Ranking Tom Brady and the Starting Quarterback for Each NFL Team
Winning a Super Bowl without an elite quarterback has become impossible.
Every NFL team knows that Trent Dilfer couldn't even get to a Super Bowl with a gunslinger on each contender. A strong running game and a stout defense help, but the quarterback gets the commercials and sponsorships for a reason: They win championships.
The NFL is enjoying a significant increase in elite passers due in part to new rules that favor the passing game. Mediocre quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez can get lucky against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive rounds, but another elite quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, was waiting for Sanchez in the AFC Championship game.
The Packers suffered injuries at nearly every position but still won the Super Bowl because Aaron Rodgers carried his team with subpar skill players and an inconsistent run game. The Colts nearly won the Super Bowl with Donald Brown running behind Tony Ugoh.
The point is, without a quarterback, a team has no chance at a championship, so watching quarterback-needy teams draft defensive linemen in the first round in a draft full of potentially elite quarterbacks was maddening for fans.
Here is a post-draft ranking of each starting quarterback.
32: Arizona Cardinals
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Ken Whisenhunt and the Arizona Cardinals have a relatively talented team, but Kurt Warner's retirement threw this franchise in turmoil because their replacement plan resembled something constructed by JaMarcus Russell.
The original replacement, Matt Leinart, has a bright future holding a clipboard in Houston and Derek Anderson seems more focused on his standup routine than throwing to poor Larry Fitzgerald. John Skelton showed promise last year and hopes to improve to third-string quarterback standards next year.
The Cardinals created an impressive cornerback tandem by drafting Patrick Peterson to pair up with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but cornerbacks aren't going to get Arizona back to the Super Bowl. Kevin Kolb might help though...
31: Washington Redskins
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The Redskins did a great job last offseason by going out and trading for Donovan McNabb for only a second-round pick. Experts were discussing the possibility that the Redskins were finally improving after years of mediocrity.
Then the Redskins alienated Albert Haynesworth during training camp and McNabb soon after. Whenever a coach says the words "Rex Grossman is our starting quarterback," he has made a terrible mistake. Every time.
Skins fans are now looking forward to a 2011 season with John Beck at the helm. Read that last sentence again.
30: Minnesota Vikings
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With Brett Favre finally gone, the Vikings front office realized that their replacement plan involved a wide receiver playing quarterback. This forced the Vikings to reach for Christian Ponder in the draft.
Minnesota has an aging roster in win-now mode but a rookie quarterback who will need to develop for a few years before he is ready to contend. Still, the possibility of Tavaris Jackson or Joe Webb running such a potent offense into the ground makes Christian Ponder look like Joe Montana.
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29: San Francisco 49ers
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With Alex Smith possibly becoming a free agent depending on labor negotiations, the 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick as a potential replacement. Kaepernick played in a high-scoring offense at Nevada as a dual-threat quarterback.
Alex Smith seems to only play well when his starting job is threatened, so maybe having Kaepernick breathing down his neck will improve his play. However, I bet Jim Harbaugh will miss his former Stanford pal Andrew Luck, and he might just sneak across the bay to see Luck play a couple times next year just to cheer himself up during what looks like a long rebuilding season.
28: Tennessee Titans
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The Titans are done with Vince Young.
Drafting Jake Locker eighth overall rather than Blaine Gabbert or a defensive lineman raised eyebrows immediately. Locker was once considered a lock for the first overall pick in this year's draft, but a 7-6 finish and flaws in basic mechanics caused Locker to fall on most draft boards. Locker needs time to develop, and he will get that time handing off to Chris Johnson and throwing to Kenny Britt.
27: Seattle Seahawks
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The Seahawks fell into the playoffs and beat an overconfident Saints team mainly due to the Qwest Field crowd creating seismic activity and Marshawn Lynch avoiding nearly every Saints defender.
The Seahawks' surprising playoff success moved them down too far in the draft to grab a top rookie prospect, so the team will rely on Charlie Whitehurst if they can't re-sign free agent Matt Hasselback. Both quarterbacks played well at the end of last season, but Hasselback is injury prone and Whitehurst isn't too far removed from not being able to beat out Billy Volek for the Chargers backup job.
26: Cleveland Browns
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Many draft experts projected the Browns to select another quarterback this year after a decent year from Colt McCoy. Instead, the Browns collected picks by trading down to the middle of the first round.
McCoy played well in the latter half of the season in upset wins over the Steelers and Patriots. However, the NCAA's winningest quarterback of all time has limited arm strength and will probably never lead the Browns or any other team to the Super Bowl. Perhaps the Browns will search for a new signal-caller next year after another up-and-down year from McCoy.
25: Buffalo Bills
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Buffalo decided to give Ryan Fitzpatrick one more year to prove himself and selected Marcell Dareus with the third pick in the draft. Fitzpatrick put up good numbers last year but failed to win enough games to secure a starting job.
The Bills may be hoping to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes by earning the top pick in next year's draft, leaving Fitzpatrick out in the cold.
24: Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins passed on Matt Ryan in the 2008 draft to select two Michigan Wolverines: Jake Long with the first overall pick and Chad Henne in the second round. Long was an instant success, but Henne has struggled so far.
After showing promise in year two, Henne seemed to regress last year even with the acquisition of Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall. Henne has all the arm strength to succeed but seems to lack patience and poise. Depending on his play this year, Miami may be in the market for a quarterback next offseason.
23: Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers drafted Cam Newton of Auburn with the first overall pick this year. Newton's speed and playmaking ability will fit in nicely with the potent running game in Carolina.
The Panthers only needed one terrible year from Jimmy Clausen to label him a system quarterback and look for a new signal-caller. Newton is a huge risk for Carolina, as he has character questions and his style of play could create injury problems in the NFL. However, his potential as a game-changer could be the spark that revives this ailing franchise from the depths of futility.
22: Oakland Raiders
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Despite being benched for parts of the season, Jason Campbell played well in spots last year. Campbell should improve significantly next year as he finally is enjoying some consistency around him for the first time since high school.
Bruce Gradkowski also played well backing up Campbell, but he seems to have injury problems that prevent him from being a viable option as a full-time starter. Both Raiders quarterbacks enjoyed the emergence of rookie Jacoby Ford.
The future of the Raiders looks much brighter than the recent past for Raiders fans. Besides, anybody's better than JaMarcus, right?
21: Denver Broncos
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Most coaches agree: If you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none.
The Broncos organization has lacked stability since Mike Shanahan was fired. Both Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton had moments of success last year, but neither won too many ballgames for Denver. Both quarterbacks have been named the starter at some point in this offseason, while many pundits expect Orton to be traded after the lockout ends.
This leaves Denver reliant on a certain lefty from Florida to lead their team, but is Tebow truly a potentially elite quarterback?
20: Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jacksonville did the right thing this offseason by drafting a successor to David Garrard. By drafting Blaine Gabbert now, the Jaguars will be able to groom their next starter behind Garrard until he is ready.
The situation for Gabbert is ideal in that he can now ready himself for the league instead of being thrown into the fire as the other quarterbacks in this draft may be. Perhaps Gabbert can sell some tickets next year and prevent the Jaguars from taking a road trip west to Los Angeles.
19: Detroit Lions
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The Lions selected Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick in 2009. Since then, injuries have stunted his development. When healthy, Stafford has all the making of an elite quarterback and he has some impressive offensive weapons around him.
The Lions have enjoyed consistent backup play when Stafford is injured, but they cannot hope to reach the playoffs without an injury-free season from the former Bulldog.
18: Cincinatti Bengals
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Carson Palmer insists that he will retire before taking another snap as a Bengal, so the Bengals selected TCU quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round last month. Palmer has never been the same after suffering a severe knee injury in 2005. Despite intermittent success and a playoff appearance, Palmer seems unhappy with the Bengals organization and the selection of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green hasn't seemed to change these feelings.
Cincinnati may end up having to trade Palmer and starting Dalton next year.
17: New York Jets
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Last year, Mark Sanchez seemed at times to be an elite quarterback and at times he seemed to be the handicap to the Jets' Super Bowl aspirations.
Sanchez had incredible talent at receiver and one of the league's best running games. During one stretch last year, Sanchez won game after game by leading fourth-quarter comebacks resembling Manning and Brady's best work. Despite all of the talent the Jets front office has assembled, their hopes of a championship still rely solely on Sanchez.
16: Kansas City Chiefs
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At the beginning of last season, Matt Cassel struggled enough that talk of benching him for Brodie Croyle became prevalent. Then, Dwayne Bowe began catching two to three touchdowns a game, and everything was alright again in Kansas City.
Cassel enjoyed the league's best running game with the tandem of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. The emergence of Bowe and Tony Moeaki as pass-catchers helped Cassel lead Kansas City to an AFC West championship and a playoff matchup against the Ravens. The Chiefs' regular-season success failed to carry over to the playoffs though, as the Chiefs were blown out.
15: St. Louis Rams
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Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford nearly led the Rams to the playoffs a year after they had the worst record in the league, losing to Seattle in Week 17. Bradford had one of the best statistical seasons ever by a rookie quarterback without any real playmakers at wide receiver. Bradford's instant success led to comparisons of Peyton Manning.
The Rams truly have no where to go but up in a weak division whose champion only needed a 7-9 record last season.
14: Dallas Cowboys
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Tony Romo getting injured wasn't the only reason the Dallas Cowboys struggled last season. The Cowboys were only 1-4 with Romo in the lineup, and some say Dallas improved with Jon Kitna replacing Romo. When healthy and focused, Romo can keep up with any other quarterback in the league.
Romo and the Cowboys should have a bounce-back year with all of the talented skill players on offense.
13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers just missed the playoffs this year after a surprising 10-6 record. Freeman had help last year from rookies LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams, and another year of experience for Freeman and his young weapons should only improve the Bucs' playoff hopes.
12: Chicago Bears
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The season ended pretty badly for Bears fans last year, with Caleb Hanie attempting a fourth-quarter comeback while Jay Cutler sat on the bench with some form of papercut near his knee.
Cutler can be as good as he wants to be, but he seems unmotivated to get better or even smile every once in a while. Bears fans deserve better than the lackluster effort Cutler gave in the NFC championship game. After all, Cutler wasn't even seen helping Hanie on the sideline during the game.
For Chicago to recreate the success of 2010, Cutler must recommit himself to leading this team back to the playoffs and redeeming himself.
11: Houston Texans
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The Texans had a historic defense in 2010—as in, one of the worst pass defenses in NFL history.
Any success by their potent offense was mitigated by a defense that gave up 300-yard games to David Garrard and Mark Sanchez. Quarterback Matt Schaub had another great statistical season aided by All-Pro running back Arian Foster. Schaub should continue his success, so the Texans need to focus on fixing the defense that truly couldn't stop a nosebleed.
10: New York Giants
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The Giants missed the playoffs last year due to the ridiculous comeback by the Philadelphia Eagles at the Meadowlands. Eli Manning had a good statistical season with highs in completion percentage and touchdowns, but he also threw a career-high 25 interceptions. Manning was forced to air it out this year with an inconsistent run game behind him.
The Giants have a young receiving corps led by third-year receiver Hakeem Nicks. Recreating the running game that carried the Giants to the Super Bowl a few years ago is crucial to Manning and the Giants' continued success.
9: Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens finished 12-4 last year but could only get a wild-card spot due to the eventual AFC champions also being in their division.
Joe Flacco had another good year with 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. New addition Anquan Boldin failed to create the kind of receiver that the Ravens needed to help out Ray Rice and the running game. In order for the Ravens to beat the Steelers and the other contenders that have held them down, Flacco has to become less of a game manager by opening up the offense and taking more risks.
8: Atlanta Falcons
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Despite having a 13-3 record last year, Falcons management felt the need to make a splash by trading up and drafting Alabama receiver Julio Jones in this year's draft. Atlanta basically gave up all meaningful picks for the next two drafts to get Jones, so their continuing success depends on Jones' ability to get in sync with Matt Ryan quickly. This will force teams to stop double-teaming Roddie White, who was a legitimate MVP candidate last year at the season's halfway point.
Ryan has been the model of consistency since being drafted out of Boston College. He has gradually improved and is now widely regarded as an elite quarterback.
7: San Diego Chargers
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As usual, the Chargers looked like one of the worst teams in the league last year at the beginning of the season. However, San Diego has been able to rally late in the year due in part to the weak division they are in.
Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to steal the NFC West crown from the Chargers with a 10-6 record. Phillip Rivers heated up late in the season and even received MVP consideration despite a 9-7 record. That's how good he was.
Rivers threw 30 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions and got even better when he got back left tackle Marcus McNeil and top receiver Vincent Jackson. The Chargers don't seem interested in creating a running game; instead, they just want Rivers to carry the load offensively, which may work out better than it sounds.
6: Pittsburgh Steelers
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Ben Roethlisberger had a late start last year after being suspended for the first four games of the season due to two separate sexual assault allegations. Roethlisberger's return gave the Steelers the spark needed to carry them to an AFC North championship.
Speedy wideout Mike Wallace emerged as an impressive deep threat and overtook Hines Ward for the No. 1 receiver role. Roethlisberger led the Steelers all the way to the Super Bowl, where Aaron Rodgers and the Packers defeated them.
5: Philiadelphia Eagles
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In one of the most inspiring stories in the NFL last year, Michael Vick reinvented himself after spending two years in prison and one on Philadelphia's bench. Kevin Kolb was anointed as Donovan McNabb's successor, but a Week 1 injury to Kolb was all Vick needed to take the starting job from Kolb and run with it.
Vick displayed all of the poise in the pocket that he lacked in Atlanta, and he would have received MVP honors if Tom Brady hadn't had on of the greatest statistical seasons of all time. Still, Vick received the Comeback Player of the Year Award while guiding Philadelphia to the NFC East crown. The Eagles did however lose to the eventual champion Packers in the wild-card round.
The future looks bright for Philly fans; with the host of weapons around Vick, the next few years should look similar to the last.
4: New Orleans Saints
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The Saints failed to recapture the playoff magic that led to a championship during the 2009 season. They lost their division to the Falcons and in the playoffs, they lost to the Seahawks, a team with a losing record.
Statistically, Drew Brees had a down year with a career-high 22 interceptions. The Saints couldn't really find a running back to help out Brees due to injury problems. Chris Ivory, an undrafted free agent, was a nice surprise last year, but a better running game is a necessity for the Saints to return to their winning ways.
3: Indianapolis Colts
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The Colts had a down year last year, winning the division with only a 10-6 record. Peyton Manning had a bad stretch in which he threw 11 interceptions in just three games—all losses. Inconsistent receiver play can be blamed for part of Manning's struggles, but perhaps he is finally showing his age. Manning's legendary work ethic has kept him on top for a long time now, but even he cannot stop time.
Offensive line troubles are another issue, and protecting Manning from unnecessary hits should be a major priority for Indianapolis over the next few years. After all, the Colts are dependent on Manning to continue masking all of the holes on this team.
2: New England Patriots
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Tom Brady captured the first unanimous MVP award last year for his performance in the regular season, but he couldn't continue that success into the playoffs. Although a fractured foot was blamed, Brady seemed lethargic against the Jets. Poor play-calling by Bill Belichick hurt the Pats, but their reliance on Brady to succeed was highlighted in the playoffs.
The Patriots had a ridiculous number of picks in this year's draft yet somehow were able to draft no impact players, even picking Ryan Mallett in the third round. Tom Brady will no doubt be motivated by his playoff defeat and bounce back with another MVP-caliber season.
1: Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers were led by Aaron Rodgers from No. 6 seed to Super Bowl champion. Without Rodgers, the Packers would most likely be drafting in the top 10 every year rather than getting measured for rings.
Rodgers succeeded without a true running game and poor offensive line play. The road to becoming the best quarterback in the league was long for Rodgers; from junior college player to falling in the draft to backing up a legend, Rodgers has endured long enough.
Now that he has brought a championship to Titletown and Favre has retired for good, he can finally be recognized for the quarterback he has become.
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