NFL Network will unveil the final 10 players in "The Top 100: Players of 2012" on Wednesday night. Looking at who hasn't appeared in Nos. 11-100, three superstar quarterbacks -- Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers -- are in line for top-10 placement. How would you rank these Super Bowl-winning QBs?
If this is based solely on 2011, I don't think it's overly complicated. And interestingly enough, I'd put those three in the inverse order of their passing yardage from last season -- Aaron Rodgers first, then Tom Brady, then Drew Brees.
One disastrous afternoon for the Packers in January has faded memories of what many were acclaiming one of the most well-quarterbacked seasons ever, as authored by Rodgers. He set an NFL record for passer rating (122.5), and posted the second-best TD-INT ratio (45-6) ever. He threw half the picks Brady did, and eight fewer than Brees. He was only surpassed by Brees in touchdown passes in 2011, and only after the Saints quarterback threw for five touchdowns in Week 17 while Rodgers was rested for the playoffs.
But most of all, Rodgers displayed the greatest qualities a quarterback can bring in spades, both consistent and clutch. Rodgers posted 12 straight QB ratings exceeding 106 to start the season, didn't throw multiple picks in any game all year, and came up big late in wins over the Saints, Chargers and Giants.
I give Brady a slight edge over Brees here because of Brees' 14 picks and Brady's Super Bowl trip.
I'd go: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady. Seems almost criminal to not have the QB with the most Super Bowl rings (Brady) at the top of the list, but based on current play, in my opinion, this is the way to rank them.
At one point last season, there was a feeling that Rodgers was playing the position at a level rarely seen. Brees was in the process of breaking Dan Marino's single-season yardage mark and Brady was simply playing "small ball" all the way to another Super Bowl appearance.
Hmmm ... Do I really have this order correct?!
The players use a somewhat different rationale when it comes to this type of voting. The fact that Tom Brady played in the Super Bowl last season -- and Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers didn't -- likely will land Brady the top spot. It's hard to argue because Brady makes everyone on his team that much better. Rodgers and Brees likely will be Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
Personally, I'd put Rodgers first overall -- even though Brees threw for more yards than anyone in history. What Rodgers does for the Packers is amazing, and his ability to move the sticks by running gives him an added edge. I've also spoken with too many defensive coaches around the NFL who fear Rodgers more than any other quarterback. Brady would be second. It sounds crazy ranking Brees third, since there might not be another player more vital to his team than Brees, but I still can't overlook Rodgers being at his peak right now and Brady just being Brady.
I have Aaron Rodgers at the top of my list. He has all the tools and he's still getting better each year. He has the strongest arm of the top three QBs and he's also the most mobile.
I have Tom Brady as my second-ranked QB. His body of work speaks for itself: five Super Bowl appearances and three championships. He is incredibly accurate and consistently makes great decisions with the football. That leaves Drew Brees third. His stats are ridiculous and he is the most pinpoint-accurate passer in the NFL. His arm strength is a notch below the other two, but he can still make all of the necessary throws.
My order: Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees. The 2011 NFL MVP edges out a two-time winner of that award in Brady because he is younger and possesses superior mobility, while still possessing the poise and ability to distribute the ball to his talented gaggle of receivers from the pocket.
As evidenced by the 2011 season opener when New Orleans nearly beat the Packers in Green Bay, however, Brees and Rodgers are not far apart in their talents. The other 29 teams in the league would love to have any of these three running their offense.
I often find myself flip-flopping between Drew Brees and Tom Brady as to who is better. Brady has three rings, but Brees has done it most recently. Both guys have done it with receivers and tight ends who were either anonymous or projects before they started playing with their respective quarterback. So yes, it really is a huge toss-up ... for second place.
That's what we're asking here, right? Because Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL and he's had the crown for a couple years now. Rodgers does everything Brees and Brady can do with their arms, but he's also a mobile threat. And he's just starting to enter his prime. Rodgers is going to hold this title for a long time.
Aaron Rodgers belongs at the top -- and should've been there last year, too. (The players had him at 11, adding further weight to my contention NFL players don't watch NFL football.) No slight intended to Tom Brady and Drew Brees, both of whom are first-ballot Hall of Famers, but Rodgers is the best player right now -- and has a chance to go down as the best of all time.
Take a look at the 2011 Packers: banged-up o-line, zero running game, a swiss cheese(head) defense ... and a 15-1 record. If his receiving corps hadn't come down with a contagious case of the dropsies in Lambeau against the Giants last January, Rodgers would've won a second straight Lombardi.
Like Brady and Brees, Rodgers puts up passing numbers that look more like the calorie count of a Dorito-shelled taco. Unlike Brady and Brees (and every other "elite" QB besides Ben Roethlisberger), Rodgers can still thrive behind a subpar offensive line. Now if only he'd get a better nickname than the recycled "A-Rod."
Let's look at this as how they'll perform in 2012.
I would go with Aaron Rodgers as No. 1. He is the youngest, the Packers return his receiver group intact and, unlike last year, Rodgers has had an offseason to work with them.
Next I would go with Tom Brady. The coaching staff has Josh McDaniels as the new offensive coordinator, but Brady has worked with him before. Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney will help. My only question is will Brady's body start to break down at his age (35 in August).
In the case of Brees, there's plenty of uncertainty. How much will Sean Payton's season-long absence affect the offense? Brees will have two head coaches this season (Joe Vitt and whoever replaces Vitt for the first six games). He lost Robert Meachem. He has missed the offseason and who knows what will happen in camp.
