Rex Grossman: Is He the Best Quarterback in the NFC East?

Don't look now, but after two weeks of the 2011 NFL season Rex Grossman has the Washington Redskins atop the juggernaut NFC East, and many believe he has been better than the star quarterbacks that play for each of the Redskins' division rivals.

When you consider the fact that his three competitors (Michael Vick, Tony Romo and Eli Manning) have notched a combined eight Pro Bowl appearances, it seems like Grossman is clearly not in the same league. But as Vick himself showed last season, amazing career comebacks can happen.

In this article, we'll take a look at what each of the four quarterbacks has done recently, and where we can expect them to be in the future, to determine if Rex Grossman really can be the best quarterback in the division this season.

Note: Obviously this article is in reference to this season alone. Michael Vick is a four-time Pro Bowler and Eli Manning has won a Super Bowl, career achievements with which Rex Grossman cannot compete.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick has had a rough start to his 2011 season. A week after recording an uncharacteristicly low completion percentage against the St. Louis Rams, he was knocked out of the game against his old team, the Atlanta Falcons.

Despite three turnovers (one wasn't his fault), Vick had a good game going last night before he collided with his own offensive lineman. Through two games, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has thrown four touchdowns to just one interception and accrued a passer rating of 93.0

The big question with Vick is always his health. He is one of the best players in the league when he can stay on the field, but he's only ever played one full season. It only took him two games to get injured this season.

Being injury-prone takes something away from your value as a player.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo shook off some of his Week 1 detractors by bringing the Dallas Cowboys from behind (with a fractured rib) to defeat the San Francisco 49ers yesterday.

Through two games, Romo has the best stats of any NFC East quarterback with a quarterback rating of 108.8. The big question is what to make of his meltdown at the end of the game against the New York Jets. After all, the 49ers team he beat yesterday isn't particularly good.

Romo has always posted solid statistics. But until he starts shining in big games and leads the Cowboys on a successful playoff run, the "choke artist" moniker will keep him from being seen in the upper echelon with the likes of Tom Brady.

Eli Manning, New York Giants

The biggest thing Eli Manning has going for him (besides his last name) is his inspired performance in Super Bowl XLII.

Overall, Manning's career with the New York Giants has put him light years behind his brother. He has never had a single season with a passer rating above 100 (and only one above 90), and he seemed to regress last season with a career-high 25 interceptions.

Manning's 2011 debut seemed to continue along that trend with his weak showing against the Washington Redskins. At this point, I'd say he's closer to fourth than first in this quarterback competition.

Rex Grossman, Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman's return to the role of starting quarterback in the NFL has been surprisingly smooth thus far. After two games, he has a passer rating of 90.6.

He has showed poise in both games. He played nearly flawlessly in the game against the New York Giants (who dominated the Redskins twice last season), and he led a huge comeback yesterday against the Arizona Cardinals, notably with a perfect 18 yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on fourth down.

While Grossman was almost disregarded by the NFL world over the last few years, let's not forget that he led the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl not too long ago. He has the potential to be a solid NFL quarterback, and he's showed that in the opening weeks.

Verdict

It's hard to imagine Rex Grossman emerging as the top quarterback in the NFC East when there's such talent at that position in the division.

That being said, there's no reason to think he can't cement himself as a solid starting quarterback this season and perhaps the second best in the NFC East if he continues to play this well.

Eli Manning has struggled mightily of late and is behind Grossman at this point. Michael Vick is arguably a top-five NFL quarterback though. As long as he's on the field, he and the Philadelphia Eagles will be soaring high.

Right now, it's between Tony Romo and Grossman for second best in the division. The oft-maligned Romo may record higher numbers than Grossman, but Rex can still be a better team leader. After all, he's led a team to a Super Bowl, something neither Romo nor Vick have accomplished in much more playing time.