In Part II, we changed gears to hit-or-miss gunslingers like Jameis Winston, Eli Manning and Derek Carr, as well as exciting youngsters Mitchell Trubisky and Baker Mayfield.
Now it's time for the cream of the crop. The absolute best quarterbacks in the world. Let's find out who they are, and how they rank...
TIER 3: Big Arms and Mixed Results
Anyone else starting to seriously worry about this kid? Torn ACL last season, and now fractured back vertebra?
Halfway through the 2017 campaign, Wentz was the runaway MVP of the league. He looked fresh, poised and confident as all hell. Then, of course, a devastating ACL injury changed everything. He worked his way back into a decent level of play this year, before giving way to the debilitating back injury.
Do I even have to ask the obvious...will he be able to stay healthy long-term?
14. Matthew Stafford, Lions - Frascella's 2017 Rank: 7th, 2016: 12th
It's very difficult to evaluate Stafford this year -- Golden Tate was traded to the Eagles, Marvin Jones went down for the season and rookie head coach Matt Patricia is defensive-minded. It's been a season to forget for the Lions and their fans, but Stafford remains a naturally-gifted quarterback to build around for a mid-level team. He's a steady pro; just not a superstar. In terms of tools, Stafford features one of the best, pure arms in the game.
13. Kirk Cousins, Vikings - 2017: 6th, 2016: 11th
Cousins is kind of a stat-rat. He looks great on paper and on the field with a big, strong arm, but something about his team's performance always feels a bit off. Why were the Vikings better and more energized with Case Keenum calling the signals? Cousins again has very solid stats, but why aren't the Vikings as threatening as they were last season? Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Dalvin Cook and Kyle Rudolph are still very much in the mix. That's a lot of surrounding talent.
Cousins is going to have to start winning postseason games for me to truly believe in him.
12. Cam Newton, Panthers - 2017: 11th, 2016: 7th
We all know about his scrambling and brash overall behavior, but is Cam Newton actually a star quarterback? He's a tier-1 QB in terms of raw arm strength, but what about the rest of his passing game? He continues to struggle with touch passes and corner window throws, and the Panthers appear to be plateauing as a team. Christian McCaffrey has been one of the most dominant players in football, but Carolina has been unable to parlay that into team dominance.
I think Newton deserves some of the blame. He's 19th in Total QBR (behind Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco and Ryan Fitzpatrick) and 18th in "regular" QB rating. The only QBs with more interceptions are two rookies, Darnold and Rosen, and over-aggressive Ben Roethlisberger. The Panthers have to stick with Cam going forward -- because a legit NFL QB is one of the hardest things to find -- but they may have a ceiling on success, unless he improves as a pure passer and decision-maker.
11. Jared Goff, Rams - 2017: 15th, 2016: 61st
Like Cousins, I have to see it before I believe it with Goff. He's clearly one of the most improved players in the NFL over the course of the past two seasons (duh, in 2016 I ranked him 61st), but he didn't look good in his first playoff game last year. The regular season and postseason are completely different animals; once we approach the top 10 in the world, playoff make-up matters.
In terms of analysis, we generally know the pros and cons with Goff: PRO - he knows how to listen to superstar head coach Sean McVay and translate his teachings into statistical success on the field. CON - cold, road games don't seem to be his thing. Do we know if he can beat a top team away from sunny Los Angeles? Those are just two quick examples, but you get the idea. Goff is a great kid and improving football player, but do we really know if he's elite, yet?
10. Deshaun Watson, Texans - 2017: 18th (rookie season)
Within the context of these rankings, Watson has many similarities to both Wentz and Goff. Like Wentz, after a roaring start, he went down with a torn ACL last season. Like Goff, Watson is a young talent who still has to prove himself in the postseason.
But Watson does seem to have a bit of that necessary "magic" factor. His stats haven't been as jaw-dropping as last season, but his Texans are winning. After a disastrous 0-3 start to the year, Watson's health improved and Houston started piling up victories. Even without Will Fuller, Watson has found ways to keep the Texans in each-and-every game. I don't think they can make a long run in the playoffs without Fuller's explosiveness opposite megastar DeAndre Hopkins, but Watson will do his absolute best to make shit happen. He's a fun kid to watch.
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons - 2017: 5th, 2016: 4th
Among our Fro Zone team, my Hot-Takes Team and famous professional handicapper Matt Zylbert, "Matty Ice" is a source of great controversy.
Is Ryan a generational quarterback? He's 10th all-time in QB rating, ahead of undisputed greats like Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Troy Aikman. No one questions those guys, right?
Or is he a "soft", "fake" superstar whose inconsistent results have hindered the development of the Falcons as a team?
I'm gonna be honest with you on this one -- I don't have a clue at this point. Ryan thrived when offensive-guru Kyle Shanahan was calling the plays for Atlanta, but the former's production has dropped off significantly under much-maligned Steve Sarkisian. Ryan is the type of veteran quarterback who has the freedom to take control over things at the line; should the offensive coordinator matter this much if the QB is a supposed star? Of course the OC matters in a vacuum, but the Falcons have been downright awful this season.
Sure, Atlanta's horrifying defense deserves more of the blame, but you get the idea -- this Falcons' offense isn't what it used to be. Can Ryan, Julio Jones and company turn it around next year with a different coaching staff? Who the hell knows.
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers - 2017: 10th, 2016: 3rd
As I mentioned earlier, the picks are really starting to pile up. We know "Big Ben" is a talented gamer who is always going to leave it all on the field, but he's aging and his performance has been erratic. We know we can (mostly) trust him in the playoffs, though. We'll see which version of Ben we get in the playoffs this year.
TIER 2: Fantastic Franchise QBs
7. Andrew Luck, Colts - 2017: 13th, 2016: 10th
This guy just might be my MVP this season.
I've had a tumultuous history with Luck, including a long-winded debate about his inferiority to the great Russell Wilson, but ya know what? That gap is narrowing these days.
I didn't like Luck when he was over-hyped because of his backbreaking turnovers in big spots. I never felt he was a particularly bright quarterback -- yes, I know he went to Stanford, but that was more about football than his brains -- and I didn't like that his superstar status came so quickly, and without enough merit or substantiation. I wanted him to earn it more. I disliked that everything was being given to him. It's never worked that way in my career.
But I'm also completely fair to all players. There was a time when I bashed LeBron James to no end. But when he became the first player to lead an NBA Finals series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, what else could I say? LeBron and Kyrie Irving's Cavs took down the almighty Warriors and I had to tip my cap. LeBron had clearly made some major adjustments -- he was always the best all-around player in the world, but in the clutch, he became more dedicated to relentlessly attacking the rim than ever before...and obviously, it worked. So now I'm a LeBron supporter. I've adjusted, in fairness.
Same goes for Luck this season. He's back from a couple injury-riddled campaigns, and he's meshing beautifully with new head coach Frank Reich. I mean, let's get real -- Chuck Pagano was just a motivator. He wasn't the type of football coach who gives you a strategic edge. Reich is just the opposite -- the defending-champion Eagles have clearly missed his tactical skills this season. Reich is the kind of X's and O's head coach who takes you to the next level. Luck has embraced Reich's breakneck offensive pace, and the results have been astonishingly good. Luck even performed well in games missed by T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron and/or Marlon Mack (Indy's top-three skill players).
And, in the end, there's much to like about Luck: (1) He's a great kid. Just a sweetheart and absolute class act. (2) He's a positive, convincing leader of teammates. (3) He has fun at the quarterback position, which leads to some wonderful (and successful) improv plays. (4) He's big, strong and surprisingly mobile -- he has all the tools.
So, again, my hat's off to Andrew Luck for an incredible comeback season.
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers - 2017: 9th, 2016: 13th
It's crazy the way things even out in the NFL -- the Saints had three consecutive 7-9 seasons, then exploded the past two years as top playoff teams. Rivers and his Chargers are treading in similar waters, here -- they were bouncing around between 7-9 and 8-8 in recent years, and then poof! Everything comes together beautifully this year.
This happens to teams that lose an abnormal amount of close games. If you have Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Rivers, and you surround them with offensive talent like Alvin Kamara, Melvin Gordon, Michael Thomas and Keenan Allen, eventually things will turn themselves around. You can't lose those close ones forever. The Chargers are getting what they deserve this season.
And, of course, Rivers is a legit MVP candidate. He's also one of the greatest QBs in NFL history.
I'm serious. Check the stats.
5. Russell Wilson, Seahawks - 2017: 3rd, 2016: 8th
I feel like I always ask this question...is Russell Wilson the most underrated athlete in all of professional sports?
I mean, can the Seahawks ever get him any legitimate weapons, or what? Why does he always have to grind to get the absolute most out of his average teammates?
Well, I guess the last two are questions for a different day, but the fact remains that Russ maximizes what he has around him. He's an A+ scrambler. He throws scarily-accurate deep balls. He makes money window throws on the move. He's just an all-around stud and inspiring, undersized pro athlete.
If you don't like Russ, you don't understand the definition of the word winner. Look it up.
TIER 1: The Top Four Quarterbacks in the Universe
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers - 2017: 2nd, 2016: 2nd
In one iteration of this list, I decided to rank Rodgers first. At the time, I saw 23 TDs and only one INT and thought, this is what he does in a down year? He has to be the best and most efficient QB in the game.
But then I thought about what's been going on in Green Bay.
Sure, former head coach Mike McCarthy got the ax for questionable decision-making and poor performance, but how come the other top duos stick together?
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick don't seem to agree on anything these days, but you don't see them literally running one another out of town, do you? Brees and Sean Payton are stronger than ever. Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin stick together through thick and thin. Same for Wilson and Pete Carroll. Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes are developing something magical in KC. Ditto for Goff and McVay in L.A.
But, in spite of a past that includes a Super Bowl victory, Rodgers essentially ran McCarthy out of town. He showed him up every chance he could. He made cryptic comments about McCarthy's ineptitude.
Is that the mark of a leader? Is that the mark of a collaborator, someone who can develop a winning culture with another in a position of power?
Rodgers scares me right now. This ranking isn't about talent...it's about attitude.
Is Aaron Rodgers too much of a dick to win anymore?
3. Drew Brees, Saints - 2017: 4th, 2016: 5th
2. Tom Brady, Patriots - 2017: 1st, 2016: 1st
We are really splitting hairs, here.
Brady is undoubtedly the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL -- and probably the greatest football player of all time, at any position -- but his age is finally starting to show, and the Patriots' personnel is falling apart around him. It's hard for him to be the best of the best with Rob Gronkowski struggling through the worst season of his career, Josh Gordon quitting and Belichick refusing to care about skill players with talent. Brady is panicking against the rush, and he simply doesn't have the proper weapons to get the ball out to quickly. An old pocket QB with zero mobility needs legit weapons. Especially if he wants to be THE best player at his position.
Then again, come Super Bowl time, I still might take him over anyone else. He's 41 years old with a suspect surrounding cast, but he's also Tom F***king Brady.
As for Brees, after a rip-roaring start where another MVP award looked like a foregone conclusion, he's taken a step back in recent weeks. Not to the point where he's fallen out of the top two or three candidates, but to the point where a runaway is no longer a consideration.
But again, we're talking about one of the top three or four quarterbacks of all time. One of the greatest football players of all time. I'm not going to argue with you about either of these guys, you know? They have completely valid arguments for the No. 1 spot. But...
1. Pat Mahomes, Chiefs - 2017: 46th (rookie season, played one game)
..."Showtime" Mahomes is otherworldly.
I know, I know...earlier I talked about having to prove it in the postseason, but how could Mahomes possibly do that yet? He hasn't had a chance to show us what he's made of in the playoffs, so I should punish him for that?
I simply don't think that is fair. Not when it comes to a kid like this, whose magical skills, in my eyes, can only be compared to Michael Jordan's. When Mahomes switched to his left hand and connected on a critical first down -- on national TV, no less -- chills shivered my body. I have the chills right now, thinking about it.
And what about throwing the ball over 100 yards in the air...with ease?
So yeah, Mahomes has the oh shit-clips to get everyone's attention, but what about the pure substance of his stats?
First in total QBR. Second in standard QB rating. First in yards and first in touchdowns...by 11 more than the next best man!
Skillset summary: hyper-athletic and smart with the best arm in the league. Can it get any better than that?
Well, I guess Pat Mahomes will let us know if it can.
No comments:
Post a Comment