Joe Flacco has had an impressive rookie season, to say the least.

He passed for 2,971 yards during the regular season and 14 touchdowns.

He's the first greenhorn quarterback to win two playoff games.

He now has the best soundbyte of the season.

After Saturday's win vs. the Titans, the Deleware product said, "I think my foot wrapped around and came back inbounds," Flacco said. "I almost pulled a Dan Orlovsky."

Flacco is referring to two things:

1. The passing play in the fourth quarter where he appeared to step out of the end zone
2. The Lions quarterback who infamously caused a safety by running out of the end zone in week six.

It turns out Flacco did not step out of the end zone. Of course, since CBS didn't show a replay or even mention the play during the course of the game, few may not even be aware of it.

Our astute community members were, but for the broadcast to fail to replay such an unusual and potentially controversial play in such a tight, meaningful game was pretty astounding.

Either way, it was a head's up play by Flacco not to step out of bounds and it was an even headier play to dig up Orlovsky for reference.

I wrote a while back the Ravens feel like the '04 Steelers, and I can almost safely admit I was wrong. The Ravens can be better than the '04 Steelers with a win against ... the '08 Steelers. We're keeping it short today ...

... On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

The Thoughts of a Gentledawg names his favorite Cleveland Browns of all-time. Making the cut: Ozzie, Bernie and Courtney. Sad to report, Tommy Vardell does not make the list, despite his 85 hitting power on Super Tech.

The Giants season came to a close Sunday, and while the normally non-descript Eli Manning stunk it up, The Blue Streak saw everything needed in the eyes of last season's Super Bowl hero.

Toxic Talk usually loves the NFL's brand of parity. Not anymore. Not when a team like the Arizona Cardinals are one win away from the Super Bowl. That and more in Toxic Stew.

Incidental humor around the :54 second mark

It was a scorching hot Sunday afternoon in Baltimore 1,470 days ago from last night. I was attending a Ravens-Steelers game as an impartial observer. My only concern was the beer in hand, and watching my fantasy tight end, Todd Heap, record stats.

Then it happened.

Tommy Maddox went down and in came rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to face the league's scariest, and smartest defense. Most people in M&T Bank Stadium didn't know Roethlisberger from Ratzenberger, but I suddenly got really interested in the game. Months earlier I had seen Roethlisberger play his final home game in college, and now I was getting to see his NFL debut.

He held his own vs. the Ravens, going 12-20 for 176 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He connected with Hines Ward six times for 151 yards and a score. He also threw a late pick-six that sealed any chance of a comeback victorious debut. However, you could sense this guy was for real. I knew it after watching him for two-plus seasons in college, but the rest of the world got a glimpse of the giant, 6-5 quarterback with the funny last name. 

Last night another oversized quarterback with a funny last name showed a glimpse of what's possible in Baltimore. Joe Flacco, built like Big Ben, left his matchup with the Steelers with a loss, but a heaping dose of respect after his 4-minute drill scoring drive. Look at the comparison between Flacco's first game vs. the Steelers and Roethlisberger's first game vs. the Ravens.

• Roethlisberger threw for 176 yards, two touchdowns and had two turnovers, one of which was converted to a touchdown.
• Flacco threw for 191 yards, one touchdown and had three fumbles, one of which was lost and converted to a touchdown.
• Flacco found veteran receiver Derrick Mason eight times for 137 yards and nearly two touchdowns.
• Roethlisberger found veteran receiver Hines Ward six times for 151 yards and a score.

But that's not the only similarity between this year's Ravens and the 2004 Steelers. The Ravens have a bulldozer in Le'Ron McClain. The Steelers had a bus in Jerome Bettis. The Ravens have the league's stingiest defense through their first three games. The Steelers had the league's stingiest defense in 2004. The Ravens have the aforementioned Mason, the Steelers had/have the aforementioned Ward. The Steelers had a former special teams coach, albeit now veteran coach, in Bill Cowher. The Ravens have a former special teams coach, albeit now respected coach, in John Harbaugh. The Ravens have a tall quarterback with a big arm from a small school. The Steelers had a tall quarterback with a big arm from a small school. It goes on...

... but here's where this is going. The Ravens have the look of a playoff team with Flacco under center. With their defense, the Ravens are going to win games alone, lesser teams in similar situations, like the Falcons, will not. And Flacco proved, like Big Ben did his rookie year, he can go out and lead a successful drive late in a game. The Steelers ended up going 15-1 before bowing out to the Patriots in the playoffs in '04. The Ravens aren't winning out, but expect them to make the playoffs if I'm even close to predicting Flacco as the second coming of Roethlisberger.

Philly Sports Thoughts chimes in on the Eagles' Sunday night loss to the Bears. Conclusion: This could be a game that haunts them. I predict Philly beats the Redskins this week, btw.

T.O. is back to his feather-ruffling ways, which is why he earns the privilige to have Tarkus Malarkus' Corner's Idiot of Week Four Honor.

Speaking of T.O., and the words coming out of his mouth, Toxic Talk offers this bit of advice to the mouthy wideout: Watch Bull Durham. I say, don't you dare, the world is full of enough horrible soundbites. Keep it real T.O.

With hopes of becoming the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays, Da Dude's Daily Diamond Dialogue hands out grades to the pitching staff, and it's not pretty if you're name is Luke, Brian or Jimmy.

WIth WGN set to run a ALF marathon tomorrow, keep this in mind