Joe Flacco's Elite Place In NFL History: One Of Just Two QBs To Defeat Tom Brady In Conference Championship Game
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's an age-old debate: Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback?
Regardless of your opinion, the former Raven has a very elite statistic. He is just one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to defeat Tom Brady in a Conference Championship game.
That's right, only Flacco and one other quarterback have ever defeated Brady in a Conference Championship game.
In 2013, Flacco and the Ravens defeated Brady in the AFC Championship Game, 28-13. Flacco threw for over 200 yards and three touchdown passes in the Ravens' win in Foxboro.
The Ravens went on to defeat the San Fransisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. During their Championship run, Flacco threw 13 touchdowns and no interceptions, leading the Ravens to their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
The only other quarterback to beat Brady in a Conference Championship game was future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. He defeated Brady as an Indianapolis Colt and a Denver Bronco.
In 2007, Manning and the Colts defeated the New England Patriots 38-34. Manning threw for over 300 yards and had a touchdown in the team's win. That year, the Colts went on to defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, 29-17.
Manning also defeated Brady in 2014 as the Broncos quarterback. In that game, he threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Denver, however, lost to Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8.
In 2016, the Broncos and Patriots squared off yet again in the AFC Championship Game. Manning threw two touchdowns in the team's two-point victory over New England. That year, Manning and the Broncos won Super Bowl L by defeating Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, 24-10.
This year, Brady is headed to Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. The Bucs will square off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in what has been a year like no other. You can catch the big game right here, on WJZ. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
