A quick observation of quarterback Joe Flacco and how he played in the Baltimore Ravens' 34-27 win in Week 12:

The biggest improvement in Flacco was how he handled the blitz. In struggling the past three games against increased pressure, he said the Ravens had to make teams pay to make them stop blitzing. Flacco should expect to see a good amount of pressure Sunday against the aggressive San Diego Chargers. Quarterbacks have a 72.0 passer rating against the Chargers' blitz, which is fifth worst in the NFL.

Flacco certainly did that on "Monday Night Football," where he completed 13 of 17 attempts against the New Orleans Saints' blitz. His 222 yards passing against added pressure Monday night were the most of his seven-year NFL career, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Flacco set the tone early, hitting wide receiver Steve Smith for the first touchdown of the game despite staring down an unblocked Saints pass-rusher.

In the games leading up to last week's bye, Flacco was unsettled in the pocket and didn't follow through on his throws when the pass rush collapsed around him. On Monday, he was poised for most of the game and took some big hits before releasing the ball downfield.