Developing quarterbacks in the NFL is a process.  Rarely does a rookie quarterback get it right away.  Sure, when you look back in time, you will find a few exceptions, the most notable in my opinion being Dan Marino.

The development process usually isn’t visible.  It is more like a shaping, a grooming, a maturation process that over time becomes apparent when you see the quarterback today and look back at where he once was and how far he’s come.  Drew Brees is a perfect example.

But rarely do you see the process shape before the naked eye.  With Joe Flacco, we are witnessing exactly that!

Each week, Flacco does something that clearly suggests that he’s learned from a mistake.  He corrects it and then reveals something new about himself that belies his age and experience.

Yesterday while watching the game against the Bengals there were two plays that stood out most in my mind while taking in No. 5’s performance. The first play probably flew under the radar screen of most observers.  Facing a third and 8 from his own 45 yard line with 3:47 to go in the first quarter and the Ravens holding a 3-0 lead, Flacco was flushed out of the pocket to his right.  He studied the field in front of him trying to find a window of opportunity to move the chains.  Not until he exhausted every downfield option and determined that none would work did he tuck the ball and run down the sideline.

You could tell that Flacco knew that he could make a play with his legs but waited to see if he could milk something more meaningful out of the play before opting for that ace in the hole.  Eleven yards later, Flacco’s run gave the Ravens a first down at the Bengals’ 44.

Fast forward to the 6:04 mark of the third quarter for the second play…

The Ravens held a seemingly insurmountable lead of 20-3.  Flacco dropped back to throw on second and 7 from his own 30 yard line.  Despite a clean blitz off the edge and knowing that he would take a hit, the Ravens’ “rookie QB” hung in there and delivered a strike down field where Mark Clayton made an acrobatic one handed catch and took it to the house for a 70 yard score.

“Five” is building each week before our very eyes.  The positive strides aren’t part of an osmosis process, they are right there for all of us to see, observe and appreciate after years of incompetency at the quarterback position.

And the scary thing is for Ravens’ opponents, he has a long way to go.

Even scarier, with his work ethic, humble demeanor and dedication to his craft he’s going to get better and better.

The rest of the NFL is on notice.