10. Matt Schaub Age:
31 CMP%: 64.3 Yds: 4008 TD:
22 INT: 12
At the beginning of the season Matt Schaub would have easily
been at the top of this list. Not only
was he sufficiently accurate and well composed under pressure, on top of that,
he had a stellar defense led by the quick and imposing defensive end J.J.
Watt. Unfortunately, the Houston Texans
dropped three of their last four games by a margin of at least twelve
points. While this didn’t hinder their
playoff chances, the team that was once offensively and defensively aggressive
in every sense of the word, lacked the ability to be as imposing as they once
were. Once Matt Schaub stopped
performing at a high level, the rest of team went down with him.
9. Russell Wilson
Age: 24 CMP%: 64.1 Yds: 3118
TD: 26 INT: 10
One of the biggest surprises to come out of the 2012 draft,
quarterback Russell Wilson is by far one of the most competitive rookies I have
ever seen. Not only did he have to beat
out former Green Bay Packer, Matt Flynn for the starting position, in Seattle, but
he also had to acclimate himself to a team that had lacked a compelling passing
game for sometime. While he was little
shaky in the beginning, he continued to improve from game to game. He displayed athletic poise within the
pocket, and eventually became a dynamic player who could also gracefully avoid
defensive pressure while creating improvised plays on the fly.
8. Colin Kaepernick
Age: 25 CMP%: 62.4 Yds: 1814
TD: 10 INT: 3
A seemingly uncalculated mistake, which eventually became a
highly respected promotion, Colin Kaepernick is nothing short of an athletic
wunderkind. Despite becoming the
starting quarterback at the tail end of the season, Kaepernick exceeded
expectations by not only throwing the ball accurately, but also by being able
to effectively implement the new up and coming offensive scheme, the
pistol. Week in and week out, Kaepernick
used his slight of hand tricks and quickness to confuse defenses which seemed
to be simply unstoppable. Even though
Kaepernick was unable to finish his short legacy with a Super Bowl victory, you
can bet that come next season, he’ll only be more efficient and effective than
he was before.
7. Robert Griffin III
Age: 23 CMP%: 65.6 Yds: 3200
TD: 20 INT: 5
While there are numerous stand out rookie performances that
were simply stellar, the success and ability of Robert Griffin III is miraculous. This young man, with his high quarterback IQ
and dual threat athletic ability, was able to breathe new life into a franchise
that hadn’t been relevant in nearly two decades. While the Redskins got off to a slow and
unimpressive 3-6 start within the first half of the season, they were able to
bounce back by winning seven straight games, sweeping division opponents Dallas
and Philadelphia in the process.
Unfortunately, RGIII’s triumphant story came to a bitter end when he was
injured during the wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks. While this may have been a tough pill for
Redskins fans to swallow, they can be rest assured that without a doubt they
have a legitimate franchise quarterback that will consistently lead them to
numerous post-season victories throughout his upcoming career.
6. Drew Brees Age: 34
CMP%: 63.0 Yds: 5177
TD: 43 INT: 19
Despite a lackluster 7-9 record for the season, which
resulted in the Saints surprisingly missing the playoffs, Drew Brees still
continues to play on a high level. While
his completion percentage is decidedly low compared to his last seasons
unwavering accuracy, Brees was still able to throw for more touchdowns and
yards than any other quarterback in the league.
However, a despicably atrocious defense crippled the Saints ability to
retain leads and for Drew Brees to find potential consistency throughout
multiple drives. The Saints can take
comfort in the fact that not only will Sean Peyton be returning as their head
coach, but also that they were able to secure Rob Ryan as the new defensive
coordinator. While the Saints may never
be defensive juggernauts even with these drastic changes, as long as Drew Brees
remains at the helm of the offense, this team will continue to compete at an
unprecedented level.
5. Joe Flacco Age:
28 CMP%: 59.7
Yds: 3817 TD: 22 INT:
10
Joe Flacco is by no means a stellar regular season
threat. While Flacco didn’t throw nearly
as many interceptions as some quarterbacks, he did sport one of the worst QBR
ratings of all time at a 0.3 when the Denver Broncos decimated the Ravens. However, once the regular season ended and
the post season began, an entirely new and gifted player rose from the ashes of
mediocrity and inconsistency. Not only
did Joe Flacco throw for 11 TD’s and no interceptions, but also he did it
against the best defensive team in the AFC (Denver) and once again toppled one
of the most deadly passers in the game (Tom Brady and The Patriots). If Joe Flacco can bring this cold blooded and
ruthless confidence for the upcoming regular season there is no question in my
mind that The Ravens have a compelling chance to make back to the Super Bowl.
4. Matt Ryan Age:
27 CMP%: 68.6 Yds: 4719
TD: 32 INT: 14
Looking at Matt Ryan’s impressive stats, it is highly
disconcerting and unbelievable that he has only won one playoff game throughout
his career in Atlanta. Despite their
impressive regular accolades and NFC leading record of 13-3, the Falcons lack a
powerful defensive front that is unable to bring consistent pressure throughout
the course of a single game. While Ryan
had the ability to make up for this blemish with pin point accuracy and
consistency, the only way he’ll ever compete in the Big Dance is if the rest of
team is able to match his lofty and necessary standards.
3. Peyton Manning Age: 36
CMP%: 68.6 Yds: 4659 TD:
37 INT: 11
What is there to say about this iconic superstar that hasn’t
already been said? He’s accurate. He’s highly
consistent during the regular season. He
never makes the same mistake twice. The only downside with Peyton Manning is
his relative inconsistency in the post season.
While he did win the Super Bowl in 2006, his post-season resume is
unremarkable. Throughout his career,
Peyton is 9-12 after the regular season, which is certainly unusual considering
his unwavering abilities in every other facet of the game. Even with these criticisms, it’s hard to
detest Peyton’s uncanny leadership abilities that effectively seem to
drastically improve both team unity and competitiveness as a whole. However, Peyton’s years as being the poster
child for what it means to be a successful quarterback are wearing thin. At best, he has two years left to match up
his regular season milestones with his post season woes.
2. Tom Brady Age:
35 CMP%: 63.0 Yds: 4827
TD: 34 INT: 8
With three Super Bowl
championships under his belt it would be hard to definitively argue that Tom
Brady is less than a top five quarterback.
Out of all the players on this list, Tom Brady conveys the most poise
and effectiveness with minimal mistakes.
However, like Peyton Manning, Brady has as of recently struggled in his post-season
endeavors. While he has made it farther
on a more consistent basis, ever since the Spygate scandal, Tom Brady has
seemingly lost his clutch ability to finish what he started especially when it
has come to his recent Super Bowl appearances (lost to Giants at the 2007 and
2011 Super Bowls). As long as the New
England Patriots can retain their offensive weapons and Brady continues
dominate in regular season play, it would seem inevitable that the Patriots are
capable of capturing one final championship before the Brady era concludes.
1. Aaron Rodgers
Age: 29 CMP%: 67.2 Yds: 4295
TD: 39 INT: 8
While some would consider this a stagnant year for the
nearly flawless Aaron Rodgers, in terms of the rest of the league it is a feat
that many desire to accomplish but can never fully achieve. Besides Tom Brady and Robert Griffin III, Aaron Rodgers is the only
quarterback that has thrown single digits in interceptions (8) while producing
more than four times this number in touchdowns thrown (39). Simply put, Rodgers is as close to a flawless
quarterback track record as you can get to without being inhuman. If the Green Bay Packers can find some
answers on the defensive side of the ball and establish a half decent running
game, Aaron Rodgers could very well be the next Joe Montana coming into the
prime of his illustrious career.
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