NFL Playoffs 2012: Ranking the 8 Remaining Starting Quarterbacks

First there were 12; now there are eight NFL playoff quarterbacks remaining.

Last weekend, the first round of the National Football League playoffs provided some breathtaking moments.

Every home team (New York Giants, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos) won. Second, two quarterbacks—Tim Tebow (Broncos) and T.J. Yates (Texans)—won their first playoff starts.

The Saints' Drew Brees threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns to lead New Orleans past the Detroit Lions 45-28.

Eli Manning (Giants) performed brilliantly in New York's 24-2 win over the Atlanta Falcons, as Manning passed for 277 yards and three scores.

Yates threw for only 159 yards, but was efficient enough in the Texans' 31-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Brees, Manning and Yates were upstaged by Tebow.

In his first-ever playoff start, Tebow threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns as Denver beat the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in overtime. Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas with an 80-yard bomb on the first play of the extra session. It was the longest pass to end a NFL playoff game.

Now, Tebow, Brees, Manning and Yates will join Tom Brady (New England Patriots), Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) and Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers) as the only eight quarterbacks remaining in the NFL playoffs.

The question is, which signal-caller is the best?

Here are the eight remaining quarterbacks left in the playoffs. 

8. Houston Texans: T.J. Yates

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates led the Houston Texans to their first-ever playoff win.

Yates threw for only 159 yards and one touchdown, but it was enough as Houston beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 in the franchise's first postseason berth.

The first-year QB was shaky at times, however, he did enough for the win.

Now, Yates and the Texans will travel to face the Baltimore Ravens and their tough defense.

Look for Ray Lewis and Co. to throw everything they can at Yates to rattle the rookie.

7. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow

Denver's Tim Tebow did the unthinkable last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tebow defied all of his critics and defeated the six-time league champion Steelers 29-23 in overtime with an electrifying climax.

The Broncos won the coin toss in overtime and accepted the ball. On the first play from its own 20, Tebow dropped back under heavy duress, scrambled and hit wide receiver Demaryius Thomas over the middle with a slant pass. Thomas would stiff-arm the Steelers' Ike Taylor and outrun a defender to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown to end the game.

Tebow threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Although he was only 10-of-21 passing, three of the passes were for more than 50 yards, against a Pittsburgh defense that was No. 1 against the pass and total defense.

In his playoff debut, Tebow remained calm.

A couple of his passes got away from him, and he missed a few open receivers. However, the area where he has struggled—the long ball—was a positive against the Steelers. Tebow found his receivers and hit them in stride with the deep pass.

Now, Tebow will look to rekindle the magic against the New England Patriots.

Saturday's game in New England is a rematch for the Broncos. In Week 15 of the regular season, the Patriots frustrated Tebow. Tebow was held to 194 yards passing in Denver's 41-23 loss.

Going against fellow QB Tom Brady, Tebow will have to have a good game in order for the Broncos to advance to the AFC Championship game.

6. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith

The 49ers Alex Smith has had a good season.

Smith, the No. 1 pick of the 2005 draft, passed for over 3,100 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead San Francisco to its first playoff berth since 2002.

Prior to this season, Smith struggled with injuries and inconsistency, but the 2011 season was a year of revival for both Smith and the Niners.

First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh modified the offense for Smith. The Niners' main goal is running the football, and Smith has been able to control the passing game.

His five interceptions were the fewest of any NFL starter this season.

Smith will look to duplicate what Tim Tebow and T.J. Yates did in their first playoff games last weekend: win.

However, the task will not be easy.

San Francisco hosts the New Orleans Saints and their high-powered offense. The Niners' tough defense will have to stop Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Co.

The Niners would like to keep the Saints offense off the field and not have to rely on Smith throwing the ball 30-plus times.

5. Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens' Joe Flacco will carry a 4-3 playoff record into next weekend's home playoff game with the Houston Texans.

Flacco, in his fourth year, passed for 3,610 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Houston comes into the contest with the NFL's No. 3-ranked passing defense.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers eliminated from the playoffs, the Ravens no longer have to worry about their division rival.

A Ravens win and a New England Patriots loss to the Denver Broncos will give Baltimore home-field advantage in the AFC Championship game.

Flacco will look to lead the Ravens back to the Super Bowl, where they won it all in 2000.  

4. New England Patriots: Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will look to do something they have failed to do the last two postseasons: get past the first round.

Brady has led the Patriots to three Super Bowl victories, but they have been eliminated the past two seasons in their first playoff game. In 2010, New England lost to the New York Jets 28-21. The previous season the Patriots lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14.

On Saturday, Brady hopes to lead New England to a home playoff win over the upstart Denver Broncos in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots have the home-field advantage and a win will move them one step closer to a return trip to the Super Bowl.

Brady, who threw for a career-high 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns in the regular season, is nursing a bad shoulder, but should be fine on Saturday.

3. New York Giants: Eli Manning

No quarterback in the National Football League was as more valuable to his team than the New York Giants' Eli Manning.

Manning had probably his greatest season ever, throwing for a career-best 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, Manning torched the Falcons secondary for 277 yards and three scores.

Manning and the G-Men will travel to Lambeau Field to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in the second round of the NFC playoffs.

If one team can dethrone Green Bay, it's the Giants.

The Giants are playing their best football and Manning is the reason why.

If Manning plays mistake-free against Green Bay, the Giants have a great shot at beating the Packers.

2. New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

You might as well get used to Drew Brees giving the touchdown signal.

The play of the New Orleans Saints' superstar quarterback has been unconscious!

After setting the record for most passing yards in a season (5,476), Brees was at it again this past weekend against the Detroit Lions.

Brees lit up the Lions for 466 yards and passed for three touchdowns to lead the Saints past the Lions 45-28 in the first round of the NFC playoffs.

No other QB in the NFL is playing with more poise than Brees.

His touchdown signal (pictured above) was one of 46 during the regular season, which was a career high for him.

Brees and the Saints were the defending Super Bowl champs last season, but were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, 41-36.

New Orleans travels to San Francisco to face a tough 49ers defense. 

1. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers is still No. 1.

Rodgers, the NFL's top-rated passer (122.5), has had the best season of his seven-year career.

No quarterback is more feared than Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for over 4,600 yards and 45 touchdowns, leading the Packers to a league-best 15-1 record.

Green Bay will host the New York Giants next weekend in the second round of the NFC playoffs.

Rodgers and the Packers flirted with a perfect season before losing in Week 15 to the Kansas City Chiefs, but another Super Bowl win is the only thing that matters most for Rodgers and the Packers.

If Green Bay beats the Giants, the Packers have a great chance of repeating.

And the reason why? Aaron Rodgers.