NFL Power Rankings: The Elite (and Not-so Elite) Starting Quarterbacks in Today's NFL

NFL quarterback power rankings are often a discussion amongst fans of the game. We talk about them at work, at a grocery store checkout, or sitting at the local bar. Everyone has their opinion of who the best starting quarterback in the NFL is. Most of us go for the starter of our favorite team, so our opinions can be a bit biased Through the wonderful stats offered on NFL.com, I have designed a formula based on two factors to eliminate personal bias.

The first factor is a complex one to create: the quarterback rating. I am not going to pretend to know the formula used to calculate this rating, but do realize its importance in evaluating a QB. Therefore, I have taken someone else’s hard work and used the results in my formula.

The second factor in my formula is the winning percentage of the quarterbacks as starters in the NFL. This took a bit more time to figure out, but I have compiled the results and plugged them into my equation to reach my NFL Elite (and Not-so Elite) Starting Quarterback Rating.  When it comes down to it, I feel as if the winning percentage is equal to, if not greater than the passer rating. Teams play the game of football to win.

This is the list of the top five guys who make it happen and who I would want representing my team on game day as the starting quarterback. Keep in mind, these results were based only on regular-season play.

No. 1: Tom Brady, New England Patriots: I have never been a New England fan, but it is true that Mr. Brady gets it done. He holds a career passer rating of 93.8 and a winning percentage of 75.2. He always seems to be cool under pressure and leads his team to victory. If the Elite Ratings factored in championships, Brady would have no competition.

No. 2: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: He has the highest career passer rating of all NFL starters with a 96.7, but needs to get some more wins under his belt.

No. 3: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts: A higher career passer rating than Brady, but just not enough wins, Peyton. Not enough wins? What? I know. This surprised me, too.

No. 4: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: All controversy aside, Big Ben does what he is supposed to do. He wins games and looks good doing it.

No. 5: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: High career passer rating of a 95.3 and winning 63 percent of his games with Dallas is good enough to be in the fifth spot.

On the darker side of the Elite, we have the Not-so Elite quarterbacks. These are the guys who have a better chance of being successful at something other than football. The bottom five selection process had only one flaw. This flaw fell on the rookie quarterbacks. Only five games into the season just isn’t enough time to evaluate these guys, so they have been omitted from the list. Before we count down the five worst starters, I want to apologize to these guys in advance—but also let them know that having a resume on CareerBuilder.com is not such a bad idea.

No. 5: Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I know it’s early in his career, but Freeman has to have a little better than a 66.9 passer rating to help the Bucs win.

No. 4: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills: It's cold in Buffalo.

No. 3: Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers: As a 49ers fan, it’s a sad day when I miss Shaun Hill.

No. 2: Bruce Gradkowski, Oakland Raiders: Another low passer rating and the record to prove it.

No. 1: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: Second year for the Georgia Bulldog and he just is not getting it done. Staying healthy is part of having success and leading your team to victory. You may want to upload that resume, Matthew.

Thanks again to NFL.com for the plethora of stats you provide to us football fans and aspiring writers. You make research easy. I hope everyone enjoys the Elite (and Not-so Elite) Ratings. If anything, I hope it adds to the hype of today’s Battle of the Bay between Alex Smith and Bruce Gradkowski. It will be a true showcase of quarterback stardom.