My Matt Schaub Blog

With the NFL season quickly approaching, I figured it would be a good time to break down and compare the top 32 starting quarterbacks in the league. And what better way to do so than through a list.

Now just for clarification, I'm ranking the starting quarterbacks of each team with a few exceptions. I will still include injured players like Josh Freeman and Donovan McNabb despite the fact that both might not be able to play in Week 1. Sam Bradford will also be on this list because we all know that, at very least, he will be the starter at some point this year.

So here we go:

#32: Matt Leinart/Derek Anderson - Arizona Cardinals: While we await the Cardinals' decision of who will be the starting quarterback come week 1, in my opinion, it doesn't really matter. Matt Leinart plays in slow motion while Derek Anderson is about as erratic as it gets at the quarterback position. Whoever ends up under center for this team is a massive drop off from Kurt Warner and deserves to be ranked 32nd out of the 32 starting quarterbacks.

#31: Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers: The former number one overall pick has dealt with a lot during his time in San Fran - injuries, demotions, several offensive coordinators, and a severe lack of talent in his own body. While he does make the occasional great throw, it isn't enough for me to put him in the top 30. CAN'T DO IT!!!

#30: Matt Moore - Carolina Panthers: The Panthers appear to be biding their time with Matt Moore until they feel comfortable playing Jimmy Clausen. They wouldn't have drafted Clausen with their first pick (even though it was in the middle of the second round) if they weren't planning on giving Clausen the keys to the car as soon as he's ready to drive. Moore doesn't really stand out in any way. He's got okay arm strength, okay accuracy, okay coverage recognition skills etc...But he isn't the Panthers' long-term solution at quarterback. Clausen is.

#29: Trent Edwards - Buffalo Bills: Trent Edwards hasn't been the model of consistency so far in his NFL career. However, he does have some positive traits. Namely, he has a compact delivery and throws a nice long ball (he throws it high so it drops into the receiver's hands at an angle that is very tough for the DB to get to). However, he doesn't seem to have the ability to find the open receiver if his primary read is covered. You can just see it when you watch him on Sundays. If he isn't ready to throw the ball at the top of his drop and there is any indecision, he starts to panic (the top of a QB's drop is when the primary read receiver should be coming out of his break). This ultimately gets him in trouble on way too many occasions.

#28: Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman shows a lot of potential as a young QB. He has a relatively strong arm, and surprisingly, he has some ability to make plays outside the pocket when the play breaks down. But similar to many young quarterbacks, his coverage recognition and decision-making both need to be faster. If he can improve this part of his game significantly in 2010, you could find him cracking the top 20 quarterbacks by the end of this season.

#27: Kevin Kolb - Philadelphia Eagles: Kolb has some big shoes to fill this year. He isn't the most physically talented QB in the league, but last season he showed glimpses of being able to function at a very high level within the framework of an offense that has tons of weapons. This isn't as easy as it sounds. There is a certain level of timing you need to have as a quarterback, even when you are surrounded by a ton of talent. Last year, Kolb showed that he has that type of timing to his game. Now he just needs to put a shaky preseason behind him.

#26: Jake Delhomme - Cleveland Browns: If not for his erratic play, Delhomme might be higher on this list. He does actually have talent and he's shown the ability to make some great throws into small windows throughout the course of his career. There is a lot of Brett Favre in his game. The bad part is, he's like the Brett Favre with all of the bonehead throws and only a fifth of the great throws. John Madden is extremely upset that I just mentioned Delhomme and Favre in the same sentence.

#25: Sam Bradford - St. Louis Rams: If you're a Rams fan, you have to be happy with what Bradford showed this past week against the Patriots. He looked extremely calm in the pocket, which is impressive considering how bad his O-line has been. His accuracy stood out and his arm looked surprisingly strong.

#24: Matt Cassel - Kansas City Chiefs: Expect Cassel to be passed by Bradford as the year progresses. Cassel is the epitome of a system quarterback. He needs a lot of talent around him because his overall quarterbacking skills are just good and not great. Isn't it funny to look back to the 2008 season when many fans and Boston media-types where trying to argue that the Patriots should trade Brady in the off-season and sign Cassel to a long-term deal. Haha, classic.

#23: Mark Sanchez - New York Jets: Jets fans everywhere are outraged! They are screaming at their computers right now and cursing my name for putting Mark Sanchez so low. But what can I say? Despite whatever potential Sanchez may or may not have, right now he is not a good NFL quarterback. This doesn't mean he won't be a good quarterback in the future. But let's face it, it's not like he has a cannon. It's not like he dazzles us with his accuracy, coverage recognition, or poise on a week-in week-out basis. He's got a lot of work to do. The good news is that it can't get any worse for Sanchez than it has been this preseason.

#22: David Garrard - Jacksonville Jaguars: Garrard continues to play at a relatively high level for the Jaguars. He has been a rock for this organization for the last few years. To be quite honest with you, Garrard throws a really nice ball and is very accurate. His big issue is that he is late with a lot of his throws, and therefore, the timing between he and his receivers is off on too many plays. Better coverage recognition and anticipation skills could have Garrard playing at a much higher level.

#21: Kyle Orton - Denver Broncos: Orton is physically limited as a passer. However, he is still a steady quarterback. He won't make a ton of mistakes and he'll work within the design of the offense, but he can tend to be a little slow getting rid of the ball at times. In the end, Orton is a steady field general who won't lose many games for your team. The problem is he won't win many games for your team either.

#20: Jason Campbell - Oakland Raiders: Campbell does have a strong arm, and when things are clicking around him, he has the ability to make a defense pay. However, the inconsistencies in his game are not just related to the players and offensive coordinators he's had around him. They are more related to his problems locking onto receivers and taking too long to get rid of the ball. A quicker tempo to his game might bump him up a few notches on this list.

#19: Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks: When he's playing well, Hasselbeck is fun to watch. He's accurate, he'll throw the ball from all angles, and he does anything and everything he can to manipulate the defense. Arm strength has really been the only thing missing from his repertoire throughout his career. However, a weak arm is a problem for a quarterback. It leaves less margin for error. More things around you have to go perfectly for you to be effective. I agree with the belief that you don't need a great arm to be a great quarterback. But you better be damn good at everything else to make up for what you lack in arm strength. Hasselbeck is good at everything else, but he isn't THAT good.

#18: Vince Young - Tennessee Titans: A lot of people out there probably think there is no way 17 quarterbacks in the NFL are better than Vince Young. But those people are probably lending more weight to Young's running skills and his performance against USC in the National Championship game than they are to his pocket passing skills. Always remember, the most important thing for a quarterback is his ability to throw the ball from the pocket. Why do so many analysts and experts look at a player's running ability to determine whether he's a good quarterback? Generally, if you can't throw the ball, you're going to have problems playing the position; problems that running around the field in circles won't solve. I will say that Young has improved his ability to throw the ball from the pocket in the last year or so. But in the end, he still needs to get A LOT better at playing the position the right way - the consistent way. Mobility outside of the pocket can give you an edge over other mediocre passers, but it won't get you into the upper echelon of the NFL quarterback ranks.

#17: Chad Henne - Miami Dolphins: If you've watched Henne this preseason, you've seen how comfortable he looks hanging in the pocket and finding the open receiver. His anticipation skills are solid and he has enough arm strength to make all of the necessary throws. He'll have some ups and downs this year as all young quarterbacks do, but ultimately, this guy has the tools to be a very good QB and a rock for the Dolphins Organization for the next ten years.

#16: Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons: Ryan is the type of quarterback who does everything the right way. He has good pocket presence, he's accurate, and he knows where to go with the ball for the most part. Last year, we saw a bit of a regression for Ryan. He battled injuries, and Atlanta's running game was nowhere near as effective as it was in 2008. Yet with two seasons of experience and learning now under his belt, expect Ryan to look a little bit more like a seasoned vet in 2010.

#15: Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens: The general consensus on Joe Flacco is that he had a down sophomore year after a great rookie season. I disagree entirely with this sentiment. If you remember, Flacco had some good moments his rookie season, but by and large, he rode the coattails of the rest of his team. Last year, he not only showed signs of being able to manage an offense, but he also showed that he has the ability to create a ton of big plays. He's tall, calm in the pocket, has a great arm, and throws the ball to the outside as well as any quarterback in the league. With the addition of Anquan Boldin to the receiving corps this season, I expect Flacco to have a big year.

#14: Matt Schaub - Houston Texans: Schaub is not a physically talented passer, but he's accurate and a good anticipator. He reads coverage well, and seems to know where to go with the ball. Yes he does have a huge, enormous, gigantic, non-human, and totally unfair weapon in Andre Johnson, but Schaub's 4,770 passing yards last season are tough to argue with.

#13: Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions: I know, Stafford threw a lot of picks last season, and he's young, and he's raw. So what. This guy has immense talent. He can make throws that only one or two other QB's in the league can make. And if you've been watching him this preseason, it's clear he has taken a big growth step from his rookie year. He looks so calm, comfortable, and in control. A lot of QB's have talent. The best ones mix talent with hard work and the ability to play the game intelligently. I strongly believe Stafford is on his way to becoming the type of QB who puts it all together. It took every ounce of strength in my body to refrain from putting this guy in the top ten. By season's end, I'm confident he will be there.

#12: Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys: Romo has shown prolonged moments of brilliance, as well as the tendency to crumble against good defenses. He is an accurate passer who gets rid of the ball quickly. He has the ability to keep plays alive and find open receivers after the play has broken down (this is different than being a running QB). His biggest problem, though, is the blitz. He can't seem to stay in the pocket against pressure. This leads to some big plays here and there when he gets to the outside, but it also leads to some bad plays and a lack of consistency. If Romo wants to make the leap to being a great quarterback and not just a good one, he'll need to be firmer in the pocket against pressure.

#11: Eli Manning - New York Giants: You could make the argument that Romo and Eli are interchangeable. But I like Eli's consistency better. He knows where to go with the ball, even against the blitz. Ultimately, Eli and Romo are similar in overall ability despite having different playing styles. I just feel that with Eli, you know what you're going to get. And you can always count on him to be prepared for whatever defense he faces.

#10: Donovan McNabb - Washington Redskins: A new uniform shouldn't change too much about McNabb's game. This is his 12th year in the league. At this point, he is who he is, in terms of both the good and the bad. McNabb has as strong of an arm as any QB in the league. We're talking an absolute cannon. And occasionally he breaks out a throw that no other player in the league can make. But McNabb's biggest problem is that after he makes that phenomenal throw, he'll fire the ball at the running back's feet in the flat on the very next play. McNabb's inconsistencies are heavily rooted in his poor and undisciplined throwing mechanics. But his talent is too good to keep him out of the top 10.

#9: Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals: I love watching Palmer play. The man is tough. Not to mention he's pretty damn good. He's got a strong arm, accuracy, knows what he's doing, and gets rid of the ball on time. Watch closely the next time you see him on TV. He'll get to the top of his drop and fire the ball twenty yards downfield to his receiver in stride several times a game. He really is one of the best in football at playing with timing and rhythm. And this season, he'll have a ton of talent around him on both sides of the ball. Could this be the year the Bengals win a Super Bowl?

#8: Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers: Say what you want to about Ben Roethlesomething for his off the field issues. He can fire that pigskin. He also might be the toughest quarterback in the league to actually bring to the ground. How many times have we seen him shed multiple 300-pound defenders and then throw an absolute rope thirty yards downfield to a tightly covered receiver and still manage to fit the ball in there? The answer, my friend, is a lot. Yet what many don't realize about Roethlisberger is that when he plays from inside the pocket, he is at his absolute best. His run-around plays make for great highlights, but they don't translate to consistent quarterbacking. For every one great play he has outside of the pocket, he has about 10 incompletions/interceptions/sacks from fleeing the pocket too early and making it up as he goes along. If he was better at playing within the framework of the offense - basically throwing the ball where it's designed to go - with his physical skills, he would be an elite quarterback without question.

#7: Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears: Yes, I have Jay Cutler ahead of Roethlisberger. Their accuracy is comparable, but Cutler has a bit of an edge in arm strength. And maybe I sound like a broken record, but Cutler plays better from inside the pocket. And if you really want to bring it up, he's also quicker, faster, and more athletic than Roethlisberger. He just chooses not to run as much. The thing that Cutler doesn't get enough credit for, though, is his toughness in the face of pressure. He delivers the ball downfield with defenders in his face as well as anyone in the league. He's extremely firm in the pocket. Cutler is at his worst when he makes stupid decisions and throws the ball to well-covered receivers because he thinks he can complete any pass at any time. Yes he is inconsistent. But his inconsistencies stem from correctable things. There is nothing wrong with him mechanically or coverage recognition-wise, and he's as tough as they come at the position. He just needs to scale it back with the stupid throws - something Brett Favre also had to do as a young'un. I believe a no-nonsense Offensive Coordinator like Mike Martz will help Cutler improve this area of his game dramatically.

#6: Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers: Rivers may have the ugliest throwing motion since Bernie Kosar, but he's accurate, has a strong arm, and does just about everything right when it comes to quarterbacking. He also might throw the best long ball in the game. As I stated in part one of this three day series, to throw a good long-ball you need to throw it high so it drops into the receiver's hands at an angle that is too tough for the defensive back to get to. Rivers does this extremely well. And he can throw it a mile. Don't be fooled by his Kenny Powers throwing motion.

#5: Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings: Did anyone catch Favre last week against the Seahawks? Did you see some of the throws he made? At age 40, he's still slinging it as well as any other QB in the league. While it's hard to deny that Brett Favre is fun to watch, I wish he'd get more credit for the fact that he does all of the little things right. He has uncanny anticipation skills. He has phenomenal vision and coverage recognition skills. When he throws interceptions, it's rarely because he's fooled, and more so because he trusts his arm too much. His accuracy is also underrated and overshadowed by all of the other flashy things he does. Favre has had an amazing career, obviously. He should go down as easily one of the top five quarterbacks of all time.

#4: Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers: Elite. The only word you need to know to describe Aaron Rodgers. Skill-wise, he has surpassed the 40-year old version of Brett Favre. He can throw the ball a mile. He can make every single type of throw. And his ability to see the field and recognize defenses has grown exponentially since his first start in 2008. Rodgers is the number one reason why the Packers look like the class of the NFC at the moment.

#3: Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is an elite quarterback, but not because he finally won a Super Bowl. Nobody is an elite QB solely for winning a title - otherwise Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Mark Rypien, Jeff Hostetler, and so on would have to be classified as such. Brees is elite because he's amazingly accurate and does everything right. He also is such a good anticipator that he completely negates having a poor pass-protecting offensive line. He gets rid of the ball so quickly that the opposing pass rush rarely has time to take advantage of his blockers up front.

#2: Tom Brady - New England Patriots: Brady had a down year in 2009 after coming back from his knee injury. He sported a 96.2 QB rating and threw for 4,398 yards, 28 TD's, and only 13 INT's...Yeah, Brady was terrible. But don't worry Pats fans. This preseason, Brady looks like he's back to his old self (I mean the 2007 version, not the 2009 version that is still better than about 98 percent of all quarterbacks). Brady has one of the strongest arms in the league (a huge improvement from his first few years), pinpoint accuracy, great anticipation, the ability to make any type of throw, and the ability to read coverage quickly. He also has the calmest feet in the pocket of any QB in the league. So get excited, Boston sports fans. You won't have to whine and moan about your hapless Red Sox anymore once the NFL season starts, because Tom Brady is going to have a monster year.

#1: Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts: Think of a quarterback skill, any quarterback skill. Chances are, Peyton Manning has it. He can do it all. He can make every possible throw and he can do it against any defense, anywhere, any time. But what sets Manning apart isn't his accuracy, his statistics, or his control of the offense at the line of scrimmage - although those things do set him apart. What separates Manning from the rest is how fast he processes information, how fast he recognizes coverage, and then how quickly he reacts. Don't be fooled by anyone who tells you Manning isn't the top dog because he doesn't have enough rings. Peyton is far and away the best QB in the NFL right now. He might just be the best of all time too.