BALTIMORE -- Joe Flacco looks as if he has endured the worst year of his NFL career, even though the Baltimore Ravens' quarterback isn't even halfway though the season.
Flacco appears worn down and beaten up both physically and mentally, an image reinforced at this week's question-and-answer session with reporters when he acknowledged accepting the conservative mindset of settling for field goals. It's quite the contrast from the confident, deep-ball thrower who bet on himself and came away with a Lombardi Trophy, a Super Bowl MVP award and an NFL-record contract five years ago.