3 things Anthony Richardson can learn from Joe Flacco

Anthony Richardson will be fine. He's going to be the starting quarterback for a long time, he's only going to get better and he's back on the field this week. However, Richardson has been rough this year and Joe Flacco has proven to be the more polished passer so far. What can Richardson do to reach the level that Joe Flacco reached as a passer? Flacco is no longer a great quarterback, but there are traits that made him successful in his career and that continue to help him today.

There was a time when the top quarterbacks in the draft didn't play their rookie season or had to wait a while before playing. 2003 first overall pick Carson Palmer didn't play a single snap in his rookie season. 2005 first overall pick Alex Smith didn't play until October of his rookie year. Drew Brees didn't play at all in his rookie season and Aaron Rodgers didn't play for three seasons! Tua Tagovailoa didn't play until November of his rookie season. The Packers sat Jordan Love for two seasons. Jalen Hurts didn't play for most of his rookie season. The list goes on and on.

There are many players who played early and were successful, but these players had experience in college and had a more pro-ready style of play. Richardson made 12 starts in college and was far from a polished passer, showing a lot of inconsistency with his timing and accuracy. He tended (and still does) to sail short to medium throws and was often late with his passes. What made him stand out was stunning athleticism to match his rare size and an incredibly strong arm that can make every throw on the field with ease.

Richardson is a young, raw quarterback with tremendous potential. He's made some one-of-one plays this year that you don't see from 98% of quarterbacks in the history of the game. At 22 years old, born in 2002, he is the second youngest quarterback of all NFL squads (only Drake Maye is younger).

To be a great quarterback in the NFL you need three things: accuracy, timing and smart decisions. There have been quarterbacks with weak arms who had those three things and were successful.

accuracy is important because the time windows in the NFL are extremely tight and players can move and react faster. Ball placement is also crucial in many ways as you need to place the ball in the best possible spot to allow the receiver to not only catch the ball but also gain yards after the catch. Throwing behind a receiver who is dragging and who is immediately tackled after a few yards doesn't do much good, but hitting him with speed and in front of him can turn a 3-yard throw into a 15-yard throw. For an example of his accuracy, see the second throw in Baldinger's breakdown below.

timing is important because, as mentioned, the time windows are getting much tighter and the players are getting faster and faster, so you can't afford to throw too late or it will end up in the opponent's hands. Timing is a general term, and anticipation falls under timing because you have to open receivers. For example, on many throws in the NFL, it is usually too late to hit a receiver two steps from an out route, so many top quarterbacks get the ball out before the receiver even makes his cut. This happens because the receiver is most open in the first few steps out of his cut, so you want the ball in his hands when he is most open. Like accuracy, a well-timed throw avoids turnovers but also turns an 8-yard gain into an 18-yard gain.

Finally, smart decision making is the last big factor. Tom Brady had a legendary career with a lot of dinning and dunking. Colts fans vividly remember many Brady games in which he killed the Colts with a thousand checkdowns in the middle zone that was cleared during a Tampa 2 defense. A great quarterback almost never forces a bad throw, and when he has to, it's usually because he's in a tough situation. A stronger arm actually makes a difference in this area as it allows you to make more throws and therefore gives you more options to work with. Making smart decisions means making high-percentage shots, avoiding turnovers, and moving the ball consistently. As mentioned, there were many games where Brady didn't throw the ball more than 10 yards down the field, but he managed 25/35 for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns and won easily. These quarterbacks take what they are given and make the most of it. You can learn more about this in the diagrams below.

If you look at the charts, you can see that Flacco wins by making all the short throws and not forcing anything. He moves the ball by killing the defense with a series of “paper cut” throws. Chunk plays occasionally occur, but it's the 5-6 yard throws that add up. As you can see, Richardson relies solely on his incredible arm and big plays. That just doesn't work consistently in the NFL. Flacco has 25% of the arm talent and 5% of the athleticism of Richardson, yet he has been the better quarterback this season, largely due to his decision-making ability.

The 39-year-old Flacco has played around 11 quarters of football this season, going 71/108 for 716 yards with 7 touchdowns and 1 interception. He even ran for 21 yards! His passer rating is 102, among the highest in the NFL for quarterbacks in recent games. He has put up these stats against the best defenses, especially the Steelers defense, which was ranked as the #1 NFL defense by many metrics. He achieved this through accuracy, good decisions and timely throws.

When it comes to the three things, Richardson has not yet shown the ability to be consistently good in those areas. What's encouraging is that he's shown the ability to make incredibly accurate throws and hit receivers at the perfect moment, and he's had long stretches where he doesn't force throws and makes the right decision. The ability is there, but it is not permanent and that is what matters. A great quarterback is consistent.

Joe Flacco is consistent. He doesn't have the same arm talent he once did, but there's a reason he can still play in the NFL, be it with the Cleveland Browns or the Indianapolis Colts. The hope is that Richardson can combine Flacco's skillset with his own 1-of-1 arm talent and athleticism to create a Josh Allen-type quarterback.