Written by Jinx Grand (@JinxGrand on Twitter)
Ranking players has become so predicated on opinion and less on facts. People blindly say that Kobe Bryant is better in clutch situations than Michael Jordan and LeBron James, when that is factually incorrect. The same can be said in the NFL when it comes to ranking quarterbacks, the number one debate in NFL circles.
Ever since Eli Manning said that he was an ‘elite quarterback’ during a radio interview a few years ago, it has become the most overused word in the English Dictionary to analyze quarterbacks. Because of this, I decided to set the record straight on how quarterbacks should be categorized. After browsing a bit, I found that multiple websites had done a tier ranking system, but all the sites I looked at had it for fantasy football purposes. So, I created my own ranking system.
The highest possible grouping is Tier 1 and the lowest is Tier 4. However, this does not answer the single biggest problem in quarterback debates: how to separate good from great. That is where the tier rankings are different. The following 6 requirements were created with the help of CincyJungle.com, Dylan Gerr, Emily Gruver (both of TheSportsCrave.com), and some inspiration from yours truly.
If a quarterback can answer each question with flying colors, you’re likely looking at a Tier 1 guy. But, again, it has to be passed 100%, no questions asked.
That is the criteria that is going to be used to rank these quarterbacks.
Now, on to names. Who makes the list of Tier 1 and who does not?
Below is a table of the Tier 1 quarterbacks. For analysis purposes, I put grades next to each QB’s name indicating the level in which that QB answers the 6 questions. An ‘A’ obviously means that QB answers that question to the highest degree. Also, to note, each Tier is in order with players ranked from best to worst. For example, out of the Tier 1, Manning is the best and Rodgers is the weakest.
As you can obviously tell, each quarterback passes the test flamboyantly. The reason I gave Brady an A- in value is because the Pats did go 11-5 with Matt Cassel as QB (the year when Brady banged up his knee). I gave Rodgers an A- in comebacks and clutch situations is because he only has 5 fourth quarter comebacks and 9 game-winning drives (compared to Peyton Manning’s 39 fourth quarter comebacks and 50 game-winning drives).
Now, here is a look at Tier 2. Aaaaaaaaaaand...
...none of these QBs make it through unscathed.
Let’s start with Eli: One of the biggest requirements in being a Tier 1 is consistency. His consistency is awful. Eli’s career QB record (the W-L record for games the QB has started) features two 8-8’s, two 9-7’s and two 1-6’s (as of October 24). Those seasons account for 60% of his career. Come back to me he starts having 10-win seasons consistently.
Moving to Andrew Luck. Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio recently said on his show that Luck deserves to be alongside Brady, Brees, Rodgers and Manning as the top QBs in the NFL. Colin constantly asked why we needed to wait before we claimed Luck as elite. Colin, I respect your opinion greatly and I think you are a splendid radio host, but how much can 23 games tell us about his consistency and postseason success? Before we put him alongside all-time legends, we need to wait a few years. Let me repeat: ALL-TIME LEGENDS. Why the big rush? It has’nt even been three years yet. (Everything I said about Andrew Luck can also be directed towards Russell Wilson.)
Regarding Joe Flacco, the reason I had him so far down in the rankings is because a) he hasn’t shown me he can get it done without a formidable defense and without solid running game, and b) I am not sure he is a guy that can be a leader (then again, with Ray Lewis in the locker room, nobody else needs to have a leading force).
However, the criticism of Tier 2 will definitely be Luck-Wilson-Manning. So, to end the questions of Luck-Wilson-Manning-should-be-Tier-1, I have gone on to create a TIER 1A, which contains the fringe guys that are right below Tier 1. Think of the tweener position in the NFL. Guys too good to be Tier 2, but not ready to be Tier 1.
Moving on to Tier 3:
Now we are getting into the under-achievers. When Jay Cutler is the only quarterback in this Tier receiving an A grade (don’t forget that he has lead the Bears to 15 fourth quarter comebacks and 19 game-winning drives), you know this is a mediocre bunch of quarterbacks.
First off, in response to Kaepernick being Tier 3, I still have serious question marks about what kind of quarterback he will turn out to be. He has serious talent, but I still worry that what we saw last season was a fluke, or something that will not continue consistently throughout his career. As defensive coordinators get film on him, will he be able to transition into a successful pocket passer (like Luck, Wilson and even RGIII to an extent)? It is still early, so I could very well be dead wrong about Kaep, but I have my doubts.
If I had to create a Tier 2A, it would consist of the top four: Cutler, Kaepernick, Romo and Rivers. Rivers just makes it in.
For Tier 4, I am not going to grade them out (it is a waste of time, trust me) but here are the names in no particular order: Ryan Tannehill; Andy Dalton; Geno Smith; EJ Manuel; Nick Foles; Matt Schaub; Carson Palmer; Sam Bradford; Josh Freeman.
To recap:
As I had written at the beginning of this article, this form of ranking quarterbacks was instituted because I grew to hate the wordelite as the only way to analyze a quarterback. What does elite mean?! Everyone has their own thoughts as to what elite can refer to.
However, the people I have asked have told me the top four quarterbacks in the NFL right now are Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers (and Luck/Wilson are the next men up). Look at the 6 requirements I outlined, every one of those top QBs pass the test. Hopefully, now when we analyze quarterbacks we stop throwing the word elite around and actually grade them based on the factors that have immense weight at that position.
By: Jinx Grand, VP of TheSportsCrave, host of JG Sports Talk.
Ranking players has become so predicated on opinion and less on facts. People blindly say that Kobe Bryant is better in clutch situations than Michael Jordan and LeBron James, when that is factually incorrect. The same can be said in the NFL when it comes to ranking quarterbacks, the number one debate in NFL circles.
Ever since Eli Manning said that he was an ‘elite quarterback’ during a radio interview a few years ago, it has become the most overused word in the English Dictionary to analyze quarterbacks. Because of this, I decided to set the record straight on how quarterbacks should be categorized. After browsing a bit, I found that multiple websites had done a tier ranking system, but all the sites I looked at had it for fantasy football purposes. So, I created my own ranking system.The highest possible grouping is Tier 1 and the lowest is Tier 4. However, this does not answer the single biggest problem in quarterback debates: how to separate good from great. That is where the tier rankings are different. The following 6 requirements were created with the help of CincyJungle.com, Dylan Gerr, Emily Gruver (both of TheSportsCrave.com), and some inspiration from yours truly.
If a quarterback can answer each question with flying colors, you’re likely looking at a Tier 1 guy. But, again, it has to be passed 100%, no questions asked.
- Value – are they a three win team if you take him off the roster?
- Best in the league – is he ever a part of the best-in-the-nfl conversations?
- Machine-like consistency – can he get to ten wins every season (the general amount needed to make the postseason)?
- Comeback situations/clutchness – 4th quarter, game on the line, is he coming through?
- Leadership – does he garner respect from around the league/teammates?
- Postseason – is he a different animal in January?
That is the criteria that is going to be used to rank these quarterbacks.
Now, on to names. Who makes the list of Tier 1 and who does not?
Below is a table of the Tier 1 quarterbacks. For analysis purposes, I put grades next to each QB’s name indicating the level in which that QB answers the 6 questions. An ‘A’ obviously means that QB answers that question to the highest degree. Also, to note, each Tier is in order with players ranked from best to worst. For example, out of the Tier 1, Manning is the best and Rodgers is the weakest.
As you can obviously tell, each quarterback passes the test flamboyantly. The reason I gave Brady an A- in value is because the Pats did go 11-5 with Matt Cassel as QB (the year when Brady banged up his knee). I gave Rodgers an A- in comebacks and clutch situations is because he only has 5 fourth quarter comebacks and 9 game-winning drives (compared to Peyton Manning’s 39 fourth quarter comebacks and 50 game-winning drives).
Now, here is a look at Tier 2. Aaaaaaaaaaand...
...none of these QBs make it through unscathed.
Let’s start with Eli: One of the biggest requirements in being a Tier 1 is consistency. His consistency is awful. Eli’s career QB record (the W-L record for games the QB has started) features two 8-8’s, two 9-7’s and two 1-6’s (as of October 24). Those seasons account for 60% of his career. Come back to me he starts having 10-win seasons consistently.
Moving to Andrew Luck. Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio recently said on his show that Luck deserves to be alongside Brady, Brees, Rodgers and Manning as the top QBs in the NFL. Colin constantly asked why we needed to wait before we claimed Luck as elite. Colin, I respect your opinion greatly and I think you are a splendid radio host, but how much can 23 games tell us about his consistency and postseason success? Before we put him alongside all-time legends, we need to wait a few years. Let me repeat: ALL-TIME LEGENDS. Why the big rush? It has’nt even been three years yet. (Everything I said about Andrew Luck can also be directed towards Russell Wilson.)
Regarding Joe Flacco, the reason I had him so far down in the rankings is because a) he hasn’t shown me he can get it done without a formidable defense and without solid running game, and b) I am not sure he is a guy that can be a leader (then again, with Ray Lewis in the locker room, nobody else needs to have a leading force).
However, the criticism of Tier 2 will definitely be Luck-Wilson-Manning. So, to end the questions of Luck-Wilson-Manning-should-be-Tier-1, I have gone on to create a TIER 1A, which contains the fringe guys that are right below Tier 1. Think of the tweener position in the NFL. Guys too good to be Tier 2, but not ready to be Tier 1.
Moving on to Tier 3:
Now we are getting into the under-achievers. When Jay Cutler is the only quarterback in this Tier receiving an A grade (don’t forget that he has lead the Bears to 15 fourth quarter comebacks and 19 game-winning drives), you know this is a mediocre bunch of quarterbacks.
First off, in response to Kaepernick being Tier 3, I still have serious question marks about what kind of quarterback he will turn out to be. He has serious talent, but I still worry that what we saw last season was a fluke, or something that will not continue consistently throughout his career. As defensive coordinators get film on him, will he be able to transition into a successful pocket passer (like Luck, Wilson and even RGIII to an extent)? It is still early, so I could very well be dead wrong about Kaep, but I have my doubts.
If I had to create a Tier 2A, it would consist of the top four: Cutler, Kaepernick, Romo and Rivers. Rivers just makes it in.
For Tier 4, I am not going to grade them out (it is a waste of time, trust me) but here are the names in no particular order: Ryan Tannehill; Andy Dalton; Geno Smith; EJ Manuel; Nick Foles; Matt Schaub; Carson Palmer; Sam Bradford; Josh Freeman.
To recap:
As I had written at the beginning of this article, this form of ranking quarterbacks was instituted because I grew to hate the word
However, the people I have asked have told me the top four quarterbacks in the NFL right now are Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers (and Luck/Wilson are the next men up). Look at the 6 requirements I outlined, every one of those top QBs pass the test. Hopefully, now when we analyze quarterbacks we stop throwing the word elite around and actually grade them based on the factors that have immense weight at that position.
By: Jinx Grand, VP of TheSportsCrave, host of JG Sports Talk.
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