A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

Added on Jan 18, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

Tom Brady and Eli Manning have been down this road before. Hell, they went head to head in Super Bowl XLII, so this weekend’s conference title tilts are old hat for them. That isn’t the case for Alex Smith and Joe Flacco, a pair of quarterbacks who have golden opportunities to prove their detractors wrong. Winning means quieting the voices of dissent. Losing means another offseason of finger-pointing.

Flacco has advanced to the playoffs in each of his four years under center. During that span, he has compiled a 5-3 postseason record and will start his second AFC championship game on Sunday. Despite the success, Flacco has yet to pass the eyeball test with fans, pundits and even some of his teammates. Like all-world safety Ed Reed, who accused Flacco of being “rattled” versus Houston and observed he needed to “get rid of the ball” quicker.

Reed isn’t entirely wrong, but a team leader calling out the starting quarterback days before the biggest game of the season might not be the best strategy to build confidence. That said, Reed knows Flacco will have to put points on the board to defeat the Patriots. Needless to say, he can’t play as poorly as he did versus Houston if Baltimore hopes to advance.

Alex Smith wasn’t even guaranteed a starting job after the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh last winter. Smith’s previous six years in San Francisco were filled with inconsistent play, benchings and injuries. There was no reason to believe he would suddenly become a reliable quarterback capable of leading the Niners to the NFC championship game.

After posting career highs in completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns, Smith finds himself one game away from the Super Bowl, a week after outdueling Drew Brees in the Divisional Playoffs. Under Harbaugh’s tutelage, Smith has improved his poise in the pocket and decision-making under pressure.

Victory for Smith and Flacco won’t silence all the critics, but it would go a long way in helping both quarterbacks move further down the road to redemption.