Drew Brees, Michael Vick and the 10 Most Overrated NFL Quarterbacks Right Now

The NFL is a passing game now, and to consistently win games you need a very good quarterback to lead the offense.

When a team loses, fairly or not, the quarterback is often blamed.

Many times, however, quarterbacks get too much credit. There's also times when a quarterback who excelled in the regular season, such as Peyton Manning, receives way too much credit when he's bad, especially once playoff time arrives.

To be a great quarterback, you need to put up good stats to help your team win, but you must have the intangibles to win playoff games. 

Let's look at the 10 most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL.

Nicholas Goss is a featured columnist and a syndicated writer at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan is a solid pocket passer for the Atlanta Falcons, but he has not won a playoff game in his two tries during his young career.

In last year's horrific loss to the Green Bay Packers at home in the NFC Divisional round, Ryan threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, and only threw for 186 yards.

Interestingly, he does not throw a lot of passes compared to the top quarterbacks. With a solid running game in Atlanta led by Michael Turner, Ryan has been used to giving the ball to his backs near the goal line.

When Ryan needs to put the team on his back, he fails.

However, he is young and has plenty to improve upon, and it would shock me if he hasn't won a playoff game sometime in the next five years.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

People who refuse to believe Mark Sanchez is overrated always say, "he's a winner."

Yes, the Jets have won a lot of games the past two seasons, but that was because of their defense and running game.

If Sanchez played on a bad team with a subpar defense and few quality receivers, he'd be quite average. It doesn't hurt to have multiple running backs to hand the ball of to and many very good receivers to throw to.

The Jets have failed to take the next step and advance to the Super Bowl because Sanchez is not the type of player who can carry a team in the playoffs.

He didn't beat Tom Brady in the playoffs last year—the Jets defense did.

In two NFL seasons with lots of talent around him, Sanchez has thrown 29 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. 

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler is an easy pick for this list, and for good reason. Not only does Cutler make so many mistakes, he has been labelled as soft by many in the league.

A 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio is the best you can hope for with Cutler. 

He lacks the toughness and drive to become an elite quarterback, and there is no indication of him changing.

Cutler has thrown 74 interceptions in the last four seasons, including 26 in 2009.

Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins

Donovan McNabb is another quarterback who can't win big games.

After losing three straight NFC championship games from 2001-03, McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots.

During the fourth quarter of that Super Bowl, McNabb was criticized by teammates, notably Terrell Owens, for not being physically ready for the big moments.

He couldn't handle the pressure, and as a member of the Washington Redskins, McNabb has yet to deliver a playoff victory for the franchise.

McNabb is a quality quarterback who can make plays on the run, but he can't be trusted to win big games in January. 

Eli Manning, New York Giants

Like fellow New York quarterback Mark Sanchez, much of Eli Manning's success with the New York Giants is because of the team's solid defense and rushing attack.

Manning's late fourth quarter drive to beat the then-unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII was impressive, but there was an unbelievable amount of luck on that drive.

Manning is an implosion waiting to happen, and since his Super Bowl win, he has yet to win a playoff game.

Manning is nothing like his older brother and is an average quarterback at best unless surrounded by exceptional talent.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer may be contemplating retirement, but he's still one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL.

He's 0-2 lifetime in the playoffs and has never lived up to the hype surrounding him after he won the 2002 Heisman Trophy and was selected No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 NFL Draft.

He's thrown 100 interceptions in seven seasons, but only six of them did he play at least 13 games in.

Palmer is a decent quarterback who racks up yards and will lead you to about 8-9 wins on a good team, but he's not a franchise quarterback, and he can't win big games.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick is an extraordinary talent, and to his credit, has done well to battle back from prison and once again become a solid NFL quarterback.

Putting all judgement and opinions of Vick's off-the-field troubles out the window, it's clear that he's one of the more overrated players in recent memory.

His career completion percentage is 55 percent, a terrible mark for a starting quarterback.

Vick's record in the playoffs is only 2-3, and he has only won one division title.

Only once has Vick thrown for more than 3,000 yards in a season, and his running style—which makes him so dynamic—is also his downfall.

He takes so much more abuse than necessary as a quarterback when he runs into opposing defenses, and his durability is always a question mark in December because of it.

Vick will sell tickets and win regular season games, but he is not a true pocket passer and is not a leader that can win big games in the playoffs.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo is a solid quarterback, but he is a terrible playoff performer.

His 1-3 career postseason record is not something Jerry Jones would have imagined when he gave Romo a big long-term contract worth $67 million.

Romo's impressive regular season stats are nice for fantasy football owners, but when the bright lights of the playoffs come on, he chokes every time.

It's not like he hasn't had talent around him either. Romo had Terrell Owens while still an elite receiver, Miles Austin has been a solid receiver for him as well, and Jason Witten has been one the NFL's best tight ends for years.

If Romo doesn't prove he can be a playoff winning quarterback in 2011, Jerry Jones may look to replace him.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is a solid quarterback, and he's in top 10 in the NFL. But he is not a top QB and is not at the level of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers. 

He's not even as good as Philip Rivers.

Until Brees helped lead the Saints to a Super Bowl title against the Colts in the 2009 season, he had won one playoff game since his rookie season in 2001.

If not for a great defense and a late Brett Favre interception in the 2009 NFC Championship game, Brees might not be a Super Bowl champion.

The Saints title team had an unbelievable turnover ratio, and their championship was capped by an interception returned for a touchdown by Tracy Porter.

He puts up great stats, but until the Saints built an amazing defense, Brees never sniffed the Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning has been labelled as an overrated quarterback for years, and truth is, when you rack up all-time regular season statistics then choke more often than not in the playoffs, you are overrated.

Many people think Manning might be the best quarterback ever—are you kidding me? Not even top 5. 

I'd take Tom Brady, Joe Montana, John Elway, Johnny Unitas, and Dan Marino over Manning.

Manning is 10-9 all time in the playoffs and has one Super Bowl victory. His interception in the final minutes of Super Bowl 44 cost him another ring.

Manning can't win big games in bad weather, and he doesn't deliver even though he has Pro Bowl receivers, tight ends, and offensive linemen.

For all his amazing stats, his numerous playoff failures keep him from being a top-three quarterback of all time.

Manning has more MVPs, passing yards, and career touchdowns than most quarterbacks, but if your life depended on one game, would you really choose Manning over Brady or Montana?