Ranking the 10 Best Quarterbacks in the NFL in 2014

The quarterback position has always been the most prominent in the NFL. With the league being more pass-oriented, quarterbacks continue to have more value to their respective teams.

Most powerhouse offenses today are powered by a strong passing game. As you will see with some quarterbacks listed here, teams that have one of the best passing games tend to also be one of the better teams when it comes to total offense.

In this slideshow, we break down the 10 best quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL season. Do you agree with this list? Is there a player who should have been included but was excluded? Share your thoughts below.

10. Eli Manning, New York Giants

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Eli Manning is just one of two quarterbacks with a losing record in 2014 to reach this list. The New York Giants are currently riding a seven-game losing streak, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.

With the loss of Victor Cruz earlier this year, Manning has worked with plenty of young receivers and tight ends on the team, but he has done well with them offensively.

He’s thrown 22 touchdown passes, the ninth most in the league.

Coming off his worst season of 18 touchdowns and 27 interceptions alongside being sacked 39 times, Manning has looked better this year, despite the struggle the Giants are dealing with.

9. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

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In the seven seasons Joe Flacco has played in the NFL since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens out of Delaware, 2014 looks to be his best regular season from an individual standpoint.

Flacco currently has 20 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, a 63 percent completion rate, two fumbles and a passer rating of 93.5—all which could be single-season career highs by the time the year is over.

He also threw a touchdown pass of 80 yards, which became his career best for longest pass.

While he is having the best season of his career, Flacco hopes these numbers are good enough for his team as well. The Ravens are 7-5 and are in the hunt, but they have to get through plenty of teams in a conference in which five other teams are also 7-5.

8. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

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The Dallas Cowboys have finished 8-8 and have fallen short in each of the last three seasons, but it appears their fortune will change this year. The Cowboys have played better this year and started off as one of the more dominant teams in the league.

While running back DeMarco Murray has had a big hand in that, quarterback Tony Romo deserves plenty of credit as well.

Romo is third in the NFL in completion percentage at 68.2 percent and in quarterback passer rating as he currently sits at 106.2. His passer rating is on pace to be the highest he has ever had, beating his 102.5 rating in 2011, which was the only time he had a rating of more than 100.

Romo has also taken care of the football, throwing just eight interceptions this season, and it is no surprise to fans that he has taken care of the ball. Excluding 2010, when he played only six games, Romo has thrown 10 or fewer interceptions in four of the last five seasons.

7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Ben Roethlisberger has not had the most dependable group of pass-catchers this season, outside of Antonio Brown. Even so, Brown leads the league in receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns, all thanks to his work and chemistry on the field with Roethlisberger.

Compared to the rest of the league, he has thrown for 3,705 yards, which counts as the fourth highest in the NFL while he is in the top six in touchdown throws, completion percentage and owns the sixth-best passer rating with a 101.7 rating.

6. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

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It has been an abnormal season for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have not played their best football at 5-7, yet they are tied for first place in the NFC South and have a legitimate shot at winning the division. Thanks to Brees, and a lot of luck, the Saints still have a chance.

Brees has connected in the end zone with 11 different players this year as he gets as many players involved possible.

He has the best completion percentage in the NFL at 70.3 while also placing in the top five in passing yards and touchdowns. Although Brees primarily throws to tight end Jimmy Graham, he's found some success with young wide receivers in Kenny Stills and Brandin Cooks.

Even if the Saints reach the playoffs with a record below .500, don’t count out the possibility that they pull off an upset in the postseason with Brees under center.

5. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

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Philip Rivers currently has the fifth-best quarterback passer rating in the league at 102.8. He is on pace to finish with a rating of 100.0 or above for the fifth time in his career as a starting quarterback.

A reason for his high rating is his 69.1 completion percentage, which is the second best in the NFL.

Despite losing three straight games, including a 37-0 shutout loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Chargers have since rebounded and find themselves with the No. 5 seed in the AFC.

In addition to playing at a high level, Rivers has never missed a start in his career since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Chargers in 2006, starting exactly 140 consecutive regular-season games.

4. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

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Tom Brady got off to a rough start with a 2-2 record to kick off the season as he threw for fewer than 250 yards in each of the first four games. Following the slow beginning, Brady and the New England Patriots manufactured a seven-game winning streak in which Brady threw for more than 250 yards in each of those wins.

Since the 2-2 start, Brady has found a way to lead the Patriots to a 9-3 record, atop the entire AFC.

Brady is fourth in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 28 with most of his passes going to tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright and wide receiver Brandon LaFell.

3. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

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After the Indianapolis Colts used the No. 1 overall pick on Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL draft, the franchise immediately became relevant again. In Luck’s third year in the league, he’s quickly become one of the most viable quarterbacks in the league.

With Luck under center this season, he has thrown a touchdown pass to nine different players as seven of them have caught at least three touchdown grabs.

Despite the lack of a running game, Luck has helped make up for that by making the Colts the No. 1 passing team and top offensive unit in the NFL.

He leads the league in passing yards and is the only 4,000-yard passer right now.

2. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

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Even at 38 years old, Peyton Manning continues to play at a high level, and this year is no exception. He’s won 13 games in his first two years with the Broncos, helping them clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC since his arrival in Denver, and he has a chance to do it again this year.

Manning leads the NFL with 36 touchdown passes while he's also in the top five in quarterback passer rating, yards thrown and completion percentage. The most impressive part about Manning is his quick release. He has been sacked 13 times, the fewest among all quarterbacks on this list.

If Emmanuel Sanders adds three more receiving touchdowns from Manning, then Manning will have thrown double-digit touchdown passes to three different players this season.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

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Aaron Rodgers has had a big hand in helping the Green Bay Packers go into December as the second-highest scoring team in the NFL. He has thrown 32 touchdown passes and just three interceptions, giving him a 10.7 touchdown to interception ratio, according to Sporting Charts. The 10.7 ratio is the best in the NFL by six.

While having the luxury of two great wide receivers in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, Rodgers has the league’s highest quarterback passer rating at 118.6.

With a recent decline from the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers looks to lead the Packers to clinching a No. 1 seed in the NFC going into the postseason.

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