Aaron Rodgers and the Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL

As we near a settlement for the collective bargaining agreement, it's time to get excited about football again. Which means it's time to make lists and rankings about the top quarterbacks and teams in the league and have endless debates about them. 

The NFL, over the years, has turned into a passer's league. When looking at recent Super Bowl champions, the one common ingredient they all have is an elite quarterback. 

It's simple. Teams can't win the Super Bowl without a great quarterback.

So here it is. We rank the top ten quarterbacks in the league today. The rankings are based on how much a quarterback has accomplished over time, how much they've accomplished recently, wins, performances on the road and cold weather, and anything that just makes one quarterback stand out over another.

1. Tom Brady

What Helps Him:

This one's a no brainer.

Tom Brady is the easily the greatest quarterback today and possibly all-time. He's won three Super Bowl rings and it could've easily been four, but David Tyree's helmet made a catch. 

He's coming off an MVP season where he threw 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions. The 9:1 ratio is an NFL record. He also carries an NFL record, 338 consecutive pass attempts without an interception to next season. 

Let's not forget. He was surrounded by a bunch of average players this season. He was able to rejuvenate Deion Branch's career. He turns guys like Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman into legitimate threats. We all saw what happened when he had a dangerous threat in Randy Moss on his team back in 2007.

The team wouldn't lose. Brady set a record with a 50 touchdown season. 

Imagine he had a Jerry Rice on his team like Joe Montana did. Brady has never had an elite receiver on his team, yet he's won games year after year. Having a Moss type receiver for an extended period of time would have absolutely inflated Brady's numbers and possibly have given him a few more Super Bowl titles.

Teams still can't stop him. He's this deep into his career but coaches around the league have a difficult time trying to pick him off.

What Hurts Him:

Not much hurts Brady. Maybe the fact that his three Super Bowls are looked at by some people as questionable because of his coach videotaping. However, this shouldn't be used against Brady. We don't know who uses film and who doesn't. Bill Belichick just happened to get caught. 

And let's not kid ourselves. The Patriots could have easily won the Super Bowl against the Giants but, again, David Tyree's helmet made a catch. 

Brady's lack of recent playoff success also hurts him a bit, but not enough to knock off the throne of quarterback king. 

2. Peyton Manning

What Helps Him:

Peyton Manning has been one of the greatest regular season quarterbacks of all time. Since the 2002-03 season, he's never had a season where his completion rate dipped below 65 percent. He has 399 touchdowns throughout his career and a huge Super Bowl victory in 2007 that helped him get the "choker" label off him. His 121.4 passer rating in 2004 stands as an NFL record.

Manning's +201 touchdown-interception differential is the highest in NFL history. The man throws for touchdowns and doesn't turn the ball over.

What's most remarkable about Manning is that he's lost his primetime target in Marvin Harrison and he's surrounded by a bunch of young receivers like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Despite this, he's still played very well. 

Manning may be 35 years old but he's aged like wine. He has thrown for 4000+ yards in 11 of his 13 seasons in the league and one of those seasons was his rookie season. He's also won three MVP awards. Finally, he's 64-33 in games decided by 7 or less which shows how clutch he can be in those moments.

What Hurts Him:

Quite frankly, the fact that he played with Marvin Harrison hurts him a bit. Brady never had a Harrison on his team and he's had a more successful career. Manning is also 4-8 against Brady. Until his Super Bowl victory in February 2007, Manning was labeled as a choker because of his struggles in the postseason. 

He's never been a playoff quarterback. He has a 9-10 record with a rating of 88.4. Brady, on the other hand, is 15-5 in the playoffs. 

3. Ben Roethlisberger

What Helps Him:

First of all, when anyone wants to talk about Big Ben Roethlisberger, they must avoid the stat sheet. He's not going to wow anyone there. Because of this, people always discount Roethlisberger's value. They say that because he doesn't have Brady or Manning numbers, he doesn't deserve to be in the top five. 

However, all Roethlisberger has done throughout his career is win football games. He already has two Super Bowl rings and he made another appearance to the Super Bowl this season. Many people want to credit the Steelers amazing defense throughout the years for the team's success. But at the end of the day, James Harrison wasn't the one throwing an unbelievable spiral to the hands of Santonio Holmes as time expired in the Super Bowl against the Cardinals. It was Roethlisberger.

That's what Big Ben is. Clutch. He comes through when it matters most. His record in the cold, pressure packed month of December is far more superior than in September when there is less urgency. In December/January regular season games, Roethlisberger is 24-8. His record in September is 10-8. He also has a 10-3 postseason record. The guy plays best when it matters most. 

For those who want to discredit Roethlisberger's value, check out this stat. In the 69 games Ben Roethlisberger has won, he has thrown for 105 touchdowns and 38 interceptions with a 105 passer rating. On the contrary, in the 30 games Roethlisberger has lost, he's only thrown 39 touchdowns with 48 interceptions and a dismal 74.9 rating.

What does this mean?

It basically exemplifies Roethlisberger's value as a quarterback. When he plays well, the Steelers win. When he doesn't, the Steelers lose. Isn't that all that matters? Winning? Phillip Rivers wows us with his numbers every year, but how many Super Bowls does he have? 

Roethlisberger's size is also advantageous for him. He's mobile for his size and because of this he can make a big play. Sometimes these big plays are plays that help secure the balls on a strip fumble attempt which helps give him another chance to convert a play. Roethlisberger is quite possibly the best "eyeball" quarterback in the league. Fans have to see him to see how good he really is because the stats don't show everything. What they do show are W's.

What Hurts Him:

Roethlisberger's off the field demeanor has come under fire in the last several years. It seems like the Rooney family is giving him one more chance to screw up off the field or else he might be let go. 

Also, his mobile play has made him a risk for injury. When he plays injured, it's a lot harder for him to dominate a game, although he has done it several times in his career, including this year. 

4. Drew Brees

What Helps Him:

Drew Brees is easily the most accurate quarterback in the league today. His 70.6 percent completion percentage during his Super Bowl season is something to admire. He followed that up with a 68.1 percent completion percentage this year which also lead the league.

Brees has done more off the field than of the quarterbacks here. What he's done for the city of New Orleans and its people has been touching. He came to the city right after it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and it definitely is not farfetched to say that he's been a major part of the rebuilding process both on and off the field. 

Brees' win-loss record isn't that impressive because he's played for some really bad teams. For instance, in 2008, he was on an 8-8 Saints team, but he threw for over 5000 yards and 34 touchdowns. 

Brees has also started to come through in the clutch in a big way recently. In his career, he has 25 game-winning drives but 11 have came in the last two seasons. This is one part of his game he has improved on dramatically and it's the reason why the Saints have succeeded.

What Hurts Him:

It took a while for Brees to becoming as dominant as he is today. He wasn't a top five quarterback up until he won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Brady and Roethlisberger, on the other hand, started winning almost immediately and Peyton Manning has just been more superior statistically. 

That being said, Brees is here to stay in the top five and his off the field contributions for the city of New Orleans are more commendable than anything any other quarterback has done on the field. 

5. Aaron Rodgers

What Helps Him:

Here's a guy that can easily surpass all four of the quarterbacks mentioned above eventually in his career. In only his third season, Aaron Rodgers lead the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl title and boy did he look great doing it.

Like Brady, Rodgers doesn't really turn the ball over. He's thrown for 31 interceptions in his last three seasons. On the contrary, he has 86 touchdowns during that same time period. That's almost a 3:1 ratio.

Rodgers' value for the Packers is exemplified through his 110.4 passer rating in the 30 wins he has for the Packers. When the Packers lose he has a 85.8 passer rating. 

What puts Rodgers here though is his performance in the last seven games this season. Prior to that, it was very hard to argue that he was a top five quarterback. He hadn't done much in his career to be considered elite. But he went out there and just absolutely dominated his opponents. He helped the Packers win seven games in a row including an unbelievable performance at Atlanta where he went 31-for-36 with three touchdowns and no interceptions en route to a 48-21 victory. 

He followed up a horrific NFC Championship performance in the cold Chicago weather with a great Super Bowl performance which could have been better if James Jones didn't have slippery hands.

What Hurts Him:

As great as Aaron Rodgers was this December and January, he has had his struggles. First off, let's not forget that the Packers defense this year was absolutely stellar and because of them the Packers didn't trail by more than seven points during the whole season. 

Secondly, as well as Rodgers performed in clutch moments during the playoffs this year, he hasn't really shown that he's an elite clutch quarterback in other times. He's 9-15 in games decided by seven or less and 2-11 in games decided by four or less. He's still young and he can improve on that and he probably will. But when a guy is beating up on the Detroits and Seattles of the league (8-1 combined against these two opponents) but losing in the close games, it's not going to help his case that much.

If Aaron Rodgers can carry his playoff momentum into next season, he will definitely move his way up in the power rankings. It'll be interesting to see if this season was just a fluke for Aaron or if he's the real deal. 

6. Philip Rivers

What Helps Him:

Philip Rivers' statistics are just jaw dropping. In five full seasons, he's thrown 136 touchdowns and only 58 interceptions. He came into the league replacing Drew Brees in San Diego and he's done a great job.

He's better in December when it matters more than in September. He has a 23-3 record in December/January regular seasons compared to an 8-8 record in September. 

Mostly, Rivers' playing style is a recipe for success. He sits back and throws darts. However, despite his great stats in the season, Rivers' success has not translated well in the playoffs.

Let's not forget, Rivers was surrounded by a bunch of no name players this season and he still dominated by throwing over 4700 yards. At one point during the season, Seyi Ajirotutu was Rivers' prime target. Vincent Jackson was out of the lineup, but Rivers was still able to work with a bad deck of cards in his hand.

What Hurts Him:

Despite going 23-3 in December/January regular season games, Rivers is 3-4 lifetime in the postseason and he hasn't played particularly well in playoff games either. 

Rivers has thrown eight touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 79.2 passer rating in seven career playoff starts. The pressure seems to get to him when it matters most and he is currently the "choker" quarterback in the league today. His lack of playoff success is what puts him out of the top five but his dominant regular season performances put him in a solid six spot.

7. Tony Romo

What Helps Him:

Tony Romo finally got his first playoff win two seasons ago against the Philadelphia Eagles. After getting that first one off his back he's ready to dominate next season. 

Romo has had great stats throughout his career. Even in this year's atrocious Cowboys season where he got hurt, Romo still had a 95 passer rating with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in six games. Not bad considering the team was 1-5. 

Romo's career stats are also pretty stellar when considering that he had an incompetent head coach in Wade Phillips. Romo has thrown for 118 touchdowns and 62 interceptions with a 95.5 passer rating in his career. Now he has an offensive minded head coach in Jason Garrett. He's also older, more experienced, and has the pressures of getting his first playoff win off his back. 

What Hurts Him:

It's well documented that Romo is 1-3 in the playoffs. Everyone remembers the botched snap in Seattle and the game ending interception the year after to the Giants. 

Romo has also struggled in close games in the regular season. He's 18-20 in games decided by seven or less and he's 4-4 in the Monday Night spotlight. 

Romo seems to be improving in these close games but in order to move up the ladder he needs to win some big games and step it up when it matters most. 

8. Matt Ryan

What Helps Him:

The third year quarterback really made his mark this season. The former BC Eagle threw for 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions leading the Falcons to a 13-3 record.

He helped change the culture for the Falcons when they were in the NFL's cellar after Mike Vick's arrest. He has a promising career ahead of him and although he's lost both of his playoff games, he still played very well against a stingy Packer defense this year. He went 20-for-29 in that playoff loss. 

Let's not hold his first playoff loss against him either. He was a rookie playing in the most important game of his life. Ryan is still young and he's only getting better. 

Some of the bombs he's thrown have been spectacular and most importantly, he's winning games and that's all the Falcons want from him. 

What Hurts Him:

As mentioned before, Ryan is 0-2 in the playoffs. He's going to want to get that first playoff win as soon as possible before he starts getting the "choker" label.

9. Eli Manning

What Helps Him:

Yes, he's not as effective as his older brother. Yes, he throws way too many interceptions. However, Eli Manning has something that most quarterbacks don't have. 

A ring.

That season alone puts Manning in the top ten. However, because of his inconsistencies he's slowly fading away. He had a league high 25 interceptions this season. Not good.

If it's one thing Manning has done well is play well against the tough NFC East. He's 23-17 lifetime against his division. He's thrown 60 touchdowns and 42 interceptions. He's also 4-3 in the Super Bowl and he made one of the most historic throws in Super Bowl history. 

What Hurts Him:

Manning is a model of inconsistency. It seems like one season he's amazing and one season he's just flat out awful. He has played well enough to win a Super Bowl though which puts him in the top ten, but in order to stay here he needs to start playing more consistently. 

His record in November and December when the weather gets more chilly and the games become more important is 26-31. The most recent game that comes to mind is the game the Giants lost to the Packers this December in a huge game that could've put the G-Men in the playoffs.

10. Mark Sanchez

What Helps Him: 

It was a tough call between Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez, but Sanchez it is.

Sanchy Sanchinator was thrown into the fire almost immediately and he has thrived and grown. He has a great career ahead of him. Despite having more interceptions than touchdowns in his career, one place where Sanchez has thrived is in the postseason. 

It's unbelievable what he has done in only two seasons. He's 4-2 in the playoffs and every single playoff game he's played in has been on the road in hostile environments like Indianapolis, New England, and Pittsburgh. 

This season, he lead the game winning drive at Indianapolis in the Wild Card round. Then, the next weekend he destroyed the Patriots defense which couldn't stop a nosebleed that game. He threw for three touchdowns with a 127.3 passer rating. The following week he helped the Jets come back against the Steelers but fell a bit short. He still threw two touchdowns and had over a 100 rating.

Bottom line is that Sanchez comes through in the clutch when it matters. Let's not forget that he's only 25 years old. The guy has a long career ahead of him and he will succeed.

What Hurts Him:

Sanchez still has plenty of room to grow. His regular season numbers are pedestrian and having more interceptions than touchdowns is definitely not a good thing. He'll most likely improve on that but until he does, it'll be hard to consider him top ten.  

Honorable Mentions

Joe Flacco

It was very hard leaving him out of the top 10. He's done so well in his young career. But Flacco does what Sanchez does in the postseason in the regular season, and quite frankly, the postseason means a whole lot more. That's why Flacco barely missed the cut.

Although he is 4-3 in the postseason, Flacco has been absolutely pedestrian in playoff games. He has a 61.6 passer rating with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's also struggled mightily against bitter rival Pittsburgh.

Josh Freeman

The young Buccaneer put up a solid season and he's showing great signs of future success. He's too young to be considered a top 10 quarterback. 

Sam Bradford

Like Freeman, Bradford was absolutely spectacular this year for the Rams. He almost led them to the playoffs in the NFC West. In that weak division, there's a good chance Bradford can lead the Rams to the playoffs this season. 

Mike Vick

There are some who believe Vick should be in the top five. However, anyone that runs a dogfighting ring has questionable judgment. Quarterback is a position where judgment means everything. Vick still has a lot to prove off the field to be considered in the top 10. Also, his wild playing style means he can get injured more often. This should be held against him.

A quarterback's value depends highly on how injury prone the player is. Vick has missed plenty of games throughout his career due to injury and the law so it's tough to say that he's a top 10 quarterback.

Tim Tebow

This isn't a list of the top 10 Christian quarterbacks. Sorry Tebow.