the Jim Kelly Bills and initiate their own version of the K-Gun.

Don’t get me wrong, Cam Cameron did a lot of smart things at the beginning of the game to heat Flacco up, namely calling a bunch of passes to Old Reliable Derrick Mason. Joe needs those to get going, or you end up with a Cincinnati game. I also don’t fault Cameron for the playcalling inside the Steeler 5, considering the healthiest back on the team had a bum knee. But Flacco had no problem jumping right into the groove on that last drive. He demonstrates a ridiculous ability to get the team lined up and a play off in almost no time (who else thought they were spiking the ball after that first gain to Boldin?), showing himself to be one step ahead of the defense.

The Ravens are also sort of accidentally loaded for the K-Gun. Ray Rice is a perfect back, a triple-threat who can run it, catch it, or hold up in pass protection. Also, the benefit of having older receivers is that they’re composed and smart, knowing how to get open against reeling defenses.

Fine. Here are a few examples:

1. 2008. Week 9, Ravens at Browns. Down 27-13 in the second half, Cam tunes up the J-Gun. Starting at their own 21, Flacco hits Mason for 20, Rice for 8, Rice runs for 11, McClain runs for 9, Flacco to Mason for 7, Cleveland jumps offside trying to stop the bleeding. No huddle starts again: Rice runs for 5, then 18, McClain runs for 1, Cleveland encroaches to stop the bleeding. McClain runs it in for a touchdown.

   After a 3 and out by Cleveland, Flacco gets the ball at the Cleveland 42. Hits CLayton for 14, Rice runs for nothing, Flacco hits Mason for a 28 yard TD.

   Two Drives
   Flacco: 5/6, 77 yards, TD.
   Running Game: 6 carries, 45 yards, TD

2. 2009. Week 6, Ravens at Vikings. Down 17-3 in the third. Ball at the 28. Flacco misses one to Kelley Washington, Rice runs for 3, Flacco to Mason for 10, Flacco misses Mason, Rice runs for 5, Flacco to Mason for 9, Flacco to Mason for 23, Rice for 22, TD.

   Minnesota gets a field goal, then a touchdown. 27-10 Vikings.
   J-Gun 2: Starting at the 17, Flacco to Washington for 28, misses the next two, then hits Demetrius Williams for 17, Rice for 6, and Clayton for 32, TD.

   A field goal from Minnesota, 30-17 Vikings. J-Gun 3: Pass to Rice for 63 and one to Mason for 12, TD.

   Three and out Minnesota, Rice takes the first handoff to the house (a side effect of the hurry up). Frank Walker does what he always does, and Flacco has the ball with 1:49 to get into field goal range. Misses Clayton, then completes to Rice for 13, Washington for 13, Rice for 3, misses Mason, hits Mason for 9, misses Clayton, Rice runs the ball to wind the clock, Hauschka shanks the field goal.

   Four Drives
   Flacco: 11/17, 163 yards, 2 TD
   Running Game: 5 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD

3. 2010, Week 4, Baltimore at Pittsburgh. Easy one. 1:08 left in the game, ball on the Pittsburgh 40. Complete to Boldin twice and Houshmandzadeh twice. Ballgame.

   Flacco: 4/4, 40 yards, TD.

The risk with running the gun is miscommunication on the road. All three of these games were in loud, hostile environments. Let’s add one last stat for shock value:

Seven Drives in The J-Gun

Flacco: 20/27, 280, 4 TD

Running Game: 11 carries, 141 yards 3 TD.

The hurry up doesn’t totally fit into the Ravens’ model of a defense first team, because going fast means the D is getting back on the field again soon. Dilfer-ball won this city a championship. But Flacco isn’t Dilfer.

He might be Kelly.