Grading Each NFL Team's Quarterback Situation

More so than ever, success in the NFL today has a direct correlation with great quarterback play. Just look at the top four teams in the NFL. With the exception of the San Francisco 49ers and Alex Smith, those other three teams have elite signal-callers in Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.  

This doesn't mean that teams cannot contend for a playoff spot or even win a conference without an elite quarterback. It would be foolhardy to believe that. 

However, look at the last five Super Bowl winners and their starting quarterbacks that season. This correlation is more apparent today than it has ever been in the history of the National Football League. Accordingly, look at those worst teams in the league and tell me how their quarterbacks have performed thus far. 

So, today, I am going to take a look at each teams quarterback situation, starter and backup, and rank them from best to worst. 

Miami Dolphins

Starter- Matt Moore: 59.1 completion percentage, 568 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, 67.0 rating.

Backup- JP Losman: Just signed on Tuesday

Injured- Chad Henne: On injured reserve

You couldn't envision a worse quarterback situation than what is currently happening with the Miami Dolphins.

Chad Henne began the season as their starting quarterback, but even before his injury, it was apparent that the Michigan product wasn't a starter caliber quarterback.

Following his injury, Miami had to turn to another lackluster option in the form of Matt Moore, who has stunk it up a great deal since. 

It could be stated that the Dolphins sat on the sidelines during April's draft and didn't go hard after a quarterback. But, that isn't the case. Logistically, they weren't in a position to get any of the top signal callers.

Miami selected Mike Pouncey with the 15th pick in the draft, three slots after Minnesota finished the run of first round quarterbacks with the selection of Christian Ponder. Miami also didn't have a second round pick because it was traded to the Denver Broncos. 

So, they went after Kyle Orton before the trade fell through. It was obvious that the Dolphins front office wasn't excited about Henne starting, but it proved to be their only true option. 

The results have been horrible. 

The good news is that the 2011 draft class features a wide array of talented quarterbacks, and Miami will be picking in the top five. 

Grade: F

Washington Redskins

Starter: John Beck: 57.7 completion percentage, 396 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 80.3 quarterback rating.

Backup: Rex Grossman: 55.8 completion percentage, 1,132 yards, 6 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 66.5 quarterback rating.

After Rex Grossman began the season pretty well, he tailed off a great deal during his final two starts. Who didn't expect that?

The former first round pick has a track record of being a marginal at best quarterback in the NFL. Washington was foolhardy to believe that he would be the answer there. 

Sorry to say, but John Beck isn't looking much better and doesn't appear to be the answer, either.

The Redskins don't have a young, up-and-coming quarterback. Instead, they relied on two serviceable backups to perform at a starting level. It wasn't going to work. 

Now, Washington is stuck between a rock and a hard place. They won't be bad enough to get one of the top three signal callers in the 2012 draft, and they are not good enough to make the playoffs. You can expect the Redskins to try and trade up for a quarterback or go the veteran route. 

But at this point, their quarterback situation is in shambles, and it is going to cost them a shot at the NFC East title. 

Grade: D-

Indianapolis Colts

Starter- Curtis Painter: 54.6 completion percentage, 873 yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 85.2 quarterback rating.

Backup- Dan Orlovsky: 60.0 completion percentage, 35 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 81.2 quarterback rating.

Injured- Peyton Manning and Kerry Collins: Both on injured reserve.

The only reason Indianapolis is not at No. 32 on this list is because they have a guy by the name of Peyton Manning roaming the sidelines and expect him back next season. It is hard to predict what to expect form Manning, but his track record of success is hard to refute. 

Outside of that, the Colts have absolutely nothing. Curtis Painter is in no way the answer to their quarterback woes, Kerry Collins is getting paid a nice sum of over seven million dollars to sit on IR, and Dan Orlovsky? C'mon. 

If you look at Painter's stats, it isn't like he isn't doing a decent job, but stats don't mean anything. Indianapolis has had to dummy down their offense a great deal for a quarterback that just doesn't have the skill set to succeed in the NFL. 

The larger issue here is what Indianapolis is going to do in the draft. You can bet that Manning is going to lobby for them to get some immediate help so that he can attempt to win another title or two before he calls it quits.

By my estimation, the Colts owe that to him because of what he has meant to the franchise over the last decade-plus. 

Still, if Andrew Luck is sitting out there when the Colts number comes up, it is hard to imagine them not jumping all over that. 

Grade: D- 

Denver Broncos

Starter: Tim Tebow: 45.9 completion percentage, 240 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 102 rush yards, 1 touchdown, 94.4 rating.

Backup: Kyle Orton: 58.7 completion percentage, 979 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 75.7 rating.

You really cannot say that Tim Tebow doesn't have what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL unless you allow him to showcase his talents over the course of a season. This is what the Denver Broncos are going to do for the remainder of 2011. So, I am going to hold my cautious pessimism in regards to Tebow's skill set until after the season concludes. 

That said, Tebow's performance in Sunday's historic comeback victory wasn't anything to write home about over the course of the first three-and-a-half quarters. Still, he showed that winning mentality that we all saw define his college career. 

Tebow might not be the answer, but at least he gives the Broncos fans something to cheer for as the season progresses. Kyle Orton, barring an injury to Tebow, has probably played his final snap with the Denver Broncos. He had been a good player for them over the last two seasons, but fell off dramatically in 2011. 

With John Elway, a Stanford product, running the Broncos front office, you can assume he will take a long look at Andrew Luck prior to the draft. However, it doesn't appear Denver is going to be in a situation record-wise to be able to nab the Heisman front-runner. 

Grade: D+

Arizona Cardinals

Starter- Kevin Kolb: 57.6 completion percentage, 1,553 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 78.8 quarterback rating.

Backup- Richard Bartel: 33.3 completion percentage, 22 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interceptions, 5.6 quarterback rating.

Third/fourth string- Max Hall and John Skelton: Neither have thrown a pass.

Could it have turned out any worse for the Arizona Cardinals and Kevin Kolb up to this point? They traded a valuable second round pick and a Pro Bowl corner for his services and then gave the unproven quarterback a $63 million dollar contract.

Kolb is now 4-9 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. That is about $16 million per win. 

The issues that I saw in regards to Kevin Kolb the last few seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles have arisen again in Arizona. He appears to be jumpy in the pocket, doesn't get to third or fourth reads and doesn't have great mid-range accuracy.

Granted, he is in a new system and didn't have an offseason to learn the nuances of the playbook, but that could be said about numerous quarterbacks that are performing better than him right now. 

The old saying goes that spending a top pick on a bust at quarterback can set your franchise back five years. Well, the same goes for the Arizona Cardinals.

They invested players, picks and money on a quarterback that doesn't appear to be much more than a marginal starting quarterback. This will effect their performance as long as those aforementioned factors remain.

Grade: D+

Seattle Seahawks

Starter: Tarvaris Jackson (currently injured): 63.1 completion percentage, 1,012 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 81.0 quarterback rating.

Backup: Charlie Whitehurst: 46.9 completion percentage, 246 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 60.4 quarterback rating. 

Third string: Josh Portis: Has not attempted a pass.

Ouch, this has been pretty bad for Pete Carroll. He didn't invest a whole lot of money on Tarvaris Jackson, but did invest the confidence of the coaching staff that he would perform.

Prior to Jackson's injury, he was improving slowly, but not at the level some in the Pacific Northwest had hoped. 

Instead, Jackson has been where he was in Minnesota. A marginal starting quarterback at best. At this point, I really don't expect that to change.

Following Jackson's injury, Seattle had to settle for starting Charlie Whitehurst with the results being even worse.

The Seahawks sit three games behind what appears to be the class of the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers. If this gap continues to grow I see no reason why Seattle wouldn't put Josh Portis in the game to see what he has to offer because it has become abundantly clear that neither Jackson or Whitehurst are the long term answers. 

Expect Seattle to go the quarterback route in April's draft.

Grade: D+ 

St. Louis Rams

Starter- Sam Bradford (currently injured): 53.1 completion percentage, 1,177 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 72.2 rating.

Backup- A.J. Feeley: 55.3 completion percentage, 217 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 61.0 quarterback rating.

The sophomore struggle and/or jinx is overstated quite a bit. It is hard to concretely place how many times that has happened, but we know for sure it is the case with Sam Bradford.

After starting out strong his rookie season, Bradford has regressed a great deal in 2011. His completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdown ratio are all down, while his sack numbers has skyrocketed.

You cannot just contribute that to lackluster offensive line play; he has held on to the ball too long and failed to find open receivers in certain situations. 

The Rams have a wide array of injury issues on offense; this has affected the play of Sam Bradford. He has also been asked to learn a second offensive system in just his second season. As 49ers fans can contest to, continuity in regards to scheme is extremely important for a young quarterback. 

I expect Sam Bradford to rebound and be an above-average NFL quarterback at some point, but it won't be in 2011. 

Grade: D+ 

Baltimore Ravens

Starter- Joe Flacco: 52.1 completion percentage, 1,415 yards, 8 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 76.2 rating.

Backup- Tyrod Taylor: Has not attempted a pass. 

Inconsistent is one word that best describes Joe Flacco's 2011 performance thus far.

He followed up a season opening performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers that saw him throw for three touchdowns and garner a quarterback rating of over 117, with a disastrous two-interception performance against the Tennessee Titans the next week. 

After Flacco threw for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns against the poor St. Louis Rams, he followed it up with completing just 10-of-31 passes against the New York Jets. 

Joe Flacco is in his fourth season as a starting quarterback in the NFL and needs to start showing more consistency across the board.

Before, many had questions about his playoff performances; now, that is translating to the regular season.

Baltimore has a ton of offensive weapons, and they need their signal caller to step up right now. If not, this team doesn't stand a chance against the Patriots and Steelers in the AFC.

Grade: C-

Philadelphia Eagles

Starter- Michael Vick: 61.5 completion percentage, 1,573 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 372 rushing yards, 84.4 rating.

Backup- Vince Young: 1 pass attempt and 1 interception. 

This season, Michael Vick has thrown two more interceptions in 172 less pass attempts than all of 2010.

A lot of this has to do with the sense of urgency the Philadelphia Eagles are feeling at this point. They are under the microscope a great deal, and that leads to forced throws and the fear of failure.

There is nothing worse than playing with fear. Right now, that is what the Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick are doing.

Hopefully for the Eagles sake, the bye will cure some of these issues, but there is no guarantee that it will happen.

Instead, Vick and Co. need to get back to basics and start playing fundamentally sound football. You know the kind, a time when we were taught how to execute in the simplest form: Pop Warner. 

If not, this team is going to continue on its path of under-performing led by Michael Vick. 

Grade: C- 

Oakland Raiders

Starter: Carson Palmer: 38.1 completion percentage, 116 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 17.3 rating.

Backup: Kyle Boller: 53.6 completion percentage, 161 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 31.1 rating

Injured: Jason Campbell (out six-eight weeks): 60.8 completion percentage, 1,170 yards, 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 84.2 quarterback rating.

To say that last week's quarterback performance was horrendous would be the understatement of the year.

Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer combined for a laughable six interceptions and a 19.3 quarterback rating.

If you were to look at that one game alone, there would be no doubt that the Oakland Raiders quarterback situation would be the downfall of an otherwise good team. 

Still, you have to look at other variables and the whole example of their play.

First, Jason Campbell is out for the foreseeable future. With no confidence in Kyle Boller or Terrrelle Pryor to perform at NFL standards, Oakland went out and spent an expensive bounty on former Pro Bowler, Carson Palmer.

The former Cincinnati Bengal quarterback had not thrown a pass in nearly 300 days and was sitting on a friends couch five days before throwing his first pass with a new team. He had no time to learn the system, get in game shape and find a rapport with the Raiders receivers. 

Would you expect a different result under those circumstances? I wouldn't. 

Carson Palmer now has an entire bye week to get a handle on the playbook and find connectivity with the Raiders receivers, most of whom plan on working with Palmer at the Raiders facility.

I have no doubt that his performance last week was more of a mirage than anything else. The Raiders should be fine here.

Grade: C

Jacksonville Jaguars

Starter: Blaine Gabbert: 48.3 completion percentage, 810 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 69.4 quarterback rating.

Backup: Luke McCown: 53.5 completion percentage, 234 yards, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 30.6 quarterback rating.

Blaine Gabbert outperformed Joe Flacco Monday night, but that really isn't saying much.

The rookie first round pick has struggled a great deal with his accuracy and ability to read defensive schemes.

This has forced Jacksonville to dummy down their playbook and utilize a much smaller portion of it. Of course, you expect this when a rookie is leading your offense. 

There are a few things that have impressed me in regards to Gabbert thus far.

First, he has only thrown two interceptions in over 140 pass attempts, which is a really good sign.

Secondly, he seems to have pretty good pocket presence for such a young quarterback. 

All the other issues that I have mentioned can be fixed with seasoning and the right coaching. So, look for Gabbert to build off of decent performances as a rookie and be a solid quarterback in the future.

Jaguars fans should be excited about having a young signal caller; a lot of teams don't. 

Grade: C

Minnesota Vikings

Starter: Christian Ponder: 44.9 completion percentage, 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 63.1 rating.

Backup: Donovan McNabb: 60.3 completion percentage, 1,026 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 82.9 rating.

It isn't that Donovan McNabb performed incredibly poorly over the course of the early season. In fact, he was a serviceable quarterback.

At some point, a struggling team needs to admit that the experiment wasn't working.

The veteran quarterback was averaging just over 170 passing yards per game, not exactly what Minnesota was looking for when they traded for him.

Enter into the equation ultra-talented rookie, Christian Ponder, who showed glimpses of brilliance during the preseason.

Even though the first round pick still has to be considered raw, Ponder gives Minnesota's offense another dimension.

He has the ability to throw over the top of the defense and spread the field out. This was evident in the Vikings solid offensive showing against the Green Bay Packers in his first career start. 

I like the pocket presence and schematic awareness that Ponder showed throughout the game.

If he can limit mistakes and continue this progression, the Vikings may have found themselves a franchise quarterback.

Only time will tell, but it is a start for this struggling franchise. 

Grade: C

Cleveland Browns

Starter: Colt McCoy: 56.0 completion percentage, 1,377 yards, 8 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 75.4 rating

Backup: Seneca Wallace: Has not attempted a pass. 

Third string: Thaddeus Lewis: Has not attempted a pass.

I think it is fair to say that Colt McCoy has struggled a great deal in his rookie season, but I am not sure how much of that actually has to do with him.

Cleveland's offensive game plan has been as bland as any team in the league, and they have absolutely no outside threats. At this point, McCoy has done everything that has been asked of him, which isn't much. 

He is among the leagues worst in yards per attempt and yards per completion and is only completing 56 percent of his passes.

These stats need to change in order for Cleveland's offense to take the next step and McCoy to be an above average quarterback in the NFL. 

Nonetheless, he still have a bright future and needs some weapons around him in order to be given the opportunity to succeed. It just wont be this season.

Also, someone needs to give Seneca Wallace a chance; dude has shown he can perform as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Just a thought. 

Grade: C 

San Diego Chargers

Starter- Philip Rivers: 64.7 completion percentage, 1,715 yards, 7 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 82.3 rating

Backup- Billy Volek: Has not attempted a pass. 

Wow, this season has been a disaster for Philip Rivers thus far.

He almost single handily gave a game away against the New York Jets last week, a game that San Diego needed to win in order to prove their worth atop the AFC. Instead, they fell flat on their face. 

This is extremely surprising considering the fact that Philip Rivers has been one of the least mistake-prone quarterbacks over the course of the last couple seasons.

He seems to be rushing it and forcing the ball into really tight windows.

While this has been a MO of Rivers over his career, it hasn't been working this year.

Also, throwing to Revis Island multiple times doesn't seem like a good idea. 

That said, when Antonio Gates gets back at 100 percent he is going to make a world of difference for Rivers, who relies on him more than any quarterback does a tight end in the NFL.

I fully expect Rivers to rebound from this sub-par start, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later, or San Diego will be looking up to both Oakland and Kansas City in the AFC West. 

Grade: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Starter: Josh Freeman: 61.5 completion percentage, 1,723 yards, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 73.1 rating.

Backup: Josh Johnson: 5 pass attempts, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions.

Josh Freeman has followed up a tremendous 2010 by playing downright dumb football at times this season.

He has thrown the ball into coverage on multiple occasions, as evidenced by his 10 interceptions.

Freeman has struggled reading the field and throws the ball into some really tight spots. This might have worked at Kansas State, but it isn't going to fly in the NFL.

Excuses are no longer applicable when it comes to Freeman, either.

He is now in his third season, has a solid offensive line in front of him and some nice weapons on the outside. At some point, a quarterback needs to take that next step. In regards to Freeman, he has regressed instead. 

At the beginning of the season, I had Freeman as a surprise candidate for the Pro Bowl due to his great talent and excellent 2010 performances; however, that is no longer in the books.

Listen, he has the skill set to succeed, but just needs to get his act together before that confidence comes tumbling down.

There also remains an outside possibility that Raheem Morris makes the unlikely decision to replace Freeman with Josh Johnson, who is also an intriguing talent. At least, this idea what put the necessity of improvement into Freeman's mind. 

Grade: C 

Tennessee Titans

Starter: Matt Hasselbeck: 62.1 completion percentage, 1,518 yards, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 86.7 rating 

Backup: Jake Locker: Attempted 2 pass attempts.  

Third String: Rusty Smith: Has not attempted a pass.

Matt Hasselbeck and the Tennessee Titans started out the season as gangbusters. They were 3-1 through four games, and Hasselbeck had thrown eight touchdowns compared to three interceptions. The Titans were averaging 24 point per game.

Since, the Titans have lost two consecutive games, Hasselbeck has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and the team is averaging just 12 points per game. 

We cannot be oblivious to the fact that Kenny Britt's season-ending injury took place immediately prior to the start of this slide.

Any quarterback that loses their No. 1 receiver is going to struggle in transitioning the offense around that major loss.

Also, Chris Johnson isn't doing this team any favors by playing like a mediocre running back. 

Still, Tennessee is 3-3 and right in the thick of the playoff race.

They have a strong veteran quarterback coupled with an impressive young quarterback.

Those two factors put the Titans quarterback situation up there with the best of the non-elite teams moving forward.

Lets just see how the rest of the season plays out before putting them much higher on this list, because the last two games have been horrendous. 

Grade: B- 

New York Jets

Starter: Mark Sanchez: 55.8 completion percentage, 1,545 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 83.0 rating.

Backup: Mark Brunell: Has not attempted a pass.

Joking aside, Mark Sanchez has played decent football this season, but he still remains inconsistent in his third season, which should be cause for alarm.

The former first-round pick seems to have found a stride over the last three games by throwing for six touchdowns and just three interceptions. It is not pure coincidence that his passing attempts have dropped dramatically over that span.

Sanchez is averaging 28 passing attempts during this last three games, compared to 37 over the Jets' first four games. 

This leads me to my primary point. Mark Sanchez is not an elite quarterback in the NFL.

He wont win games by throwing the ball 40-to-50 times a game. Instead, he needs balance on offense, a solid running game and clear game plan in the passing game.

He just doesn't have the skill set that the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have. 

This doesn't mean that Sanchez cannot lead the Jets to the Super Bowl. It just means he needs a more run-orientated offense in order to be successful.

Grade: B- 

Kansas City Chiefs

Starter- Matt Cassel: 63.5 completion percentage, 1,106 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 80.7 rating.

Backup- Tyler Palko: Has attempted just one pass. 

64.5 and 44.5, those two sets of numbers represent Matt Cassel's quarterback rating in the Chiefs first two games of the seasons: combined losses of 89-10.

Since, Cassel has compiled three triple-digit rating games and thrown for seven touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions. 

The goods days have usually outnumbered the bad over the duration of Matt Cassel's career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

This is probably why so many people were caught off-guard by the horrendous start to this season.

On the same note, Cassel wasn't alone in underperforming early in the season, as the whole team was sucking it up, for the lack of a better word. 

Listen, he is an extremely talented quarterback and has a track record of success.

This means that you can fully expect Cassel to continue this solid play as the season progresses and he gains better rapport with the new set of skill players on the Chiefs roster, such as Steve Breaston and Jon Baldwin. 

Grade: B

Atlanta Falcons

Starter: Matt Ryan: 61.1 completion percentage, 1,683 yards, 9 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 79.5 rating. 

Backup: Chris Redman: Has attempted just one pass. 

Matt Ryan's statistics don't tell the entire story; they rarely do.

He was under constant pressure during the early part of the season, and his struggles showed that.

Ryan was sacked 13 times in the Falcons first three games. During that span, the Falcons lost two of three and struggled leading Atlanta on scoring drives. 

Over the last four games, Ryan has been sacked four times and they have won three-of-four.

Still, the simple fact that Matty Ice was able to maintain his composure and elevate his game when the offensive line was doing their job is a great indicator of where he is as a quarterback. 

Despite what critics might say, Matt Ryan can make any throw asked of him and is solid in terms of accuracy. But, with many other "young" quarterbacks, consistency has been a major issue.

He threw only nine interceptions all of last season in 571 passing attempts (one per 63 attempts).

This season he has thrown eight interceptions in just 253 attempts (one per 31 attempts).

This isn't a great indicator of improvement. 

Grade: B 

Dallas Cowboys

Starter- Tony Romo: 64.5 completion percentage, 1,756 yards, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 93.4 rating.

Backup- Jon Kitna: 60.0 completion percentage, 87 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, 82.1 rating.

One thing is a certain when it comes to Tony Romo. Give him a running game and limit his passes, and the chances of success are great.

It isn't that he cant lead an offense on his back; we have seen that before. However, having balanced attack enhances his success and limits those mistake that have become all too common over the years. 

While it might be true that Tony Romo doesn't come up big in important games, in fact, his track record show that to be the case.

However, he is the Cowboys best player and one of the reasons they sit at .500 right now with a chance to win the NFC East. 

If it weren't for Romo, Dallas would not have handed the 49ers their only loss of the season, they wouldn't have been in the game against the New York Jets and they would have lost to the Washington Redskins.

He is by all accounts their Most Valuable Player, which might speak volumes to the issues that Dallas has had over the last couple seasons. 

He needs to limit mistakes, make the most of red zone opportunities and become a stronger leader on a Cowboys team without one.

If he can do this, they should take the division. If not, the Cowboys will continue to be stuck in mediocrity. 

Grade: B 

Cincinnati Bengals

Starter- Andy Dalton: 62.4 completion percentage, 1,311 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 84.3 rating.

Backup- Bruce Gradkowski: 41.7 completion percentage, 92 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 96.5 rating.

Most of the talk about rookie quarterbacks have gone to Cam Newton, and for good reason.

Still, you have to pay attention to what Andy Dalton has done thus far this season.

There were many skeptics heading up to the draft that said the former TCU quarterback wouldn't be successful in the NFL because he didn't have the strong arm or great athletics ability.

Well, he seems to have shut those skeptics up really quickly. 

As of right now, Dalton has the highest quarterback rating of any rookie in the NFL, Newton included.

He is completing passes at a 62 percent clip and doing so with an extremely young offensive unit.

Sometimes you just have to look past combine numbers and other factors in assessing the ability of a quarterback to succeed in the NFL. 

The two primary examples of this have to be Joe Montana and Tom Brady, who have combined for seven Super Bowl Championships after being snubbed by scouts for not being "athletic" enough or possessing the "necessary components" to succeed in the NFL. 

Andy Dalton is going to be a really good quarterback in the NFL and his performance as a rookie is just another indicator of this. 

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears

Starter: Jay Cutler: 59.1 completion percentage, 1,702 yards, 9 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 84.0 rating.

Backup: Caleb Hanie: Has not attempted a pass. 

I have to say that I have been extremely impressed by Jay Cutler's play this season behind a bad offensive line and lackluster receiving group.

He has valiantly attempted to overcome these weaknesses, and with the help of Matt Forte, has led Chicago to a surprising winning record through seven games.

Considering the offensive situation, Cutler has also limited his mistakes, throwing one interception every 39 passing attempts.

Last season, that ratio was much worst at one per 27 passing attempts. 

Here lies the reason why I have Cutler so high on the list. 

If Chicago is able to get better offensive line play and their receivers step up (big ifs), this offensive will start to take hold under Jay Cutler.

In fact, I could easily assume that he is a major reason that they are not sitting three games back in the playoff race right now. 

Grade: B+ 

Carolina Panthers

Starter- Cam Newton: 60.3 completion percentage, 2,103 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 266 rush yards, 7 touchdowns, 82.8 rating.

Backup- Jimmy Clausen: Has not attempted a pass.

Third string- Derek Anderson: Has not attempted a pass. 

This dude surprises even the most skeptical of skeptics.

It is extremely hard to go for 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in your first seven games. That has to be some sort of record. 

Dude is amazing, no doubt. You cannot pretend to hate, or sit there accepting those amazing highlights.

He has been the best quarterback since I was born in 1981, last month of the year. 

Grade: A

New York Giants

Starter- Eli Manning: 63.8 completion percentage, 1,778 yards, 11 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 101.1 rating. 

Backup- David Carr: Has not attempted a pass. 

Last season, Eli Manning led the NFL in interceptions with 25, which equated to one pick per 22 attempts.

This season, he has limited those numbers to one interception for every 40 attempts. This is a primary reason why the New York Giants find themselves in first place in the NFC West.

Their drives are not ending with stupid mistakes by the younger Manning brother. Instead, they are finishing these drives and have improved their point output. 

Previously, he had forced the ball into tight windows which led to many mistakes. This season, he seems more confident in the pocket and looks to his third and fourth reads more.

It seems that Manning has come to the conclusion that he has talent on offense and doesn't need to win games all by himself. 

If this continues, the Giants will continue to be be in the thick of the playoff race.

Grade: A

Buffalo Bills

Starter- Ryan Fitzpatrick: 66.3 completion percentage, 1,477 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 95.3 rating.

Backup- Tyler Thigpen: Has not attempted a pass.

Let's just take a look at the performance of Ryan Fitzpatrick over the course of the Bills last 16 games, one full season.

Over 3,500 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

While the interception rate could be much lower, Fitzpatrick has proven himself to be one of the most surprising quarterbacks in the NFL, right up there with Alex Smith. 

The fact that he has a solid running game and a great offensive line doesn't hurt, either.

I like Fitzpatrick's ability to maintain stability in terms of pocket awareness and read recognition.

He seems to be using those Ivy League smarts really well between the hashes.

He isn't the most talented quarterback in the NFL, but he makes up for it with the intangibles and other aspects not shown on television or seen by the common eye. 

I really like how he is performing right now, and he might be ready to take the next step to being a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback as the season progresses.

Grade: A 

Houston Texans

Starter: Matt Schaub: 61.2 completion percentage, 1,893 yards, 12 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 96.8 rating.

Backup: Matt Leinart: Has not attempted a pass. 

It sure does help to have the Foster and Tate rodeo in town, doesn't it?

Seriously, Matt Schaub has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL since he left the Falcons for Houston a few years back.

Now, the story isn't Matt Schaub; rather, it is the Texans improved defense and nearly unstoppable running game.

What this has done is allow him to fly under the radar while enjoying one of his best (not statistically speaking) seasons of his career.

He isn't on pace for the 4,800 yards that he threw for in 2009, but that isn't the point.

He has dramatically improved his game over the last couple seasons. This has been magnified by solid offensive performances in every aspect throughout the majority of the 2011 season.

Just wait until Andre Johnson comes back at 100 percent.

With the Texans improved offense and dominating running game, Schaub could be one of the reasons why they contend for an AFC title.

Grade: A 

San Francisco 49ers

Starter: Alex Smith: 63.3 completion percentage, 1,090 yards, 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 95.2 rating.

Backup: Colin Kaepernick: Has completed all three passing attempts. 

Anyone who thinks the success of Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers is a mirage are entirely mistaken.

He has proven himself to be more than capable of handling the starting quarterback position for this heralded franchise. 

Over the course of Smith's last 12 starts, he has completed 63 percent of his passes, thrown 19 touchdowns compared to five interceptions and won nine of his 12 starts.

For those of you wondering, that is a 96.8 quarterback rating.

Now, let's look at what Smith has done this season under Jim Harbaugh. I am not talking about statistics; rather, the not so obvious aspects of his performance.

Alex Smith has made less mistakes in the 49ers' first six games than what he used to make in one half of football.

He has shown great pocket presence, understands what is asked of him within the system and doesn't throw into bad spots.

This has led to a much better overall performance from the 49ers offense and an aura of confidence surrounding Alex Smith. 

That said, there is one issue that I still see Smith struggling with.

He doesn't get off his first and second reads on a lot of plays and lacks the awareness to find the open receiver when the play wasn't designed that way.

I have seen improvement in this regard over the season, and fully expect him to continue that. 

If Alex Smith continues to prove his worth, the 49ers offense will be one of the reasons they contend for the NFC Championship, not the aspect holding them back.

Grade: A 

Detroit Lions

Starter- Matthew Stafford: 60.2 completion percentage, 1,912 yards, 16 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 95.5 rating.

Backup- Shaun Hill: Has attempted just one pass.

Third String- Drew Stanton: Has not attempted a pass. 

Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions have struggled a great deal on offense over the last couple games.

The game against San Francisco is understandable because they have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but against Atlanta, not so much.

While he hasn't thrown an interception over the last two games, Stafford hasn't been as productive as the Lions' first five outings.

He has completed just 52 percent of his passes for less than six yards an attempt. This is dramatically down from the Lions hot 5-0 start. 

Still, he is tied with Alex Smith with a four-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio and has thrown twice as many touchdown passes.

Matthew Stafford, when healthy, has a chance at being an elite quarterback in the NFL, right up there with the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. 

The problem is that he has been unable to stay healthy and is questionable for this week's game against the Detroit Lions.

In order to be considered one of the best, he needs to be on the field every single week; up to now, Stafford hasn't. 

However, the Lions have the best backup quarterback in the league, Shaun Hill, who can win games in his stead. This is why Detroit might be rated higher than you thought. 

Grade: A

Pittsburgh Steelers

Starter: Ben Roethlisberger: 62.8 completion percentage, 1,937 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 95.3 rating.

Backup: Charlie Batch: Has not attempted a pass.

Ben Roethlisberger has been great for the Steelers so far this year.

He hasn't had much help from the running game or offensive line. Instead, Roethlisberger has dominated games when asked to and acted like a man among boys.

You cannot ask a quarterback to face continual pressure every time that he drops back and contribute perfect results: hence, his six interceptions.

Though, Roethlisberger has probably been the most important player to their respective team.

He continually faces this pressure and comes out ahead at the end of the day. 

Without Big Ben, the Steelers wouldn't even be sniffing .500 right now.

Grade: A 

New England Patriots

Starter: Tom Brady: 67.5 completion percentage, 2,163 yards, 16 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 104.8 rating.

Backup: Brian Hoyer: Has not attempted a pass.

Tom Brady is beyond exceptionally good; he has an aura about him that we have not seen since Joe Montana, and an ego to match.

This ego has led the Patriots to four Super Bowls and three Championships, so we have to be OK with that.

Still, the dramatization of his near perfection makes many other football fans outside of New England bleed for this worthy signal caller.

We might hate Brady, but would love to have him. 

This season, he is on pace to break Dan Marino's passing yard record for a single season.

More than that, Brady has continued to add to a legacy that compares him to the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, meaning that he deserved to be No. 1 on the list.

Grade: A+ 

New Orleans Saints

Starter: Drew Brees: 70.9 completion percentage, 2,477 yards, 18 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 104.6 rating.

Backup: Chase Daniel: Has not attempted a pass.

Holy shoots and ladders, 62-7 against an NFL team!

This didn't represent as much about as good as the Saints are as it does about how bad the Colts are.

Still, this Saints team is damn good and lead by a quarterback that is throwing at an incomplete rate of 29.1 percent; think about that.

This guy is just phenomenal.

Grade: A+

Green Bay Packers

Starter- Aaron Rodgers: 71.5 completion percentage, 2,372 yards, 20 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 125.7 rating.

Backup- Matt Flynn: Has attempted one pass. 

The best quarterback on the best team in the game.

Aaron Rodgers has just been on another level this year.

He is on pace for an MVP season, and it will be interesting to see the numbers he puts up at the end of the season.

Grade: A+