The NFL Playoff QB Rankings Roll on Without Brees, Manning or Vick

With last year's Super Bowl quarterbacks Drew Brees and Peyton Manning out of this year's playoffs, will Tom Brady step up to gain elite prominence or will the younger crop of NFL quarterbacks come out of the divisional playoff round on top?  

The rankings were conducted keeping in mind the defenses/coaches they will face.

8. Mark Sanchez

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer of the New York Jets gestures as he talks to quarterback Mark Sanchez #6 late in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts during their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at L

An inconsistent regular season continued against Indianapolis last weekend as Sanchez turned in a mere 62.4 passer rating performance. There’s a lot in question about his throwing shoulder and given his awful performance in a 45-3 Week 13 loss at New England, he will undoubtedly establish Shonn Greene and L.T. early against New England.

Look for the quick hit slants to wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards along with heavy doses of play-action to allow tight end Dustin Keller to take the top off the defense.

In order for offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to keep his job, he must remain creative while not putting too much pressure on Sanchez. 

7. Matt Hasselbeck

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SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks throws the ball in the second half against the New Orleans Saints during the 2011 NFC wild-card playoff game at Qwest Field on January 8, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Phot

Hasselbeck is coming off a dazzling wildcard game where he turned in four touchdown passes against the heavily favored Saints. He’s going to need to continue to get John Carlson and Mike Williams involved in the offense if they want to win in Chicago.

I don't see Hasselbeck performing nearly as well with a much more active Bears front seven and a crowd that's no longer on his side.

6. Jay Cutler

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GREEN BAY, WI - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears is chased out of the pocket by the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 2, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Cutler was sacked a league-leading 56 times this season, including five sacks the first time the Bears met the Seahawks this year. Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock were in the backfield frequently against Drew Brees last week and the two could have a repeat of that in Chicago on Sunday.

Look for Mike Martz to devise quick throws to get the ball in the hands of offensive playmakers Devin Hester, Greg Olsen and Johnny Knox. 

5. Joe Flacco

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 09: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens goes under center against the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 9, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip V

Flacco controlled the wildcard game against Kansas City, targeting Todd Heap early and often. Flacco’s going to need to get Ray Rice involved in the passing game to spread out an aggressive Pittsburgh defense this week while trying to improve upon the most road wins of any quarterback (three).

Much of Flacco's success this week will fall in the hands of his offensive line, in particularly Michael Oher, who has looked out of synch with the offense at times this year.

4) Matt Ryan

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons against the Carolina Panthers at Georgia Dome on January 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Matty Ice is nice at home, but that Green Bay defense can change things quickly. He better know where Clay Matthews is at all times. Depending on how the Packers choose to use Charles Woodson, Ryan needs to rely on getting the ball to Roddy White downfield while establishing Michael Turner.

It will be quite the task to block the Packers' defensive tackle B.J. Raji, who is quickly becoming one of the league's most underrated players. 

3. Ben Roethlisberger

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 23: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass during the game against the Carolina Panthers on December 23, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The last time Big Ben met Baltimore in Week 13, he sustained a broken nose while already playing with a foot injury. The two-time Super Bowl champion should be healthier this time around while trying to lead the Steelers back to the Superbowl. Roethlisberger will need to exploit the weakness at corner for the Ravens while getting Mike Wallace down the field.

Getting Heath Miller back will undoubtedly secure the underneath and allow wide receiver Hines Ward to create more space and find the sticks.

I see Rashard Mendenhall getting quite a lot of carries and Mewelde Moore making plays out of the backfield on third downs in order to win the possession battle against divisional rival Baltimore.

2. Aaron Rodgers

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after a touchdown in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philad

Rodgers is coming off a stellar performance in Philly, where his heady decisions on the field match up well with a playoff-untested Atlanta defense.

Rodgers' receivers will have to make the best of their opportunities, as James Jones dropped a possible long touchdown and Greg Jennings dropped a pass on third down that would have moved the chains.

Rodgers should be able to remain elusive in the pocket as long as he identifies Pro-Bowl defensive end John Abraham and continues to spread the ball around, as well as establish James Starks, who was a pleasant surprise at running back in the wildcard matchup with the Eagles.

1. Tom Brady

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The three-time Superbowl champion turned in what most think is his second league MVP award and the statistics are there to back it up.  Tom Terrific heads into the playoffs with a streak that spans his last 335 attempts without an interception, as well as throwing for 3,900 yards, 36 touchdowns and a mere four interceptions.

Look for Brady to get rookie tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski involved in order to control the New York linebackers and to forgo the Jets' pressure that will surely come his way.

It will be interesting to see how the Jets defend Pats' wide receiver Wes Welker this time around and I wouldn't be shocked to see much of the Patriots' passing game stem from how the Jets plan to cover Welker.