OWINGS MILLS, MD. (AP) - Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco hates his team’s use of the wildcat formation, and Tuesday he let everyone know just how much.
He wasn’t happy with coach John Harbaugh’s decision to employ backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the wildcat Sunday in an effort to enhance the Ravens’ running attack against the New York Jets. Taylor took five snaps _ running four times and throwing an incomplete pass _ in addition to lining up as a receiver on seven other plays.
“I don’t like that stuff,” Flacco said Tuesday. “I think it makes you look like a high school offense. That’s just my opinion.”
Flacco didn’t leave it at that.
“I don’t care how we use it in the game, I’m just not a huge fan of it,” he said. “I’m the quarterback. I want to be behind the line of scrimmage, I want to be taking the snaps. That’s really the only thing. I don’t necessarily take it personally.
“I just think it makes us look like not an NFL team.”
After earning Super Bowl MVP honors in February, Flacco received a $120.6 million, six-year contract. Things have not gone swimmingly for the Baltimore offense this season, and the sixth-year pro would prefer the Ravens (5-6) seek to correct the flaws rather than resort to trickery.
“I’m all for us doing things to get better but we’re not going to be good if we just can’t get good at the basics of what we do 90 percent of the time,” he said. “We have to be good at those things or we’re not going to be good no matter what. I just want to make sure that we’re focusing on getting good at those things.”
When Taylor is in the game, Flacco usually leaves the game. On Sunday, however, he occasionally lined up at wide receiver and barely flinched after the snap.
Asked to define his role in the wildcat, Flacco said, “I’m not doing a single thing. I’m not blocking, I’m not doing anything.”
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