QB Debate: Who is Better, Joe Flacco or Eli Manning?

It may have been current Baltimore Ravens and former New York Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty’s attemp to be a good teammate to his new quarterback, but his most recent statements have certainly sparked some intrigue.

In a conversation on NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk, Canty declared that he preferred Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

“Joe Flacco,” Canty answered without hesitation.  “He won a Super Bowl and he’s one of the best deep-ball passers in the NFL. Take a look at the tape.”

Canty’s reply is one many could just as easily associate with his former quarterback in New York, so it begs the question: who truly is better, Flacco or Manning?

Both have Super Bowl rings, and while Manning may have one more than Flacco, we’re going to call that a moot point at this time and immediately eliminate the one key stat many people go to when attempting to compare NFL quarterbacks.

So what, if anything, separates these two franchise quarterbacks? At first glance, very little.

Both players complete about 60 percent passes of their passes, though Flacco’s past two seasons have been slightly less impressive. Guys like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers get plenty of credit for their touch and accuracy, but Flacco and Manning may throw the prettiest deep ball in the NFL.

On the flip-side, Manning displays an underrated pocket presence few in the league share. His 19 sacks taken were the fewest among starters and, while many will attempt to credit the offensive line, those who watched the games know that, other than from left tackle Will Beatty, Manning had little protection.  Flacco, meanwhile, was sacked 35 times despite having two Pro Bowlers and a first-round pick in front of him.

Manning throws more touchdowns than Flacco, but the latter turns the football over less because he is much more careful with it.

Per ESPN: “The Total Quarterback Rating is a statistical measure that incorporates the contexts and details of those throws and what they mean for wins. It’s built from the team level down to the quarterback, where we understand first what each play means to the team, then give credit to the quarterback for what happened on that play based on what he contributed.”

The turnovers Manning makes are often harmless mistakes, as shown by his 67.4 Total QB Rating (10th in the NFL) which dwarfs Flacco’s pedestrian 46.8 rating — 25th in the NFL. So while many may chuckle at the dreaded dumbfounded look Manning is known for after he’s thrown an interception, the rate at which he does so is ultimately not as harmful to his team as Flacco’s generally conservative playing style that rarely puts the game squarely on his own shoulders.

Instead, Flacco and the Ravens are highly dependent on the run game and their top-ranked defense to score a victory. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. The Ravens boast a top unit in both departments year after year.

However, if one was to compare a team that can survive without elite play from their gunslinger (the Ravens) to one that absolutely cannot (the Giants), a pretty staggering edge must go to Eli Manning.

Certainly, Flacco’s success through the first five seasons of his NFL career are impressive and matched by few. He has more wins than any other QB since entering the league, five playoff appearances,his team is tied for most playoff road wins in NFL history, he’s logged three AFC Championship appearances, a Super Bowl win and was a Super Bowl MVP. But that success cannot be discussed without recognizing that Baltimore has had a top-10 rushing attack and top-5 defense in three of those last five seasons.

Manning and the Giants have had a top-10 rushing attack twice in the past two seasons, but twice they’ve ranked among the second-half of the league, including a dead-last finish in 2011. The defense was strong between the year of 2008 and 2010, but the past two seasons have been abysmal, finishing near the bottom of the NFL in both. Still, Manning has managed to weather the storm and at least keep his team competitive.

Manning’s defining year came in 2011, during which he proved to be an elite passer; leading the Giants to seven fourth-quarter come-backs with a NFL record 15 touchdowns. The season confirmed Manning as one of the NFL’s premier clutch players and culminated in the franchise’s second Super Bowl triumph in five seasons. And all of this came despite having one of the most embarrassing defensive units in the league.

Flacco’s 2012 postseason was equally as impressive. He placed himself among the likes of legendary quarterback Joe Montana with 11 touchdowns and not a single interception. If his performance is an indication of where he’s headed… he’ll surpass Manning — and others — in no time.

But Flacco is not better than Manning nor is he even on par with the Giants’ quarterback at this point in time. Manning is a far more dependable leader with a resume that speaks for itself and consistent improvement every year. Flacco’s 2012 postseason shows loads of potential, but his overall body of work shows a quarterback who is nothing more than a game manager in need of a stellar group of players around him to be successful. Even his postseason performance needed an often-overlooked display of heroics by Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin.

Will Flacco surpass Manning in due time? The 2013 season may be a better indicator of the direction in which both men are headed at this time in their careers. But if Flacco is ever going to be considered an elite quarterback in the NFL, he’s going to need to take more control of his team and make his impact felt throughout the league.

Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.