I would first like to thank all our fans and readers for supporting our blog even though I know you all don't love the NBA. While we are in the middle of an awesome NBA finals I feel we have focused a little too much on the stories within the NBA. It’s now time for me to bring my annual ranking of the Quarterbacks to “Roast Beef Tech.” Every year I rank the top ten Quarterbacks in the NFL and participate in a debate on the position of each one. The Quartback position is the hardest and most important position in American sports. Before I start ranking these Quarterbacks I will first state that I am not a fantasy guy. I have played the game at a competitive level and coaching style doesn't reflect the actual ability of a Quarterback, the eye test does. I also believe that Super Bowls are a team accomplishment, not an individual one. If you believe some guys are better than others because they won a Super Bowl, please stop reading now because this is not the post for you. Now, I would love to say that past achievements and legacy have been left out of the equation for ranking these Quarterbacks but that would be a lie. Moral code and personal lifestyle have nothing to do with on-field performance so they will not be included in the ranking of 2011's top QB's. Comments and feedback is encouraged and I hope you enjoy the post. Let's get started with the 10th best Quarterback.
10. Eli Manning - Eli's play on the field could only be described as a scatter plot. At his peak he could be at the top of this list but his valleys look down right putrid. Even though Super Bowls are a team accomplishment, Eli had one of the game’s most spectacular plays, which lead to one of the game’s most amazing drives, beating what was possibly NFL's all-time greatest team, capping one of NFL's most precious stories. Eli didn't win that Super Bowl against the Patriots but he did put the icing on the cake. The reason Eli is at 10 is because the interceptions are out of control. Leading the NFL in that category last year is unacceptable and I could argue Eli's mind-blowing last drive and winning MVP of Superbowl XLII is the only reason he makes the list at all.
9. Tony Romo - After last season's less than mediocre start and the season ending shoulder injury, I was forced to move Tony down a couple spots from last year’s rankings. Although I am not big on fantasy achievements or stats, you can't ignore the fact that before last season Tony Romo was ranked 3rd all-time in Quarterback rating which is a stat that calculates productivity. In addition to the high Quarterback rating, Tony was also the only starting QB in the NFC to have a winning record every season since 2005. After a botched extra point hold against the Seattle Seahawks, a loss against the soon to be Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and a complete landslide of a game against the Minnesota Vikings, who broke the NFL Playoff single-game record for sacks against the Cowboys, Tony has the label of not being able to win the big game. Only time will tell if he can do that and I think 9th is fitting for Tony Romo in 2011.8. Michael Vick - The Comeback Kid lived up to that billing as he finished runner-up for the 2010 NFL MVP. The NFL's most electrifying player showed exactly why he was once the league’s highest-paid player. On a rainy Monday night Michael Vick showed the world what they were missing on the opening play of the game, completing a 92 yard missile to DeSean Jackson on their way to one of the most lopsided first halves in NFL history. If this ranking were based on intangibles Michael Vick would be number one but his skill set still needs some fine tuning. With a rocket launcher for an arm and jets on his feet, this south paw needs more work learning the quarterback position. Fortunately for him he's being taught by one of the NFL's best in Andy Reid.
7. Matt Ryan – I would describe Matty Ice as Captain Cool. Matt Ryan is at number seven not because of who he is but for what he has accomplished. Matt Ryan took over a train wreck of an organization that was held hostage by Michael Vick and left at the alter by Bobby Petrino. Ryan was paid a king’s ransom to come in and perform damage control. He exceeded all expectations and earned every penny he was paid. In all fairness, if we are going to bash Tony Romo for his performance in the playoffs, we cannot let Ryan off the hook. He’s 0-2 in the playoffs and was blown out at home last season after earning a first round bye. Now with the duo of newly acquired Julio Jones and Roddy White, I look forward to seeing Ryan light up the scoreboard in the Georgia Dome. But only time will tell for this rising star in a division where the Quarterback position is rich with young and established talent.
6. Phillip Rivers - The man with the golden arm. Phillip Rivers has a Dan Marino quality that only few possess. Tall, lanky and stationary, I like to refer to this side-arm gun slinger as Mr. Goods. There isn't a throw in the playbook Rivers can't make. The rap that Phillip Rivers has gotten is unjust but in the NFL, the Quarterback position is defined by the haves and the have-nots. The top five spots are for the elite, and that’s not to say Rivers doesn't have the skill set the top five guys have because he does, he just doesn't meet the prerequisite: A ring.
5. Aaron Rodgers - I may be Aaron’s biggest critic because I believe he is a fantasy god and, like I said earlier, it’s called fantasy for a reason. It’s a different day in the NFL and Aaron was afforded a luxury that doesn't typically exist in today’s game: The opportunity to learn. In today’s game we have undrafted rookie free agent Quarterbacks being thrown to the wolves while Aaron (a first round draft pick) sat for three years and learned the ins and outs of the NFL. Even after the torch was passed, Aaron didn't exactly catch it and run. The Packers were a 13-3 football team when Aaron took over and in his first season as the starter he went 6-10. In his second season he took a first-round playoff loss to the Cardinals that wasn't his fault at all, but an interception in overtime ended the game. I hate the words “if” and “but,” but it should be noted that if the Giants didn't have a historical collapse in the fourth quarter against the Eagles during the regular season, the Packers would have been out of this year’s playoffs and would be in the same category as Romo and Rivers. However that wasn’t the case and Aaron made the best of his opportunity. Don't get me wrong, Aaron Rodgers is a player and he can rock with the best of them, so I will give credit where credit is due. With all the injuries and mishaps throughout the season, Aaron took Green Bay for a joyride and redeemed himself after last year’s heartbreaking end. Aaron ripped through the playoffs and could have easily shattered some Super Bowl records if it weren’t for a few dropped passes. I would be the first to say Aaron proved me wrong but the situation was a little different for the guys ahead of him.
4. Ben Roethlisberger - Big Ben is an absolute monster. Like my man *pause* Brusk Dollas, dude gets it done on the gridiron. Fantasy guys want me to look at the box scores and pro scouts want to talk about how he doesn't "spin it" like the others. All I know is Big Ben is a football player who is unique to everyone on this list. How many Quarterbacks can take Darnell Dockett for a rodeo ride on his way to a touchdown run in the Super Bowl? Or punch Terrell Suggs away to throw a game winning touchdown? Only Big Ben. As a rookie, Big Ben went 13-0 in the regular season as a starter and hasn't looked back since. Even though the Rooneys have gotten rid of playmakers like Plaxico Burgess and Santonio Holmes, Big Ben has still been able to be great. Broken foot or broken nose, it doesn't matter, Big Ben gives you 100 percent on the field.
3. Drew Brees – In my opinion, Drew Brees has been the ultimate success story. A 6'0 tall pocket passer from Purdue screams life long back-up or undrafted free agent, but not for Brees. Wherever Drew has touched the laces of the football, he has been nothing short of excellent. Even after his career threatening shoulder injury, and almost every NFL team writing him off as a depreciated asset, Drew rose to the occasion. He took over a team that, much like the city, was a complete disaster. He turned that same team from the laughing stock that traded the world for Ricky Williams to the Super Bowl champs.
2. Tom Brady - The most controversial pick of this list. Last season’s MVP is a straight stud when he can eat grapes and polish his nails in the pocket. Again, Super Bowls are a team accomplishment and Tom Brady originally took over a contender when Drew Bledsoe was injured. I hate to knock players’ value because Tom has done some remarkable things in the NFL, but even when he went down in Week One with a season ending knee injury back in 2008, a guy who hadn't started a football game since high school took the Patriots to an 11-5 record. Are the Patriots great because of Brady or Bill Belichick? Three Super Bowls, Two MVP's and several records in the NFL make Brady the number two spot on the list.
1. Peyton Manning - Mr. Do-It-All was a number one pick who lived up to the hype. After taking over one of the worst franchises in the history of the game, Peyton has since made them into a perennial lock for the playoffs. I usually don't say this about any player but he is the team. He is the Coach, the Quarterback, and might as well get out there and play Linebacker too because he is the Colts’ franchise. I’ve seen Jim Sorgi and Curtis Painter step on the field for the Colts and it's not pretty. This four-time MVP plays the game like he's in the booth. Without maybe the game’s best coach or the game’s all-time greatest deep threat like Brady has, Manning has performed better than anyone on this list as an individual. I could also argue that the players he's played with aren't as great as they appear and it was Peyton that made them the all-stars they once were. Edgerrin James was a disaster when he left, Marvin Harrison was unemployable when he was done in Indy and no matter who's on the field now he make them look like extremely serviceable players. Just ask Jacob Tamme, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Blair White. Sure, he doesn't have the three rings Brady has, but he also doesn't have Bill Belichick.
-Jae Pierce
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