page_title: Joe Flacco
section_title: 2008 season
hierarchical_section_title: Joe Flacco / Professional career / Baltimore Ravens / 2008 season
caption_attribution_description: The Pittsburgh Steelers lineup against the Baltimore Ravens
context_page_description: Joseph Vincent Flacco is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh, and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
  Flacco was Baltimore's starting quarterback from 2008 until midway through the 2018 season, and helped lead the Ravens to the playoffs six times; during his tenure in Baltimore the Ravens won the AFC North twice, appeared in three AFC Championship Games, and defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season. Flacco was named Super Bowl XLVII's MVP, concluding a postseason run in which he tied Joe Montana's single postseason record for touchdown passes without an interception. That offseason, Flacco signed a six-year contract worth $120.6 million, a record high for a quarterback at the time. Flacco was traded to the Broncos following the 2018 season following a hip injury that caused him to lose his starting position to Lamar Jackson.
context_section_description: Due to a season-ending injury to incumbent starter Kyle Boller and an illness to former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Flacco became the starting quarterback in the 2008 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. He completed 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards, his longest pass being a 15-yard play to Derrick Mason. He threw no touchdowns and no interceptions in his debut, but he had a 38-yard rushing touchdown, which was the longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in Ravens' franchise history. Flacco's touchdown put the Ravens up by  17–3; the team eventually won the game 17–10.
  In his first season, Flacco was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 9, NFL Rookie of the week, the NFLPA Rookie of the week, and NFL Rookie of the Month for November. Flacco finished his rookie season 257/428 for 2,971 yards with a total of 16 touchdowns (14 passing, 2 rushing), and 14 turnovers (12 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles).
  In the wild card round of the 2008–09 NFL playoffs, Flacco became only the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season start, and the first to do it on the road, when his Ravens defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27–9. Flacco completed 9-of-23 attempted passes, accumulating 135 yards without throwing a touchdown or interception. He also scored the victory-sealing rushing touchdown on a quarterback draw in the 4th quarter. Shaun King, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, and Mark Sanchez are the only other rookie quarterbacks to ever win their debut playoff game.
  He then won his second game versus the Tennessee Titans. Flacco led the Ravens to a 13–10 win in the divisional playoff round. Flacco made tight-window throws to Todd Heap and Mark Clayton on the go ahead scoring drive in the 4th quarter to set up a game-winning field goal from Matt Stover. On the day, Flacco was 11-of-22 for 148 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over for the second straight game. He became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.
  In the 2009 AFC Championship Game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens lost 23–14, with Flacco throwing for 141 yards, being sacked a three times and throwing three picks, one being the game clincher to Troy Polamalu, who returned the pass for a touchdown.
  Flacco was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year in January 2009.
caption: Flacco (crouching) lines up against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008.
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