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          NFL Nation

          Flacco: Ravens need more confidence early

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterSep 10, 2014, 03:25 PM ET
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has a new offensive coordinator in Gary Kubiak. There's also the addition of two veteran receivers in Steve Smith and Owen Daniels, as well as the return of tight end Dennis Pitta.

          What hasn't changed for Flacco is slow starts. It was another sluggish first quarter in the season opener, when he misfired on five of his first eight passes and totaled 15 yards passing.

          Since the start of the 2012 season, Flacco has been one of the worst quarterbacks at the beginning of games. Here are his numbers in the first quarter in his last 33 regular-season games and where he ranks in the league:

          • Passer rating: 75.3 (28th)

          • Completion rate: 59.4 (27th)

          • Passing yards: 1,452 (19th)

          • Yards per attempt: 5.78 (35th)

          • Touchdowns: 6 (20th)

          • Interceptions: 5 (19th)

          This has led to a lack of scoring early. Dating back to last season, the Ravens have scored 59 points in the first quarter. Only five teams have fewer points in the first quarter over that span: the Dolphins, Cardinals, Redskins, Jets and Giants.

          "We have to come ready to play," Flacco said. "We have to be confident and we have to believe that we’re going to go out there and play from the very first whistle. I think we definitely looked rusty early on, and we have to make sure we correct that. Like I said, I think a lot of it has to do with being loose, playing confident."