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* Updated to reflect Arizona quarterback change
1. Peyton Manning
Has gotten the Super Bowl and playoff monkeys off his back. Clearly he's the best player in the NFL right now. No one can deny it. Without #18, Indy is a 4-12 team.
2. Tom Brady
This will be the big year, he gets a mulligan for 2009. He was coming off major knee surgery. And, even then, he was prolific. To put Drew Brees ahead of Brady is a joke. Brady is a proven champion. Brees needs another title to push ahead of Brady. And Brees had nothing to do with that moronic Favre INT.
3. Ben Roethlisberger
Ickyness aside, Roethlisberger is a winner in a passing offence. He doesn't get the stats of a Rodgers, Rivers or Brees, but I'd take him over any of those guys in a playoff game. The only caveat is that he is handcuffed to the bedpost the entire week of the playoffs, save for the practices.
4. Drew Brees
One Super Bowl win does not make him #1 or #2 of all QBs in the league. A great player, no doubt. A great human being, no doubt. But I need another great playoff before I put him in the top 3.
5. Philip Rivers
This will be a big year for Rivers, he's finally out of Tomlinson's shadow. San Diego is clearly his team now. Shame the fucking G.M. is on an ego trip and has screwed him of his best WR and LT.
6. Aaron Rodgers
No denying Rodgers has done a great job since replacing #4, but so far all I see are numbers, no playoff wins, no rings. That said, he's putting up those numbers with average receivers and a runningback who scares no one, despite decent numbers.
7. Brett Favre
No one, even the most ardent Favre haters, can deny 2009 was his greatest season ever. Then, as usual, he decided to have "fun out there" and threw that ill-fated INT vs. New Orleans that pretty much made 2009 forgettable for the Purple People Eaters. Favre simply cannot repeat that kind of season in 2010 without Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin week to week. If he does, it will be among his career highlights.
8. Eli Manning
I was never a big fan of Manning Jr., but he shut my mouth with a Super Bowl run ... all wins on the road. This guy has done a lot of good for this team and made them forget Plaxico Burress ever existed. Needs another Super Bowl (not necessarily a win) to move up on this list.
9. Tony Romo
Romo almost got the playoff monkey off his back ... until the Cowboys traveled to Minnesota. Dallas destroyed Philadelphia, a proven NFC East powerhouse, twice in two weeks, then laid down in Minnesota which absolutely shocked me. I expected Dallas to kill the Vikings. Romo doesn't take all the blame, obviously, but if Peyton Manning can make a 4-12 team a 13-3 team, the least Romo can do is lead his team to more than playoff win. I'm not a Romo hater, he's a fine player, seems like a good guy and has all the intangibles. He simply needs more playoff wins. He has a ton of weapons.
10. Donovan McNabb
Eagles never got to the promised land with McNabb, but in my opinion, that had more to do with poor offensive playcalling than McNabb himself. It will be interesting to see McNabb playing for a coach who believes in the run game. I believe if the Eagles had run the offence they ran under Jeff Garcia with McNabb, they'd have a Super Bowl by now.
11. Jay Cutler
Yes, Jay Cutler seems like a jerk. Yes, he had a horrid 2009, but to simply disregard him because of one bad season seems ridiculous. This guy has all the physical skills to be a top-five QB in this league. He's hampered by psyche of the horrid 2009, a brutal offensive line, awful receivers, etc... This guy needs a supporting cast in Chicago. Of all the top 15 QBs, his supporting cast may be the worst.
12. Matt Schaub
Needs a run game, pure and simple. Texans way too one-dimensional and their average O-Line makes Schaub injury prone. This guy has a great WR, an above average TE and nothing else. You give him a run game, he could light it up.
13. Carson Palmer
This is it for Palmer. Terrell Owens means he has no excuses. Jordan Shipley is his Wes Welker-lite. If Palmer can't get it done this year, he can't period.
14. Matt Ryan
Injuries ruined Ryan in 2009. I'm not sure he'll ever be top-5 elite, but he should be a lock for top-10 the rest of his career if he steps it up this year.
15. Matt Hasselbeck
Don't understand the Hasselbeck hate. Before 2009, this guy was a consistent winner. In my opinion, he will regain that form this year. It's a joke Seattle actually thinks Charlie Whitehurst could have taken Hasselbeck's job this year. Hasselbeck may not be elite, but the guy's been a winner his whole career.
16. Joe Flacco
Never gotten the whole Flacco thing. He's a big, strong QB in a great system. Give the Ravens credit, they have brought him up the right way, never exposed him. I don't think Flacco wins games for you, but he doesn't lose them either. I see Flacco as Trent Dilfer with a more explosive deep arm ... which is good enough for this team.
17. Mark Sanchez
If Mark Sanchez were a pro wrestler, he'd be Dusty Rhodes. The kid has a ton of charisma and the supporting cast believes in him. Way too early to judge him overly positive or negative. Give Rex Ryan credit - he has put the offensive pressure on his O-Line and the run game.
18. Kyle Orton
Obviously, he couldn't run the 1999 St. Louis Rams' offence, but the guy is a consistent winner. This year will be interesting, because he's going to have to adjust to life without Brandon Marshall. Say what you will about Marshall, but the diva produced.
19. Vince Young
The Titans use him perfectly. They don't expect him to win games by himself, they just want him not to lose them. I have always thought of Young as one of those special players (like Michael Vick) who you shouldn't try to fit into a system. Take advantage of his gifts - he obviously has them. Young will be forced to win games by himself this season, and I suspect he will.
20. Kevin Kolb
Has a lot of offensive weapons to work with in Philly (Jackson, Maclin, Celek, Avant, McCoy), but will have to prove he's more than a two-game wonder. His attitude seems good, but I worry about Andy Reid's offensive playcalling. I don't buy the 80-20 pass/run thing. That said, Kolb played at U. of Houston where 20% running was a pipe dream.
21. Chad Henne
Henne has a nice arm, a nice new toy (Brandon Marshall) to play with, and a great run game. He also has a ton of confidence. If he's smart, he will listen to Chad Pennington the way Jamie Foxx listened to Dennis Quaid in that playoff game of Any Given Sunday.
22. Jason Campbell
Any QB would have been an upgrade over Jamarcus Russell, so Raider fans must be thrilled with Jason Campbell. I always felt bad for Campbell when he was a Redskin. He was always a good QB, but that team and fanbase were simply not ready to accept a young, only adequate quarterback. At one point during his Redskins' career, I thought Campbell was ready to be elite, then he had a few bad games and it was over.
23. David Garrard
One great year and two lousy ones. In Garrard's defence, other than Maurice Jones-Drew, he has nothing to work with. This year is it for Garrard. I give him the edge over Bradford and Stafford because of that great year. He's on a tight leash.
24. Sam Bradford
Steve Spagnuolo can try to make this a suspense all he wants, but we all know Bradford is starting on day one. I give him the nod over Matthew Stafford because I believe his accuracy will be superior. Clearly his run game will be.
25. Matthew Stafford
Gutsy kid, cannon for an arm. Way too early to declare him a future HOFer or bust. Like many on this list, he needs a better run game and offensive line.
26. Alex Smith
I've always liked Alex Smith. I think he has the arm and intelligence. But arm and intelligence aren't enough, you have to produce. This is that year for Smith. He has no excuses now.
27. Jake Delhomme
Gutsy warrior, but his career is over. Anything he does positive in Cleveland will be astounding. He ranks ahead of the other guys based on intelligence and career accomplishments.
28. Josh Freeman
I don't get the whole Josh Freeman thing. Maybe I don't watch Tampa Bay games enough. All I see is Byron Leftwich Jr.
29. Matt Cassel
Gets one more year to prove himself.
30. Matt Moore
Nice second-half of 2009, but that doesn't mean much now. If he does it over the course of an entire season, this guy moves up the chart.
31. Trent Edwards
Horrid O-Line, true. But most QBs would take RBs like Jackson/Lynch and WRs like Evans/Owens. This guy simply didn't get the job done in 2009. He's keeping this seat warm for Jake Locker or whatever franchise college QB the Bills get next year.
32. Derek Anderson
If he could ever recapture what he had that one year in Cleveland, Arizona could be a surprise team. He certainly can't blame his supporting cast here. Still stunned at the fall of Matt Leinart.
1. Peyton Manning
Has gotten the Super Bowl and playoff monkeys off his back. Clearly he's the best player in the NFL right now. No one can deny it. Without #18, Indy is a 4-12 team.
2. Tom Brady
This will be the big year, he gets a mulligan for 2009. He was coming off major knee surgery. And, even then, he was prolific. To put Drew Brees ahead of Brady is a joke. Brady is a proven champion. Brees needs another title to push ahead of Brady. And Brees had nothing to do with that moronic Favre INT.
3. Ben Roethlisberger
Ickyness aside, Roethlisberger is a winner in a passing offence. He doesn't get the stats of a Rodgers, Rivers or Brees, but I'd take him over any of those guys in a playoff game. The only caveat is that he is handcuffed to the bedpost the entire week of the playoffs, save for the practices.
4. Drew Brees
One Super Bowl win does not make him #1 or #2 of all QBs in the league. A great player, no doubt. A great human being, no doubt. But I need another great playoff before I put him in the top 3.
5. Philip Rivers
This will be a big year for Rivers, he's finally out of Tomlinson's shadow. San Diego is clearly his team now. Shame the fucking G.M. is on an ego trip and has screwed him of his best WR and LT.
6. Aaron Rodgers
No denying Rodgers has done a great job since replacing #4, but so far all I see are numbers, no playoff wins, no rings. That said, he's putting up those numbers with average receivers and a runningback who scares no one, despite decent numbers.
7. Brett Favre
No one, even the most ardent Favre haters, can deny 2009 was his greatest season ever. Then, as usual, he decided to have "fun out there" and threw that ill-fated INT vs. New Orleans that pretty much made 2009 forgettable for the Purple People Eaters. Favre simply cannot repeat that kind of season in 2010 without Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin week to week. If he does, it will be among his career highlights.
8. Eli Manning
I was never a big fan of Manning Jr., but he shut my mouth with a Super Bowl run ... all wins on the road. This guy has done a lot of good for this team and made them forget Plaxico Burress ever existed. Needs another Super Bowl (not necessarily a win) to move up on this list.
9. Tony Romo
Romo almost got the playoff monkey off his back ... until the Cowboys traveled to Minnesota. Dallas destroyed Philadelphia, a proven NFC East powerhouse, twice in two weeks, then laid down in Minnesota which absolutely shocked me. I expected Dallas to kill the Vikings. Romo doesn't take all the blame, obviously, but if Peyton Manning can make a 4-12 team a 13-3 team, the least Romo can do is lead his team to more than playoff win. I'm not a Romo hater, he's a fine player, seems like a good guy and has all the intangibles. He simply needs more playoff wins. He has a ton of weapons.
10. Donovan McNabb
Eagles never got to the promised land with McNabb, but in my opinion, that had more to do with poor offensive playcalling than McNabb himself. It will be interesting to see McNabb playing for a coach who believes in the run game. I believe if the Eagles had run the offence they ran under Jeff Garcia with McNabb, they'd have a Super Bowl by now.
11. Jay Cutler
Yes, Jay Cutler seems like a jerk. Yes, he had a horrid 2009, but to simply disregard him because of one bad season seems ridiculous. This guy has all the physical skills to be a top-five QB in this league. He's hampered by psyche of the horrid 2009, a brutal offensive line, awful receivers, etc... This guy needs a supporting cast in Chicago. Of all the top 15 QBs, his supporting cast may be the worst.
12. Matt Schaub
Needs a run game, pure and simple. Texans way too one-dimensional and their average O-Line makes Schaub injury prone. This guy has a great WR, an above average TE and nothing else. You give him a run game, he could light it up.
13. Carson Palmer
This is it for Palmer. Terrell Owens means he has no excuses. Jordan Shipley is his Wes Welker-lite. If Palmer can't get it done this year, he can't period.
14. Matt Ryan
Injuries ruined Ryan in 2009. I'm not sure he'll ever be top-5 elite, but he should be a lock for top-10 the rest of his career if he steps it up this year.
15. Matt Hasselbeck
Don't understand the Hasselbeck hate. Before 2009, this guy was a consistent winner. In my opinion, he will regain that form this year. It's a joke Seattle actually thinks Charlie Whitehurst could have taken Hasselbeck's job this year. Hasselbeck may not be elite, but the guy's been a winner his whole career.
16. Joe Flacco
Never gotten the whole Flacco thing. He's a big, strong QB in a great system. Give the Ravens credit, they have brought him up the right way, never exposed him. I don't think Flacco wins games for you, but he doesn't lose them either. I see Flacco as Trent Dilfer with a more explosive deep arm ... which is good enough for this team.
17. Mark Sanchez
If Mark Sanchez were a pro wrestler, he'd be Dusty Rhodes. The kid has a ton of charisma and the supporting cast believes in him. Way too early to judge him overly positive or negative. Give Rex Ryan credit - he has put the offensive pressure on his O-Line and the run game.
18. Kyle Orton
Obviously, he couldn't run the 1999 St. Louis Rams' offence, but the guy is a consistent winner. This year will be interesting, because he's going to have to adjust to life without Brandon Marshall. Say what you will about Marshall, but the diva produced.
19. Vince Young
The Titans use him perfectly. They don't expect him to win games by himself, they just want him not to lose them. I have always thought of Young as one of those special players (like Michael Vick) who you shouldn't try to fit into a system. Take advantage of his gifts - he obviously has them. Young will be forced to win games by himself this season, and I suspect he will.
20. Kevin Kolb
Has a lot of offensive weapons to work with in Philly (Jackson, Maclin, Celek, Avant, McCoy), but will have to prove he's more than a two-game wonder. His attitude seems good, but I worry about Andy Reid's offensive playcalling. I don't buy the 80-20 pass/run thing. That said, Kolb played at U. of Houston where 20% running was a pipe dream.
21. Chad Henne
Henne has a nice arm, a nice new toy (Brandon Marshall) to play with, and a great run game. He also has a ton of confidence. If he's smart, he will listen to Chad Pennington the way Jamie Foxx listened to Dennis Quaid in that playoff game of Any Given Sunday.
22. Jason Campbell
Any QB would have been an upgrade over Jamarcus Russell, so Raider fans must be thrilled with Jason Campbell. I always felt bad for Campbell when he was a Redskin. He was always a good QB, but that team and fanbase were simply not ready to accept a young, only adequate quarterback. At one point during his Redskins' career, I thought Campbell was ready to be elite, then he had a few bad games and it was over.
23. David Garrard
One great year and two lousy ones. In Garrard's defence, other than Maurice Jones-Drew, he has nothing to work with. This year is it for Garrard. I give him the edge over Bradford and Stafford because of that great year. He's on a tight leash.
24. Sam Bradford
Steve Spagnuolo can try to make this a suspense all he wants, but we all know Bradford is starting on day one. I give him the nod over Matthew Stafford because I believe his accuracy will be superior. Clearly his run game will be.
25. Matthew Stafford
Gutsy kid, cannon for an arm. Way too early to declare him a future HOFer or bust. Like many on this list, he needs a better run game and offensive line.
26. Alex Smith
I've always liked Alex Smith. I think he has the arm and intelligence. But arm and intelligence aren't enough, you have to produce. This is that year for Smith. He has no excuses now.
27. Jake Delhomme
Gutsy warrior, but his career is over. Anything he does positive in Cleveland will be astounding. He ranks ahead of the other guys based on intelligence and career accomplishments.
28. Josh Freeman
I don't get the whole Josh Freeman thing. Maybe I don't watch Tampa Bay games enough. All I see is Byron Leftwich Jr.
29. Matt Cassel
Gets one more year to prove himself.
30. Matt Moore
Nice second-half of 2009, but that doesn't mean much now. If he does it over the course of an entire season, this guy moves up the chart.
31. Trent Edwards
Horrid O-Line, true. But most QBs would take RBs like Jackson/Lynch and WRs like Evans/Owens. This guy simply didn't get the job done in 2009. He's keeping this seat warm for Jake Locker or whatever franchise college QB the Bills get next year.
32. Derek Anderson
If he could ever recapture what he had that one year in Cleveland, Arizona could be a surprise team. He certainly can't blame his supporting cast here. Still stunned at the fall of Matt Leinart.
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