10 NFL Quarterbacks That Are Most Important to Their Team's Success

An NFL quarterback is one of the toughest positions to play in any sport.  There's big time money and big time pressure with every game.  They play the most important position on the field and are the leaders of their team.

But not all quarterbacks are created equal.  Trent Dilfer and Mark Rypien are Super Bowl winning quarterbacks whose names didn't inspire fear into opposing defenses.  Their led their teams to the Super Bowl with a great defense and a powerful running game.

Then there are quarterbacks like Tim Couch, David Carr and Alex Smith who were No. 1 draft picks that failed to succeed as a starter.  They were unable to led their teams to the NFL promised land and never lived up to their college hype.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from them are quarterbacks whose teams would fall off the NFL map if they weren't under center for 16 games.  The following 10 quarterbacks are the guys that defenses game plan around and are the most important offensive players on the roster.

Philip Rivers

The San Diego Chargers have had a couple of pretty good quarterbacks since 2001 in Drew Brees and Philip Rivers.  Rivers arrived in So Cal after the infamous draft day trade involving Eli Manning and spent his first two seasons backing up Brees.

Since taking over as the starter in 2006, Rivers has a record of 55-25, been selected to four Pro Bowls and led the Chargers to the playoffs in four of his five seasons as their signal-caller.  With explosive weapons like WR Vincent Jackson and TE Antonio Gates, Rivers has become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

The durable Philip Rivers has yet to miss a start since 2006.  If he were to miss any time, veteran backup Billy Volek would have to step in a big way to keep the Chargers offense rolling.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees rose to meteoric fame after leading the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV victory over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.  Under head coach Sean Payton, Brees and the Saints have been near the top of the league in most offensive categories.  He is the franchise quarterback they have been missing and the face of their franchise.

Third year quarterback Chase Daniel out of Missouri has been learning the position behind Brees and is the heir apparent to the New Orleans throne.  Until then, the huddle and locker room belong to Brees and the success of the team ultimately rides on his shoulders.

Michael Vick

No one could have predicted the season Michael Vick had in 2010.  He set career highs in completions, completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns (both passing and rushing).  He finally appeared to realize his potential as an NFL quarterback and is the reason the Philadelphia Eagles traded Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb. 

If Vick stays healthy for the entire season and plays close to the level he did in 2010, the Eagles will be one of the toughest teams to beat in 2011.  The often troubled Vince Young was brought in from Tennessee to be Vick's backup.  While Young has enjoyed some success in the NFL, the Eagles will be forced to rely on their retooled defense and dynamic running back if Vick does not stay healthy, or cannot repeat the magic from last year.

Matt Schaub

The Houston Texans are the fancy pick to win the AFC South this year and are projected to have one of the most dynamic offenses in all of football.  They have arguably the greatest wide receiver in the league in Andre Johnson, the leading rusher from 2010 in Arian Foster and what should be an improved defense after the additions of cornerback Jonathan Joseph and free safety Danieal Manning.

Matt Schaub is the glue holding the team together.  In order for the Texans to reach their first postseason in their franchise's history, Matt Schaub is going to have to be healthy and productive.  If he were to go down, former Heisman Trophy winner and first round bust Matt Leinart would take over the reins of the offense.  That's a thought that should have every Texans fan shaking in the boots, and is the reason that Matt Schaub is one of the 10 quarterbacks that is most important to his team.

Sam Bradford

Being a rookie quarterback in the NFL is tough enough on its own.  The job gets even tougher when you are the No. 1 overall selection in the draft by a team and city that is starving for good quarterback play and a winning season. 

Sam Bradford outperformed expectations during his rookie campaign for the St. Louis Rams in 2010.  He threw for over 3,500 yards and 18 touchdowns with a group of wide receivers that would try Peyton Manning’s patience.  With Bradford under center, the Rams missed the playoffs by one game, losing to the Seattle Seahawks on the final game of the season, and finished the year with a 7-9 record. 

There is reason for optimism in St. Louis now that Sam Bradford is there.  The seven wins last season were more than the franchise had won the previous three seasons combined and with new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and a better supporting cast, big things are expected out of Bradford and the Rams this season. 

Tom Brady

If you were a betting man, or woman, you could be pretty confident laying down money that Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the NFL.  He is a three-time Super Bowl champion, took home two Super Bowl MVP awards, been selected to six Pro Bowls and has the most talked about hair in the game.  He leads a dynamic New England Patriots offense and is routinely in the conversation for league MVP.  His 23 fourth quarter comebacks and 32 game winning drives since 2001 place him among the leaders In the NFL during that time.

It would be unlikely for the Patriots to enjoy another winning season if Tom Terrific were to go down like he did in the first game of the 2008 season.  Current backups Brian Hoyer and rookie third round pick Ryan Mallet are not ready to lead the offense and without an established rushing attack, New England would be hard pressed to navigate their way out of the AFC East.

Kevin Kolb

The Arizona Cardinals needed to bring in a quarterback this offseason and Kevin Kolb was their choice.  After a season of Derek Anderson, John Skelton and and Max Hall, the franchise was in danger of losing more than a bunch of games.  Larry Fitzgerald, their all world wide receiver, voiced his displeasure with the position and the Cardinals were close to losing him after the 2011 season via free agency. 

The Cardinals are banking that the inexperienced Kevin Kolb will bring stability to the quarterback position for years to come.  The move instilled enough confidence in Fitzgerald that he signed an eight-year extension with the team, locking him up for the rest of his career.

The combination of Kolb and Fitzgerald makes the Cardinals an instant contender for the NFC West crown as long as Kolb can live up to the hype surrounding him.  If he falters, it is going to be another long season for the Cardinals.

Aaron Rodgers

It should go without saying that the reigning Super Bowl MVP is the most important player to his team, and that's exactly what Aaron Rodgers is to the Green Bay Packers.  He has taken over the team and succeeded in spite of the Brett Favre drama. 

Rodgers is entering the prime of his career.  He will turn 28 before the season ends and is getting better and better with each snap he takes.  His accuracy and decision making has improved each season and as long as he is under center for Green Bay, the Packers will continue to be one of the top teams in the NFL and a perennial contender for the Super Bowl.

Jay Cutler

When you have the 30th ranked offense in the league, something obviously went wrong.  Despite their offensive deficiencies, Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears advanced to the NFC Championship game last year, only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champions.  For the Bears to make it at least that far in 2011, Jay Cutler will have to remain upright and healthy.

Cutler is the most talented quarterback in the storied history of the Chicago Bears. He is the franchise player fans have been clamoring for and is the one player on the roster the Bears can ill afford to lose to an injury.  They have one of the best defensive units in the NFL and a strong stable of running backs, but Cutler is the kingpin to the offense and an injury to him would leave the Bears with Caleb Hanie or Nathan Enderle to run Mike Martz's complicated and precision offense.

The Bears should be a big time player in the NFC this season but will only go as far as the strong arm of Jay Cutler takes them. 

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback of his generation, maybe even of all time.  He has taken the Indianapolis Colts franchise to levels they have never reached, winning 10 or more games in nine consecutive seasons, made the playoffs in 11 of the 13 seasons Manning has been under center and were Super Bowl champions in 2006. 

He is the current leader in consecutive games played at 227 (including playoffs) and is known for his gestures and audible calls at the line of scrimmage.  Manning also seems to put up spectacular numbers regardless of who is lined up around him.  He has had virtually no running game throughout his career in Indy and has a knack for turning guys like Brandon Stokley and Dallas Clark into dangerous receivers and for making Austin Collie and Blair White household names.

Without Peyton Manning the Colts are in the most trouble of any team in the league.  They coaxed Kerry Collins out of retirement because the team doesn't know when Manning will return from offseason neck surgery.  The offensive line struggled last year and running back Joseph Addai hasn't been effective since the '07 season. 

If the Colts are to maintain their stranglehold on the AFC South, a division they have won seven out of the last nine years, they Peyton Manning is going to have to bounce back quickly from his neck injury and play like the Peyton that won four NFL MVP Awards.