The Red Zone Report

It’s inarguable. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are, without question, the best two quarterbacks in the NFL. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. They are 1 and 1a. Which order? That’s up to you.

However, seeing all the hoopla surrounding Brady’s return to Patriots’ OTAs got me thinking. When will their reign end? Eventually, both Manning and Brady are going to slowly fade from that top spot. Remember, Brett Favre was the best field general in the game before Manning and Brady turned into elite signal callers overnight, taking the almighty gunslinger’s place as #1. That’s just the way the NFL is. To put it in Sinatra terms, you’re ridin’ high in April, shot down in May. It may not happen this season or next season, but it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.

There are plenty of candidates. Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb, and Drew Brees are not eligible because they are older (especially Warner). Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez haven’t taken a snap yet, so they can’t be eligible either. So, which young guns will eventually take the reins from these two elite quarterbacks?

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1. Ben Roethlisberger: If there is anyone that fits the bill for being number one, it’s Roethlisberger. Maybe he’s not great from a statistical standpoint, but whenever the Steelers need him to win a game in the fourth quarter, he always finds ways to lead them down field. Having two Super Bowl rings in his first six seasons also helps Roethlisberger’s case.

2. Philip Rivers: In all honesty, I thought he was grossly overrated until the 2007 AFC Championship game when he played with a torn ACL. Since then, Rivers has become the unquestionable leader of the Chargers. He not only put up remarkable numbers in 2008, but he also put his team on his shoulders and willed them into the playoffs, despite a poor defense and an 8-8 record. If some of his teammates were to actually play up to snuff for once, maybe Rivers will eventually have some hardware to show his worth.

3. Eli Manning: Sometimes, the experts overrate him because he is Peyton’s brother, but Eli can play. He has the brains to play behind center and can light up defenses with his arm. The only problem with him is inconsistency. But, last year he edged away from the high turnover outings and emerged as the leader of the Giants’ offense. He also has a knack for leading his team into the postseason. The Giants have made the playoffs four straight seasons with Manning at quarterback. Not to mention, he was a big reason the Giants upset the then undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

4. Jay Cutler: There are questions about his leadership abilities and lack of wins as a starter, but no one doubts his upside. Cutler has the strongest arm in the league behind JaMarcus Russell, but it’s the numbers that also awe you. In just his second full season as a starter, he earned a trip to the Pro-Bowl by throwing for over 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Cutler also threw 18 interceptions, which is on the high side, but the Broncos’ non-existent running game and defense forced Cutler to throw his arm off.  The fact he threw a high number of picks while completing 62% of his passes is incredible. Not a lot of high risk/high reward guys can do that.

5. Carson Palmer: I feel bad for Palmer. He has all the talent in the world but is just in the wrong place to succeed. There was a time when most experts would have put him number one on a list like this. Palmer still has a chance to move up, but that can only happen if either the Bengals change personnel in the front office and coaching staff or he gets traded to a stable franchise.

6. Aaron Rodgers: With Brett Favre out of Green Bay, Rodgers put up eye-popping numbers in his first year as a starter last season. He might have only won 6 games, but most of their defense underachieved in 2008. Could last year have been a mirage? Possibly. However, he seems to have all the tools and moxie to be an elite level quarterback in the NFL. That makes me feel good about Rodgers heading into 2009.

7. Tony Romo: He’s probably one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Romo has a knack for making plays out of nothing and the arm that lights up any secondary to enth degree. He would be higher on this list, but there are concerns. Romo has yet to win a playoff game, struggling in both chances. One loss, in the 2007 postseason, came when the Cowboys had the best record in the NFC. His record in the month of December, when teams need to clinch a playoff spot, is a dismal 5-8. Also, age might keep him from moving up any higher. Remember, Romo is 29. If he were to surpass the likes of Manning and Brady, he might be near the end of his rope.

8. Matt Ryan: Ryan was the first quarterback since Roethlisberger to lead his team to the playoffs as a rookie. His flashes of brilliance from last season have made many observers feel he is an up-and-coming quarterback. Look at it like this. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins were dead in the water until the rookie showed up in Atlanta. Many felt the Falcons’ previous franchise passer, Michael Vick, pedestrian passing numbers were due to White and Jenkins. Maybe it was the other way around.

9. Joe Flacco: Like Ryan, Flacco led his Ravens to the playoffs as a rookie. However, he got his team all the way to the AFC title game before losing to the world champion Steelers. The Ravens defense has been known to take an average quarterback and carry him as far as they can. And sure, Flacco wasn’t asked to win them games but going deep into the playoffs is never easy. He is probably more of a “wait and see” type of player. I’m willing to give him more time.

10. Matt Cassel: Cassel did a fantastic job filling in for Tom Brady last season, but you have to wonder. Did the Patriots system, with standouts receivers like Randy Moss and Wes Welker, help make him a better player than he actually is? Cassel will get a chance to prove he can be a franchise quarterback with the Chiefs this season. If he has a season identical to last year, then maybe there is a chance he can become a pro-bowl quarterback.