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          NFL Nation

          Joe Flacco ranks among best in fast starts

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterOct 23, 2014, 08:00 AM 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. -- Joe Flacco has gone from one of the slowest starting quarterbacks to one of the fastest in a matter of a season.

          Through seven games this year, Flacco is the third-best quarterback in the first quarter with a rating of 123.8. Only Aaron Rodgers (135.6) and Philip Rivers (128.2) have been better.

          The Baltimore Ravens struggled at the start of games last season, and Flacco was the 28th-rated passer (73.0) in the first quarter. To change their fortune, the Ravens decided to change their practice routine.

          "We're big into situational football," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "The specifics would probably be boring for everybody ... but we've worked on starting the game. That has been something we've done through training camp, and we do it usually once a week. It's nothing elaborate."

          It's nothing elaborate, but it's been highly effective. Flacco has set the tone in the past two games by throwing a touchdown on the opening drive.

          His six touchdowns in the first quarter top the NFL and are already two more than he threw in 16 opening quarters last season.

          The Ravens script the first 15 plays of the game, but Flacco acknowledged that not everything goes according to plan.

          "I think the play that we usually mess up the most is the first play," Flacco said. "Everybody knows what the first play of the game is going to be, and we usually mess that up the most."

          Flacco's worst first quarter came against the Bengals in the season opener. He completed 3 of 8 passes for 15 yards.

          Since that game, Flacco has completed 71.8 percent of his passes in the first quarter.

          "I think it's worked well for us, and guys are ready to go," Flacco said of focusing on the opening drive in practice. "It helps everybody play with confidence."