Coach pleased with Flacco’s progress

The buzz about Baltimore at the beginning of the NFL season centered on how these Ravens could score. They opened with three consecutive games of 30-plus points and have had two more since.

Always associated with defense, the Ravens have bumped up their scoring to a 24.7-point average. The team’s 24.1 average in 2008 was the second highest in its 14-year history.

Much of that is attributed to a franchise in the second year of what has been a most successful transition — coach John Harbaugh arrived last year, as did quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice. The Ravens made it to the AFC title game.

Flacco is building off that. His completion numbers are up 5 percent from his rookie year and his touchdown-to-interception ratio is better — 12 TD passes with seven interceptions compared to last year’s 14 scores and 12 picks.

“I’m definitely more comfortable with certain things,” said Flacco, considered by some a surprise first-round pick at 18th overall in 2008 out of Delaware. “As an offense, our whole team is definitely reacting better to things we’re getting.”

The past two weeks, however, have been the exception. The Ravens (5-4) had one offensive touchdown in each game.

“It’s not like we’re exactly lighting it up right now,” Harbaugh said in a Wednesday conference call.

That the Ravens have split those games shows they still can play defense. And it’s not like the team is in panic mode over what would appear to be some growing pains for an offense that relies on young leaders. Flacco’s best weapon is Rice, a second-round selection who leads in rushing and receiving.

“He’s grown,” Harbaugh said of Flacco, “but like any second-year guy or any younger player, he’s still kind of developing into the quarterback he’s going to be. He’s not where Peyton Manning is right now, experience-wise. He’s had some ups and downs, but we’re pleased with how he’s come along.”

The Ravens likely need to revert to their earlier form when the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts visit M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. The Colts average 28 points, fourth in the NFL. The two times the Ravens defeated the Colts in nine meetings, they scored 38 and 39 points.

Last year, the Colts thumped Flacco and the Ravens 31-3 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Flacco said he learned from the negative experience.

One of the educated minds helping him is offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, a Terre Haute native and former Indiana University coach.

“Cam has a tremendous track record with quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “Philip Rivers, Drew Brees. Just a number of guys, even when he was with the Redskins before, Gus Frerotte came from nowhere. Cam was responsible for that.

“When he was a coach at Michigan, I think his whole string of quarterbacks ended up playing in the NFL. It’s just kind of been his forte as a coach. I don’t think there’s a better developer of quarterbacks out there than Cam. He’s doing a great job with Joe.”

The Ravens also have been balanced on offense. They wouldn’t mind gaining a few more yards, but they are 14th at 118.1 rushing yards per game and 15th at 230.8 passing yards.

“I’ve been pleased for the most part with what we’ve been doing as an offense this year,” Flacco said. “We started off real well. I don’t think we’ve necessarily had as many yards or anything like that the last couple weeks, but I still think we’re playing well and doing the things we need to do to win football games.”

By Phillip B. Wilson, The Indy Star