I never thought I'd see the day, but...is Tom Brady no longer an elite NFL quarterback?
(Cue the angry Patriots fans immediately saying, "He has no weapons! No Gronk, Hernandez, Vereen, Lloyd -- what is he supposed to do?")
And I completely agree, this is the weakest group of offensive skill players that Brady has ever taken the field with. Very inexperienced at wide receiver with Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson as two of his top four options, and career-long spot starter Julian Edelman is serving as his underwhelming go-to guy.
And the Patriots are currently 4-1 atop the AFC East, so what the hell am I talking about?
Well, let's not forget that New England has one of the top five offensive lines in the game (arguably top two or three), so the protection is still there. As far as skills, I see Brady's accuracy declining, and his lack of mobility -- both in and out of the pocket -- is more apparent than ever. In today's league of mobile quarterbacks, his cement shoes stick out like a sore thumb.
Nonetheless, he's still winning. So where will he rank in my list?
39. Jeff Tuel, Buffalo Bills: He was forced into action in Week 5 when EJ Manuel left the game with an injury...what followed was one of the most embarrassing quarterback performances I've ever seen. No vision, no accuracy, no power, almost no mobility. I'm not sure I've seen a weaker QB take a snap in the NFL.
38. Thaddeus Lewis, Buffalo Bills: The Bills just signed this guy off the practice squad...and he's starting this week! What the hell is going on over there? They might as well start Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers. Similar name, probably similar results.
37. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Bucs: Here's the new franchise quarterback of the Bucs; all I know about him is that they had his first win in the bag against the Cardinals, and he decided to throw it away to Patrick Peterson. Good start to his tenure as lead signal caller.
36. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars: Can the Jaguars stop already with this guy? Enough is enough! Luckily for their fans, Gabbert is currently injured and Chad Henne has the ball. That's not saying much, but he's definitely better than Gabbert. Woof.
35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans: I feel like people are always saying, "He's not THAT bad." But if you watch him play, he really is. He has some mobility when the going gets tough, but he's inaccurate and a poor decision-maker. He can keep you in the game at times, until he blows it.
34. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars: He can never seem to pry the job away from Gabbert, so how good can he possibly be? He was also a failure in Miami.
33. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles: Never liked him when I saw him in the past, but he actually looked pretty good after Michael Vick went down this week. We'll see if he's on the rise. I'm not sold off one decent half.
32. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings: He's done fairly well filling in for Christian Ponder (or possibly taking over his job for good?), but he was absolutely atrocious at the end of his tenure with the Chiefs. He's very short and not especially skilled, and now Josh Freeman is in the Minnesota mix as well.
31. Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns: Known for holding the ball longer than any QB in the game, I actually enjoy watching Weeden throw the ball (when he gets it off). He throws a nice deep ball but has no agility or awareness.
30. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings: He's never that bad when I watch him play, but everyone else (including the Vikings front office) seems to think he stinks. I guess he's just an average (or below) professional quarterback.
29. Geno Smith, New York Jets: As many of you know, I'm a Jets fan...and I see some good things from Geno Smith. Obviously he's unable to protect the ball (lot of interceptions and fumbles), but he's fearless and makes some truly beautiful, tough throws at times. I don't believe he'll ever be a Pro Bowl caliber QB, but I do believe he can help us win some games. It's not all bad.
28. Josh Freeman, Minnesota Vikings: It's really splitting hairs when it comes to Minnesota's three QBs, but Freeman had some sustained success as a starter at different times during his stint in Tampa. Despite the character questions and multitude of issues with the Bucs, teams still seemed quite intrigued by Freeman -- that speaks volumes. His skills are desirable.
27. Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders: Not much of a pocket passer, but Terrelle's definitely making plays with his legs. He's one of the top three rushers at the quarterback position, and the Raiders were right to hand him the job over Matt Flynn (who was actually released today).
26. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals: Okay, Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh were getting old in Cincinnati, and he had no weapons when he played for Oakland. Now he has two explosive athletes in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd...so what's the excuse this time? He's just not very good. Very one-dimensional.
25. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers: Easily the most overrated player in the NFL. No awareness, completely inaccurate, careless, raw and showing zero improvement. I actually think he's getting worse. Much worse. He's an atrocity in the 4th quarter too.
24. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: He's not THAT bad...but he's playing like he is. I think he's probably in the back end of the top 20, but I can't really justify that at the moment. Gary Kubiak says he's sticking with him, nonetheless.
23. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills: Unfortunate injury for the Bills and their faithful; this kid's playing much better than I expected. I really have been impressed with his all-around output. Possibly a bright future here, we'll see after the injury.
22. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams: He's like a better version of the aforementioned Ryan Fitzpatrick -- people always say he's pretty good, then you watch him play and are appalled. Not accurate down the field, makes many questionable decisions each and every game. The Rams franchise is stuck.
21. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals: Most disappointing player in the NFL so far this season? Unable to connect with AJ Green, Dalton has been shaky, sloppy and unable to find options despite Sanu, Jones, Gresham, Eifert and Bernard. This team's offensive weapons are better than Dalton is making them look. Bengals are lucky to be 3-2.
20. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans: While Dalton may be the biggest underachiever, Locker (prior to his unfortunate injury) was looking like one of the most improved players in the league. Moving extremely well in and out of the pocket, throwing with both velocity and accuracy. He was also protecting the ball; something he'd never done well in the past. He will be missed.
19. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: It's not always pretty, but this kid is fearless. He's what I refer to as a, "Blank-minded quarterback." Three other examples: Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Geno Smith. So as you can see, being blank-minded can be a blessing or a curse. Overall, Tannehill's early-career success has to be considered a pleasant surprise for the Dolphins. Coming along much quicker than I anticipated.
18. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: Many of you know that I cannot stand this guy. I don't think a team led by Jay Cutler will ever get over the hump. Too many careless throws, critical errors and whiny excuses.
17. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins: Just not the same player he was without his explosive mobility. We'll see what happens when he gets his legs back under him. Looks like a lost season for the Skins.
16. Eli Manning, New York Giants: I've always been a big Eli guy, but what he's doing this season is unacceptable. He seems to be completely unwilling to take a sack -- instead he'd rather throw a pick during a crucial moment of the game. His performance is declining like Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.
15. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles: I think he's still one of the most inaccurate starters in the league, but he remains an explosive all-around playmaker. The Eagles still have a good shot at their division. Let's see if Nick Foles can hold down the fort in Vick's 1-2 week injury absence.
14. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: The best player in the 2012-13 postseason is missing Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. Flacco has had a couple of shaky outings, but the Ravens are still 3-2 atop the AFC North. He's earned the nickname "Joe Cool."
13. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs: Smith's Chiefs are riding high at 5-0, and he's doing what he does best...protecting the football. I love ball security -- I mean, who doesn't?
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, but Big Ben is certainly not to blame. Pittsburgh has had no running game in the absence of Le'Veon Bell (recently returned) and LaRod Stephens-Howling (out for the season, underrated big-play runner), and Ben clearly misses WR1 Mike Wallace. Antonio Brown has failed to develop. Ben can still get it done, as we saw once he had Bell against Minnesota.
11. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers: I was super high on Kap throughout the postseason, and I'm still a fan, but he's not the same guy without Michael Crabtree. Anquan Boldin has been a fantastic acquisition, but Vernon Davis has been banged up leaving very few options in the passing attack. Love Kap's mobility and raw strength. He could be in the top 10 when Crabtree, Boldin and Davis are all together.
10. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: After two down years, Rivers is back and possibly better than ever. He's an early-season MVP candidate, keeping his Chargers in the hunt with spectacular play at the quarterback position. I've really been impressed with his ability to silence many of the haters. Good for him.
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: One of my favorite quarterbacks to watch. Nice, loose, strong, fluid arm. He can make all the throws, and he makes 'em look good. The Lions are a team to watch if Megatron can stay healthy.
8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: "Matty Ice" continues to play good ball, but the Falcons defense can never seem to make a critical stop. The Falcons could easily be 3-1, but they never lock down when the situation requires it. Ryan is smart, accurate, well-prepared and still improving. My opinion has changed on him over the years.
7. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: All right, he's not outside of the top 10, what do you want me to say? I thought the title would get you to read this; maybe it did. Anyway, as I said in the opening, Brady's accuracy isn't what it once was, and I think his lack of mobility takes him out of contention for my top six. All six of my top guns have mobility, either in or out of the pocket (or both).
6. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: I have nothing bad to say about this kid. When he tucks it and runs, he's literally like a running back. His form and ball protection are flawless. Opposing defenses (even the top units) continue to refer to him as "a problem." He really is. When he has room to run, he takes it without hesitating. When he scrambles and someone opens up down field, he makes the throw. When the pressure is on, he responds. What a truly special player.
5. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts: I can't believe what this kid did to the vaunted Seattle defense this weekend -- converting one third-and-long after another, after another, after another. That's almost impossible to do against the Seahawks' menacing defense, and yet, Luck did it with relative ease. Here's another kid who has it all: smart, mobile, accurate, prepared and dangerous. The Colts are now the second-best team in the AFC.
4. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: For 47 minutes, Tony Romo put together (arguably) the greatest quarterback performance in the history of the game: 506 yards and five touchdowns without an interception or fumble...
...Until the final two minutes of the game, when disaster struck. Tony threw one of those famous Romo picks -- at the worst time, with the worst field position -- and I was literally stunned. I was so happy for the guy that he was out dueling Peyton Manning, and that it seemed Peyton's interception was going to cost Denver a dramatic win. But Tony's pick was even more painful, adding fire to the flame of the Romo haters. The hate is not warranted -- Romo is nifty, accurate, talented and underrated. I honestly believe he is one of the greatest playmakers in the history of the position (playmaker, not pure passer). He avoids the rush beautifully, and then has the uncanny ability to complete the play.
Tony Romo...the most tragic figure in the NFL.
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Just keeps on doing what he does...prepares wonderfully, spreads the ball around, eats up yards and gets his team into the endzone. He's a surgeon out there. The Saints are rolling.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: The perfect quarterback...and he's not number one???
1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: It's hard to watch Peyton Manning this season and think a quarterback could ever be better. He's made some missteps in the postseason, but I still think he's the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. He's definitely the most intelligent football player of all time. A true genius.
John Frascella is the author of "Theo-logy: How a Boy Wonder Led the Red Sox to the Promised Land," the only book centered on popular executive Theo Epstein. Like what you've read? Looking for writers? Email John at john.frascella@gmail.com.
