NFL Power Rankings: Regular-Season Grades for Every Starting QB

It has been a fun year to look at performances from the most important position on the football field. My rankings have changed a great deal throughout the season, but some things never change. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are good examples. 

Most of the top quarterbacks are going to be playing next week or the following week because they led their teams to the playoffs, while other organizations are going go to go to full scale quarterback search mode. 

So in honor of the San Francisco 49ers and their amazing regular season, I am going to give you my regular-season quarterback grades. LEGGO...

Too Injured to Work or Benched for Lack of Performance

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Schaub did a great job running the Houston Texans' offense when he was in there, and his absence has been felt up and down the team. Look for him to return in 2012 fully healthy. 

Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs

Cassel struggled a great deal when he was on the football field and didn't have the offensive line play he needed in order to succeed. I am pretty sure the Chiefs are not happy with their return in the trade with the New England Patriots.

Cassel may get a challenge in training camp with a new coach and scheme. 

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

So much for Manning playing in another city next season—Jim Irsay pretty much squashed any thought of that.

It is still way too early to tell if Manning will ever return to 2010 form or have to call it quits. This is his life and health that we are talking about.

I for one hope he hangs it up if there is a risk to an ongoing injury. Manning has a long life ahead of him, so no need to be disabled in the process. 

Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins

I have been vindicated in the idea that Henne is not a starting quarterback in the NFL. Just look at how much better Matt Moore has been, and he isn't all too great.

Look for Henne to catch on somewhere as a backup. 

Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals

A disaster would be the best way to assess Kolb's first year with Arizona.

Prior to going down with numerous injuries, Kolb was nothing more than an average quarterback. In fact, John Skelton has done a great job in his stead.

There remains a possibility that Kolb will get competition in training camp from Skelton. If that happens, Arizona might just want to cut its losses and let the struggling quarterback go before his bonuses start to kick in. He is not a franchise quarterback by any means. 

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams 

I am willing to give Sam Bradford a mulligan for his 2012 performance. He has been injured all season, had to learn a new playbook on the fly and doesn't have the necessary talent on offense in order to succeed.

Still, it isn't a good sign that he regressed from a great rookie season. 

Donovan McNabb, Minnesota Vikings

In one word: done.

That pretty much sums up where Donovan McNabb stands right now.

Sure, he can probably latch on as a backup somewhere, but he really should consider calling it quits. 

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

What a great performance from Jay Cutler prior to going down to injury. He was absolutely amazing going to town every single Sunday behind a horrible offensive line and without any playmakers on the outside.

Look for the Bears to find some weapons on the outside, solidify their offensive line and Cutler to come back as strong as ever. 

32. Kellen Clemens, St. Louis Rams

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 52.7% completion, 546 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 73.8 rating

For a player who came in to a struggling situation with the Rams, Clemens actually performed far better than I envisioned he would. 

While his statistics were padded somewhat after the 49ers sat their defense in the second half on Sunday, Clemons has proven he can be a viable backup option moving forward. 

Grade: Incomplete

31. Dan Orlovsky, Indianapolis Colts

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 63.2% completion, 1,281 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs, 82.4 rating

Dan Orlovsky was never the current of future starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts; his job was to run the team in the absence of Peyton Manning and prior to the Andrew Luck era.

What Orlovsky did do was win two games and play pretty decently for a player who lacks the necessary skills to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. 

Look for him to latch on somewhere as a training camp arm and compete for a backup role in 2012. Nothing more. 

Grade: D

30. Josh McCown, Chicago Bears

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 63.6% completion, 414 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs, 68.3 rating

Josh McCown, who signed with the 49ers only to be released a week later this preseason, was brought in by Chicago to be an emergency stop-gap quarterback. 

Well, he showed us exactly why he wasn't in the league and didn't draw any interest prior to this preseason.

McCown isn't anything more than a viable third-string option in the NFL. Any team placing their eggs in his basket as a backup will be sorely mistaken if their starter goes down. 

Grade: D 

29. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 50.8% completion, 2,214 yards, 12 TDs, 11 INTs, 65.4 rating

Blaine Gabbert is the one rookie quarterback who really didn't show much progression throughout the season.

Rather, he remained a below-average starter all the way through.

Gabbert compiled only 200 yards twice in a game this season and completed less than 50 percent of his passes five different times. 

Jacksonville traded up to acquire the services of Gabbert during the 2011 NFL Draft, so they have made their bed and have to sleep in it.

Still, this quarterback needs to show something for the new ownership group and coaching staff to have any confidence in his ability to be the franchise guy. In short, I am just not seeing it. 

Grade: D

28. Rex Grossman, Washington Redskins

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 57.9% completion, 3,151 yards, 16 TDs, 20 INTs, 72.4 rating

Anyone who understands anything about being a quarterback in the NFL had a pretty good feeling that the Redskins were foolhardy when they decided to go with John Beck and Rex Grossman as their top two quarterbacks this season. 

The Beck experiment failed, so they went with Grossman. 

Well, that didn't work all too well, either.

Grossman showed flashes of brilliance at points this season, but dropped back down to earth more often than not. He cannot and will not be a guy a team can rely on as starter moving forward.

Essentially, Grossman is now a career backup. 

Grade: D

27. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 57.2% completion, 2,733 yards, 14 TDs, 11 INTs, 74.6 rating

The Cleveland Browns lack the necessary skill players on offense for pretty much any quarterback to succeed. Their running game was horrid, and they had absolutely no threats on the outside. While Greg Little projects to be a pretty solid receiver moving forward, they need help at that position this offseason. 

This is one of the things you have to take into account when evaluating the performance of Colt McCoy this season. Still, that excuse might not fly when it comes to what he has actually shown as a sophomore signal-caller: He cannot make every throw on the field and has a limited range when it comes to downfield passes. 

At this point it is hard to imagine McCoy being much more than a pedestrian starter in the league. This could mean that Cleveland looks to add a Robert Griffin III in the draft if at all possible. 

Grade: C-

26. John Skelton, Arizona Cardinals

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 54.9% completion, 1,913 yards, 11 TDs, 14 INTs, 68.9 rating

It is hard to argue with the success John Skelton had as a starter for Arizona this season (5-2 overall record). This is a far cry from Arizona's start with Kevin Kolb at the helm. 

Does this mean that Skelton will challenge Kolb for the starting job in 2012?

Not too entirely sure about that. Arizona gave up a lot to get Kolb and have much more invested in him moving forward. You can expect them to give him every possible chance to win the job. 

That said, Skelton proved himself to be a viable option of the Kolb experiment, which has proven to be an utter failure moving forward. Only time will tell. 

Grade: C-

25. T.J. Yates, Houston Texans

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 61.2% completion, 949 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 80.7 rating

After getting off to a strong start as the surprise rookie quarterback for Houston, Yates has struggled to an extent over the last couple of games. Defenses seemed to have caught up to his game and understand his reads in the pocket. 

This probably doesn't bode well for Houston moving into the playoffs this weekend. While they still do have a strong running game and defense, it is nearly impossible to view Yates as a starting quarterback for a team that is going to do damage in the playoffs. 

I do believe Yates will end up being a really good quarterback in the NFL, he just has too much going against him at this point in his career. 

Grade: C

24. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 54.3% completion, 1,853 yards, 13 TDs, 13 INTs, 70.1 rating

I really like the way Christian Ponder performed in a difficult situation with the Vikings his rookie season. He seemed to have really good pocket presence, he made some good reads and has an exceptionally strong arm. 

Of course his season wasn't without struggles, but that is to be expected from a rookie. 

Look for the Vikings to add some playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and fix the tackle position this offseason. If that happens, you are going to be watching a really strong sophomore performance from the 2011 first-round pick. 

Grade: C
 

23. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 62.8% completion, 3,592 yards, 16 TDs, 22 INTs, 74.6 rating

If you are talking about progression from a young quarterback, Freeman would get a failing grade in my book. I had him as a dark-horse Pro Bowler at the beginning of the season, but his transition to elite status couldn't have gone any worse this year. 

Freeman continually made the wrong throws at the wrong time. He attempted to hit players in coverage with the results being 22 interceptions, and in doing so, he lacked the necessary field awareness to be an above-average quarterback. 

Now moving into his fourth season, it is pretty much put up or shut up time for Freeman. If 2011 is any indication, Tampa Bay shouldn't have much confidence in him moving forward. 

Grade: C

22. Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 60.5% completion, 2,497 yards, 16 TDs, 9 INTs, 87.1 rating

Matt Moore did much more than control the Dolphins' offense this season

Moore was a marked improvement from Chad Henne, which really isn't saying a whole lot. What I did like from Moore this season was the fact that he trusted that arm more than in the past and utilized the Dolphins' weapons to the best of his ability. 

Moving forward, I can easily see Moore being a caretaker quarterback for the Miami Dolphins while they groom a young signal-caller. It will all depend on how the free-agent market plays out and ifone of the elite quarterbacks is available when Miami drafts in April. 

Grade: B-

21. Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle Seahawks

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 60.2% completion, 3,091 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs, 79.2 rating

Anyone who thinks Jackson is the Seahawks' answer at quarterback moving forward is surely mistaken. While he did have moments of success in 2011, Jackson just doesn't have what it takes to be anything more than a marginal quarterback at this level. 

With the Seahawks' late-season success, they have played themselves out of the hunt for one of the two elite quarterbacks in the draft. This means they are probably stuck with Tarvaris Jackson moving forward and will have to go the route of selecting a marginal prospect in the middle rounds. 

With Seattle's defense and running game, Jackson can lead them to the playoffs, but that is far from a guarantee and not something many Hawks fans should feel comfortable with. 

Grade: B-

20. Kyle Orton, Kansas City Chiefs

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 59.5% completion, 1,758 yards, 9 TDs, 9 INTs, 77.8 rating

Kyle Orton might have played himself into a starting role for some team next year with his performance as the Chiefs' signal-caller late in the season. 

Orton is a true leader on the football field and gets the best out of those skill players on offense. Teams like the Redskins, Dolphins, Seahawks and Browns will surely take a look at Orton moving forward.

Even the Chiefs might take a look at him this offseason depending on how their front office feels about Matt Cassel. 

Grade: B-

19. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 56.7% completion, 3,474 yards, 26 TDs, 18 INTs, 78.2 rating

Mark Sanchez has seen his completion percentage, yards, touchdowns and quarterback rating all go up in each of his three seasons as a starter in the NFL.

However, this doesn't mean he has made the transition to elite status; instead, he has regressed a great deal as a player and a leader. 

It might have even gotten to the point that the Jets may have to kick the tires of finding a quarterback of the future or challenging Sanchez with another veteran this offseason. 

Either way, something needs to be done, because Sanchez was downright horrible for the most part of the 2011 season. Just another example that statistics really aren't everything when it comes to the quarterback position. 

Grade: B-

18. Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee Titans

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 61.6% completion, 3,571 yards, 18 TDs, 14 INTs, 82.4 rating

Even at 36 years old, Matt Hasselbeck had his best season since 2007. A season that many projected to be rebuilding for the Tennessee Titans came down to the last week when they just barely missed out on the playoffs. 

I fully understand that Hasselbeck is nothing more than a stop-gap option for the Titans, but his performance in 2011 might lead some within the organization to believe that it makes sense to let Jake Locker sit for one more season. I couldn't agree more. 

Grade: B

17. Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 60.7% completion, 2,753 yards, 13 TDs, 16 INTs, 80.5 rating

I might get some grief for having Carson Palmer this high on the list, and that is fair. He didn't put it all together like some within the Oakland Raiders organization (Hue Jackson) foolishly thought he would.

But you have to take into account that Palmer joined the Raiders midseason and was without the talents of Darren McFadden throughout. 

Give Palmer an entire offseason with Jackson and the Raiders' offense, and this team will improve dramatically. In all, it is incredibly hard to place the blame on Palmer for Oakland's inability to win a division that seemed ripe for the taking. 

Grade: B

16. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 62.2% completion, 3,832 yards, 24 TDs, 23 INTs, 79.1 rating

What started out as a great season for the Buffalo Bills and Ryan Fitzpatrick ended with major disappointment. The quarterback wasn't the same after he signed a large extension and lost Fred Jackson due to injury. 

After starting the season with nine touchdowns and just three interceptions in his first four games, Fitzpatrick threw 20 interception in his final 12 starts, finishing the season tied for the most picks in the league. 

At this point it is pretty obvious he needs to have that running game in order to be successful on offense. The good news is that C.J. Spiller showed something toward the end of the season, and Fred Jackson will be back in 2012. 

Grade: B

15. Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 46.5% completion, 1,729 passing yards, 660 rushing yards, 18 TDs, six INTs, 72.9 rating

Sorry Tebow apologists out there—I couldn't put him any higher than the middle of the pack.

Tebow's last three games were absolutely horrendous as defenses started to plan well against the college like option attack. 

With a completion percentage under 50 and multiple games completing less than double-digit passes, Tebow's game might have been exposed. 

That said, the Broncos are in the playoffs, and he is one of the primary reasons they are there. Now, I doubt they will be able to hang with Pittsburgh, but only time will tell in regards to that.

One thing is for sure: Tebow has earned a chance at being the Broncos' starter in 2012.

Grade: B

14. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 59.8% completion, 3,303 passing yards, 589 rushing yards, 19 TDs, 14 INTs, 84.9 rating

Not only did Michael VIck take a step back from a great comeback 2010 campaign but he led an underperforming Philadelphia Eagles team to an 8-8 record.

Not what many people expected in August. 

Still, Vick did pick his game up after coming back from injury and gave us reason to believe that his performance in the first half of the season was nothing more than a mirage. 

Look for Vick to put in a lot of work with his teammates during the offseason and come out strong from the gate in 2012. Every time Vick is thrown to the proverbial wolves by the media he comes back strong and proves us all wrong. 

Grade: B

13. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 58.1% completion, 3,398 yards, 20 TDs, 13 INTs, 80.4 rating

If you would have told me Andy Dalton would lead the Cincinnati Bengals to the playoffs in August, I would have called you insane. After all, I projected them to win three games this season. 

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. 

Now the Bengals are in a prime situation to win their Wild Card game against the Houston Texans and go to the second round of the AFC playoffs. What an amazing turnaround for this franchise and their rookie quarterback.

No matter what happens moving forward, Dalton has proven himself to be the future franchise quarterback for Cincinnati. 

Grade: B+

12. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 57.6% completion, 3,610 yards, 20 TDs, 12 INTs, 80.9 rating

Now that the Ravens have wrapped up a first-round bye and will be hosting their first postseason game in the Joe Flacco era, it is time for him to take his game to the next level. 

This is a quarterback who has been up and down all season long. One minute Flacco looks like the next Joe Montana, the next he looks no better than Trent Dilfer. 

That said, the Ravens finished the regular season on a high note, and Flacco is playing really well. It's all about the postseason for this team and their franchise signal-caller. 

Grade: B+

11. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 62.9% completion, 4,624 yard, 27 TDs, 20 INTs, 88.7 rating

Sure Philip Rivers had the worst season of his illustrious career in 2011, but that doesn't tell the entire story.

Rivers helped bring the Chargers back from a six-game midseason losing streak, and they nearly made another amazing late-season playoff run. 

Rivers is a player whom his teammates have trust in, and it shows on the football field. While he didn't have an elite 2011 season, he is an elite quarterback. 

Grade: B+

10. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 61.4% completion, 3,150 yards, 17 TDs, 5 INTs, 90.7 rating

It is hard to ignore the season that Alex Smith had in 2011. Not only did the San Francisco 49ers finish the season with an amazing 13-3 record but Smith placed himself into the franchise history books by playing stellar football (for the most part). 

You are looking at a quarterback who has not thrown an interception since Thanksgiving (160 passes), which ties Steve Young's franchise record. Smith's five interceptions in 446 passing attempts led to a ratio of one pick per 90 passing attempts—absolutely amazing. 

Now it is time for Smith to show he can take this team to the next level in the playoffs, and it won't be easy. He will probably have to beat both Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers in order to get the 49ers into their sixth Super Bowl. 

Grade: A

9. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 66.3% completion, 4,184 yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs, 102.5 rating

Anyone who places the blame on Tony Romo for Dallas not making the playoffs this season really doesn't understand the game of football. It was horrible coaching and untimely stupidity on the defensive side of the game that caused the Cowboys to miss out on the playoffs once again. 

Romo did everything he could do to lead Dallas, but came up short in the end. From his amazing comeback in San Francisco early in the season to the gutsy performance Sunday night against the New York Giants, Romo really showed his man card in an amazing way.

Still, he is going to get blame because of the Cowboys' heralded history and the fact that he has won a total of one playoff game in six seasons as a starter.

Grade: A

8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 61.3% completion, 4,177 yards, 29 TDs, 11 INTs, 92.2 rating

Matt Ryan really picked up his game as the 2011 regular season progressed. He threw 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his final four starts, leading the Falcons to the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. 

Has Ryan taken the next step toward elite status? The postseason will go a long way in determining this.

One thing is for sure: He is way beyond fellow draft-mates Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez at this point. 

Grade: A

7. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 60.0% completion, 4,051 passing yards, 706 rushing yards, 35 TDs, 17 INTs, 84.5 rating

Rookie mistakes aside, Cam Newton had one of the most amazing seasons for any quarterback in the history of the NFL. I am not overstating this, considering the fact that many of us expected him to struggle a great deal as a rookie. 

Newton had nearly 5,000 total yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, not to mention the fact he broke Peyton Manning's rookie passing mark. 

This doesn't even take into account that Newton has turned around a Carolina Panthers franchise that seemed to be without much hope at this time last season. 

Grade: A

6. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 63.2% completion, 4,077 yards, 21 TDs, 14 INTs, 90.1 rating

When taking into account the sum of a player's performance during an entire season, you have to look at the bad along with the good. 

This is one of the reasons why Big Ben is higher than his statistics would suggest.

The simple fact that Roethlisberger played with an injury that no other player in the league would be able to play with should put him in the top six. 

Not only that, he has led the Steelers to the playoffs after starting the season in a horrible fashion. I am not sure if Pittsburgh has what it takes to get to the Super Bowl, but one thing is for sure: Ben Roethlisberger has earned my respect this season. 

Grade: A

5. Eli Manning, New York Giants

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 61.0% completion, 4,933 yards, 29 TDs, 16 INTs, 92.9 rating

Elite players step up big time when it counts the most, and that is exactly what Eli Manning has done in 2011.

If it wasn't for his fourth-quarter excellence, the Giants would be packing up their bags right now and Tom Coughlin's seat would be fiery hot. 

Instead, he has led the Giants to an unlikely postseason run and quarterbacks probably the most dangerous team in the NFL right now. 

Grade: A

4. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 63.5% completion, 5,038 yards, 41 TDs, 16 INTs, 97.2 rating

While the Detroit Lions did blow a big chance in their regular-season finale against Green Bay and will probably be one-and-done in the playoffs, the entire atmosphere surrounding this city and franchise is forever changed. 

This has to do with the Lions' dynamic offense and the rhythm between Stafford and Calvin Johnson. They seem to be the best quarterback-wide receiver tandem since Brady-to-Moss, circa 2007. 

Also keep in mind that they are incredibly young and have bright futures. If Stafford can remain healthy, look for the Lions to maintain this momentum moving forward and contend for a Lombardi Trophy in the not-so-distant future. 

Grade: A

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 65.6% completion, 5,235 yards, 39 TDs, 12 INTs, 105.6 rating

I am not sold on the New England Patriots as the favorites to win the AFC, but that is not because of Tom Brady. This is a dude who continues to defy what it means to be a quarterback in the NFL. By this I mean he continually excels at the top of the position and has done so for a decade now. 

Brady isn't getting any worse at 34, either. Instead, he continues to hone his game and perform better as his career progresses. 

I am not going out on a limb by saying he will go down as one of the five best quarterbacks to ever play the game. 

Grade: A+

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 71.2% completion, 5,476 yards, 46 TDs, 14 INTs, 110.6 rating

I seriously contemplated putting Drew Brees atop this list; it is incredibly hard to ignore all of the records he has broken this season. 

Still, the Saints finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will have a long path to another Super Bowl appearance. For this, I had to go with Aaron Rodgers ahead of Brees. 

Of course this doesn't change what the Super Bowl-winning quarterback has done in 2011—simply amazing!!

Grade: A+

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Final Regular-Season Statistics: 68.3% completion, 4,643 yards, 45 TDs, 6 INTs, 122.5 rating

Despite finishing the season with a loss, Aaron Rodgers had one of the most impressive regular seasons in the history of the NFL. He maintained an excellence throughout 15 games that I have not seen since the days of Joe Montana in 1980s. 

Of course we are in a different era right now, so stats are padded when it comes to quarterbacks—but this doesn't mean Rodgers shouldn't get his just dessert. 

If the Packers do indeed win the Super Bowl this season, Rodgers will go down in history as having one of the best two-year runs ever. 

For that alone, he needs to be No. 1 on this list. 

Grade: A+