NFL Playoffs: Worst to First, Ranking the 12 Quarterbacks Left Standing

In any number of ways, this past decade could rightfully be called the decade of the passer.

In 2009, this is especially true. Now, passing success has always been a large indicator of a team’s success, but it seems that having an elite quarterback is the hallmark of every playoff team still alive.

It seems a given that having an elite player at such a key position would be a fast track to the playoffs, but you could argue that the league’s best running back, cornerback, inside linebacker, defensive tackle, wide receiver and left tackle are all sitting home right now.

(For posterity’s sake that list would be Chris Johnson, Nnamdi Asamugha, Patrick Willis, Albert Haynesworth, Andre Johnson and Joe Thomas, in my humblest opinion, though Darrelle Revis is just as good as Asamugha)

Contrast that with the fact that the only elite quarterbacks not in the playoffs are Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger, and it’s obvious: the NFL is a quarterback-driven league.

With that, let’s rank the 2009 playoff quarterbacks from worst to first, based on their current level of play and what we can expect to see from them in the playoffs.

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For The Redskins To Succeed, Shanahan Must Create a Culture Of Winning

The unthinkable has happened here in Washington.

The Redskins have announced a coaching change.

Mike Shanahan was named the Redskins head coach after nearly a year of speculation that he would take the job.

I remember reading a Pro Football Talk post last spring that detailed Dan Snyder’s attraction to Mike Shanahan and how Snyder would land him in 2010.

This, of course, has happened. But has Snyder really planned anything else other than another giant splash that reverberates around the SportsCenter studio walls?

Shanahan’s hiring has managed to make headlines even though the Redskins have been non-entity in the NFL this year. And with good reason.

He’s a successful coach with two super bowl rings. He put together an incredible offensive line with Denver and made zone-blocking schemes relevant. Throw in the number of talented players he’s coached and drafted, and it’s obvious a lot of people are going to be excited.

However, there’s plenty wrong with this team, meaning Shanahan will have his work cut out for him. The roster may look like a disaster, but it mustn’t be the first thing Shanahan should look to when analyzing what ails this team.

The mentality of the Redskins isn’t a good one. The players admitted communication was poor in 2009. They also felt tension in the locker room. Certain players received preferential treatment, and there were no ground rules laid for the team as a whole.

These aren’t problems that will just blow away with the hiring of a new coach. It will be Shanahan’s job to ensure that the players are unified together as a team.

Where Jim Zorn failed in setting himself up as the undisputed leader of his football team, Shanahan must be firm. It’s one thing to be a player’s coach, it’s another to have the players coaching.

With Shanahan, gone are the days where Clinton Portis doesn’t attend practice; gone are the days when the team goes to the media with their sour grapes; gone are the days when the players are left to their own designs.

Or at least, we hope so.

Shanahan has to lay down the law not only for his players, but for his employer. If Snyder wants to win, he needs to let Shanahan coach his way. Snyder might feel the need to be buddies with Portis or Albert Haynesworth, but he’ll have to quash that desire and back off.

Everything Snyder has tried to do for this team has backfired. Now that he has a proven coach and a capable front office, it’s time for him to fade into the background.

Shanahan knows how to assemble a football team. He has an eye for talent, and has succeeded operating with several different offensive philosophies.

However, the personnel aspects of his duties are for another analytic article.

What I’m really writing about here is the Redskins’ heart.

And they don’t have one anymore.

Sure, certain players bring intensity and effort, but collectively as a team the Redskins don’t seem to care. Be it the huge paychecks, big egos, or poor leadership, the team lacks the drive to become a winner.

That mentality is contagious. You can’t get rid of that atmosphere overnight.

Change, like the switch from Zorn to Shanahan, is good. It can help jumpstart a team in the right direction. Yet it remains up to the leader of the team to establish the right mentality.

That’s step number one for Mike Shanahan. If he can’t accomplish it, all his efforts will fall upon a team unwilling to unite. He will have failed from the start.

And the Redskins will be no better than where they are right now.

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NFL Wild-Card Weekend: Packers Vs. Cardinals | Preview & Predictions

 

Wild-card Weekend

Green Bay Packers  vs. Arizona Cardinals  (-1 )            Current Over/Under 47

4:40 PM ET, January 10, 2010: U of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ on FOX

In the third rematch from a week ago, 11-5 Green Bay returns to the desert to take on 10-6 Arizona in a 4:40 P.M. start. The Packers come into this game as the #5 seed, clinching a spot two weeks ago with a win over Seattle, while the Cardinals are the #4 seed after clinching their second straight NFC West title with a win over Detroit in week 15.

In last week’s game both teams realized there was a very good chance that they would be facing each other in the first round, so you had no idea what to expect. Arizona pretty much folded up the tent early as QB Kurt Warner only saw limited action as did many of the other starters.Green Bay on the other hand decided to go full tilt for almost three quarters and the result was a 33-7 throttling of the Cardinals.

It is hard to say which team’s approach will pay off in this game, but one thing is certain; the Packers are playing at a high level and last week’s display at the very least has to put a bit of fear into their opponent’s hearts. Statistically, little can be taken from last week, but Packer QB Aaron Rodger’s performance was nothing short of perfect. He completed 21 of 26 attempts for 235 yards and one TD for a passer rating of 117.1

Green Bay heads into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league. After an embarrassing 38-28 loss to Tampa Bay in week nine, they went on to win seven of their final eight games, with their only loss coming against Pittsburgh on a last second TD. While their offense has averaged almost 31 points a game in this span, their defense has only given up an average of 14. Overall they are ranked sixth in total offense and Second in total defense.

The real heart and soul of this team has been Rodgers. Despite the fact he has been sacked a league high 50 times, he has shown the ability to take a hit in order to make the play. While he has thrown for over 4,400 yards he has also run for over 300, making him a legitimate threat with both his arm and his feet.

Arizona biggest concern heading into the playoffs is trying to figure out which team is going to show up on Sunday. They hope it is the one that completely dominated Minnesota in a 30-17 win back in week 13 and not the team that lost to San Francisco 24-9 the very next week. In last year’s dramatic playoff run that took them all the way to the Super Bowl their defense had as much to do with their success as their offense.If they are to have any chance to repeat this performance they are going to have to play much better than they have so far as they are giving up far too many yards on the ground and through the air.

Offensively they have QB Kurt Warner and WR’s Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin which is still enough to beat almost anyone. Rookie RB Beanie Wells provides some run support, but they are still going to try and beat you throwing the ball.

For Green Bay, it comes down to sticking to their game plan on both sides of the ball. They have an offense that can go point for point with Arizona if they have to and a defense that can easily prevent that from being the case. They need to continue to protect Rodgers as he has only been dropped two times in the last three games. If he has time in the pocket he should be able to pick Arizona’s 23^rd  ranked pass defense apart.

For Arizona, this game rests squarely on the shoulders of Warner. When he is in the zone there are few defenses that can stop him as he has the ability to get rid of the ball quickly and find the open man. Another key will be the health of Boldin, who is suffering from a sprained left ankle. They need him at full speed to keep Fitzgerald from getting double teamed. Defensively they need DT Darnell Dockett and the rest of the defensive line to put some kind of pressure on Rodgers to keep him from getting into any kind of rhythm.

Arizona had a magical run in last year’s playoffs, but that was a much more balanced team than this year’s version. Green Bay is playing as good as anyone and has a defense that matches up very well against the Cardinal’s strengths. I’m taking the Packers and the OVER .

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5 Potential Players the Giants Should Consider Drafting in The First Three Rounds

If there is one thing the New York Giants have done exceptionally well over the last few years, it’s been the draft. Since 2002, Ernie Accorsi, and now Jerry Reese, have drafted several players who have contributed right away and have been impact players in the NFL (Jeremy Shockey, Osi Umenyiora, Philip Rivers, Chris Snee, Corey Webster, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Smith, Kenny Phillips and Hakeem Nicks.) The Giants have a pick in each round, that’s seven picks. Any follower can expect the Giants to do some serious damage with those picks. Here are my thoughts on five potential picks that New York may make with the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. (Subject to change after NFL Combine).

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NFL Wild-Card Weekend: Ravens vs. Patriots

NFL Wild-card Weekend

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots (-3.5)       Current Over/Under 43

In the early game on Sunday, the 9-7 Baltimore Ravens will travel to Foxboro to play the 10-6 New England Patriots in a 1:00 p.m. start.

It took them to the final week of the regular season, but Baltimore was able to scratch and claw their way into the postseason by winning three out of their last four games to wind up earning the No. 6 seed.

New England had their share of ups and downs this season but they were also able to pull things together down the stretch winning three of four to capture the AFC East and lock up the No. 3 seed. These teams did meet earlier in the year with the Patriots coming away with a 27-21 win at home.

The Ravens head into the postseason after pounding out a 21-13 win over Oakland last week. Despite the fact that the Raiders had only won five games all year, they still gave them all they could handle doing their best to play spoiler two years in a row after knocking Tampa out of the playoffs in 2008.

Baltimore relied on a solid ground game racking up 240 rushing yards with Willis McGahee accounting for 167. Second-year QB Joe Flacco, who has struggled at times this year managed the game well completing 11-of-19 attempts. Overall, like many of the Ravens games the second half of this season it was not necessarily pretty, but effective.

New England came into the final week with the sole intention of staying healthy, as a win or loss had little bearing on their playoff position. Unfortunately that did not prove to be the case as their go-to receiver, as Wes Welker went down with a left knee injury early in the first quarter and is lost for the season. They went on to lose to Houston 34-27, but that pales in comparison to the loss of Welker.

Baltimore has been a hard team to figure out all season long. In their first seven games they scored over 30 points five times. In their last nine games they went over that total only twice; against Detroit and Chicago.

Their defense has remained solid, giving up an average of 16.3 points and 300.5 yards per game which is third best in the league, but Flacco’s overall inconsistency offensively have been part of the Ravens’ problems. He did throw for over 3,600 yards with a passer rating of 88, but it did not always translate to points on the board. The real strength of this offense is their running game led by Ray Rice. Rice ended up with 1339 rushing yards on 254 attempts for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. He also had 78 receptions for 702 yards to go over 2,000 yards from scrimmage for the year.

As Tom Brady goes, so does New England. After missing almost all last season with a knee injury, Brady got off to a slow start, but was still able to lead his team to six wins in their first eight games. After losses to Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Miami people began to question if they would even make the postseason, but in typical Brady fashion he rallied the team to another division title.

Statistically, this team is as good as any other in the playoffs. Their offense is ranked third overall, and their defense, which has bared much of the blame for a subpar season by their standards, is ranked fifth in points allowed.

For Baltimore, they need Rice to come up with his biggest game of the year in order to control the clock and minimize Brady’s time on the field. They are not going to beat the Patriots with Flacco having to throw the ball 30-40 times.

Defensively, they need to take Randy Moss out of the game as he is still a deep threat. Without Welker in the lineup, this could be the perfect time to force Brady to beat you with his arm as he will most likely struggle without his favorite target.

For New England, they need Moss to get open down-field and make a few big plays to put some quick points on the board. They will struggle to run against the Ravens, so Brady will have to be able to spread the ball around to which ever receivers are in the game. Keep an eye on rookie WR Julian Edelman as he could come up big in this one. Defensively, they have to contain Rice and keep him from tearing off any big runs. Their best bet is to try and rattle Flacco from the start to throw him off his game.

You cannot discount the loss of Welker to New England, but you also cannot discount the resolve of this team. They have been there before and know how to win these types of games. Baltimore will be able to keep this one close, but in the end it will not be enough. Take the Patriots and the UNDER.

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2010 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

The 2010 NFL Draft is still a while away, but it’s never too early to speculate!

 

1: St Louis Rams- Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska.  While it is true that St. Louis needs a quarterback badly, I think that Suh is too good of a player to pass up and is a presence that will instantly improve a teams defense. 

2: Detroit Lions- Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State.  The Lions didn’t do much last year to strengthen their offensive line, and Okung is a big man who can provide big help to an offense that struggles with moving the ball.

3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma.  Tampa Bay has one of the worst defenses in the NFL.  Gerald McCoy is second only to Suh in this draft and, while not as imposing as Suh, can still make himself heard on the field.

4: Cleveland Browns- Eric Berry, S, Tennessee.  The Browns are in the same boat as the Bucs in having a poor defense.  Their offense has picked up as of late and could be on their way to being decent on that front, but their D really needs work.

5: Kansas City Chiefs- Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland.  Kansas City has heavily invested in Matt Cassel and now they need to protect him.  Kansas City has allowed some of the most sacks in the league and Campbell could really help solidifying their O-line.

6: Washington Redskins- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma.  Despite having injury concerns, Bradford is still one of the best QB’s in the draft.  Washington has seen that Jason Campbell isn’t consistent enough to be the QB of the future, and Shanahan could mold Bradford into a champion.

7: Buffalo Bills- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame.  Buffalo is atrocious while passing the ball.  Starter Ryan Fitzpartrick only threw 9 touchdowns all season and any time that T.O. only has 5 TD catches in a season, you know there are problems.

8: Seattle Seahawks- Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers.  Seattle is very bad running the ball and an offensive line would be a good start to recovering.  Since Shaun Alexander, they haven’t had a prolific rusher. 

9: Denver Broncos (From Chicago)- Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama.  Denver is a better team starting 6-0, but they continue to fall off.  Orton is good enough to build around, at least for now, but their defense still needs work.  McClain is the best linebacker in the draft and should go to work immediately.

10: Oakland Raiders- Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma.  The Raiders are in flux on who their QB will be going forward.  The only thing that isn’t a question is that they need to protect whoever that QB might be.

11: San Fransisco 49ers- Joe Haden, CB, Florida.  The 49ers have two first round picks and Haden is too good of a talent to overlook this early.  Haden coming out early will make the 49ers happy come the 2010 season.

12: San Fransisco 49ers- Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa.  The 49ers also need an offensive lineman to help give Frank Gore a running lane.  Bulaga is a great run blocker and is proven to be effective.

13: Houston Texans- Earl Thomas, S, Texas.  Houston is on the verge of being a very good team, but they still need some secondary help.  Earl Thomas is a great lock down safety.

14: Tennessee Titans- Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida.  Tennessee is in the same boat as Houston, they have a lot of potential but have some holes.  Brandon Spikes is an absolute beast and will provide some balance on the defensive side.

15: Pittsburgh Steelers- Taylor Mays, S, USC.  With Troy Polamalu being injury prone as of late, the Steelers need a backup plan.  Mays is no Polamalu yet, but he is a solid backup and in time could work opposite of Polamalu.

16: New York Jets- Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech.  This is a great steal in the 16th pick.  Morgan is a terrific pass rusher and can run stop as well.  The Jets need some help pressuring the opposing QB’s and Morgan can definitely do that.

17: Atlanta Falcons- Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State.  The Falcons have some problems in the secondary and Robinson is one of the best CB’s in this years class.

18: Miami Dolphins- Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama.  Terrance Cody isn’t the best athlete in this draft but his shear size and magnitude make him an amazing run stopper.

19: Baltimore Ravens- Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas.  Ray Lewis is getting up there in age and now is a good time to start prepping the next batch of line backers to take his spot. 

20: New York Giants- Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina.  New York has some holes in their defense, especially stopping the run.  Carter is a fast linebacker and could fill some holes on the corner.

21: Jacksonville Jaguars- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State.  Some people think Tebow will be Jacksonville’s pick at this spot, but I think that he is a second rounder.  Dez Bryant is a very good WR and the Jaguars need some potency on offense.

22: New England Patriots- C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson.  It’s a wonder that Spiller fell this far in my draft but no one really needs a running game as a top priority.  He is a very versatile player and the Patriots could use some mobility in the backfield.

23: Green Bay Packers- Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama.  This is my surprise pick in this mock draft.  The Packers have an aging secondary and Javier Arenas is a sleeper at the CB position.  He is very athletic and has good speed.

24: Philadelphia Eagles- Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn State.  The Eagles need some help at linebacker and Bowman is one of the best athletes in this years class.  He is also a good run stopper, which the Eagles have struggled against as of late.

25: Dallas Cowboys- Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson.  Dallas has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.  Their pass rush is good but could still use some work.  Sapp is fast off the edges and could be a solid player down the road.

26: Seattle Seahawks (From Denver)-Colt McCoy, QB, Texas.  Hasselbeck is getting old and McCoy could probably have 2 seasons to sit behind Hasselbeck to learn the pro game.  In the end, this is a very good pick for the Seahawks.

27: Arizona Cardinals- Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma.  Gresham is a true specimen at the TE spot.  He is a great receiving tight end, though his blocking could use some work.  In a throw first offense, expect Jermaine to be an instant weapon.

28: Cincinnati Bengals- Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame.  With the tragic loss of Chris Henry, the Bengals need a playmaker to accompany Chad Ochocinco.  Golden Tate is small, but fast.  He could be a great replacement for Henry.

29: Indianapolis Colts- Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse.  The Colts are about as solid as can be.  They could use some help on the defensive line and Jones could be a solid starter in the next couple of years.

30: New Orleans Saints- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida.  The Saints will fall flat in the NFC Championship and their defense will be to blame.  It’s no secret how good their offense is, but their D gives up too many points.  Pierre-Paul is a good pass rusher and could help them out.

31: San Diego Chargers- Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida.  The Chargers could use some help stopping the run and Dunlap is a good run stopper.  His size and speed make him good off the edge too.

32: Minnesota Vikings- Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan.  This is another surprise pick.  Dan LeFevour is simply a winner.  He has set numerous NCAA records and has an amazing arm.  The Vikings will need a replacement for Favre and someone to compete with Jackson for the starting role.

Well there it is.  These are my picks for the draft.  Leave your thoughts, suggestions and opinions.  Thank you for reading!

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Mike Tomlin Keeps Bruce Arians On As Pittsburghs Offensive Coordinator

It has been reported since yesterday that Mike Tomlin fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

It supposedly happened after his weekly news conference…sometime after 2p.m. on the 5th of January. It had not been confirmed and remained unofficial.

I even read an article on this very site… and my hopes were high.

As unfortunate as it is to say, new reports state that it is not the case.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette writer Gerry Dulac has reported that Bruce Arians will be retained as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Arians, who has a year remaining on his contract, had a long meeting today with Coach Mike Tomlin and was told he will return in that position in 2010.

 

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Why Was Bruce Arians Not Fired? Ben Roethlisberger.

It started yesterday on ESPN 1250. The report was that Bruce Arians has been fired—according to the host, Ken Laird. 

Laird basically said, on the radio, “This is not something that I am reporting based on any information from a source I don’t totally trust. I would not risk my reputation reporting this if I did not believe that it was entirely true.” (not an exact quote.)

Laird was SO sure of it, it was like the man had told him himself. Maybe he did.

Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsider.com reports, via Twitter, that Arians leaked word of an impending pink slip to Laird.

So, let me get this straight. Arians thought he was getting fired, and he didn’t?

Can someone PLEASE tell me, who is running the show in Pittsburgh?

Save the headaches looking into it. Regardless of any speculation anyone may hear, I am going to tell you right now who is in charge of the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger.

Here is why.

Kevin Colbert? Let’s be honest, Colbert is the paper pusher. I will give Colbert FULL CREDIT for his drafting ability.

He does a wonderful job at keeping the players the Steelers need to have, and letting go of the ones that are on the down slide of their career, but he is not making the decisions.

Remember when Roethlisberger wanted a tall receiver?  Second round of the next draft, Limas Sweed. Coincidence?

Mike Tomlin? Hand picked by Ben Roethlisberger. Don’t believe me?

Originally, there is not one person that thought Ken Whisenhunt was not going to be the coach of the Steelers. Why didn’t he get the job? Remember, he was at odds with Big Ben, and if Ben didn’t want him, he was not going to be there.

Then it was going to Russ Grimm. There were reports that Grimm had already agreed to a contract. Grimm, a run-first offensive lineman, and now offensive line coach, was not going to put the ball in Bens hand and throw as often as we do now.

Oh, but Tomlin had to be interviewed for the Rooney Rule? Wrong. The Steelers had already interviewed Ron Rivera, the defensive coordinator of the Bears.

Ben went to the Rooney family and said that they needed a young coach, one that would transform this Steelers team into a pass-first team. Bring in a defensive coach, and promote his boy to offensive coordinator.

Don’t think that is why Arians was kept? I can hear the conversations when Ken Whisenhunt was OC.

“Ben, If I was the offensive coordinator, we would throw the ball on every play.”

Still don’t believe me? What about this…

Remember the concussion issue? Ben was medically cleared the day before the Ravens game to play. When he complained about the head aches, the doctor WOULD NOT CLEAR HIM TO PLAY!

That means that HE IS NOT PERMITTED TO EVEN DRESS!

Why did Ben dress for the Ravens game? Does Ben tell the Doctors what to do as well?

Ben has built this team to what it is, but you know what, I am 100-percent OK with it.

Here is how it happened. After taking the Steelers to the AFC Championship in his rookie season, Ben promised that he would take the Steelers to, and win, the Super Bowl. He delivered.

The first Super Bowl for the Steelers in ALMOST 30 years. A town like Pittsburgh NEEDED another Super Bowl. Steeler Nation, the most loyal fan base in the world (FOR ANY SPORT) deserved to once again say their team was the best. Ben PROMISED he would do it, AND DID!

The Rooney family knows what they have. They are who they are, and they do what they do. They have never changed it for anyone.

The Steelers are a run-first, smash mouth football team. Always have been.

NOT ANY MORE!!!

Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have what they have not had since Terry Bradshaw. A TRUE Franchise QB. One of the best to ever play for the Steelers. Roethlisberger has already set most of the Steelers QB records, and the ones he has not yet, he will.

After winning the Super Bowl, Ben was on Pardon the Interruption. Michael Wilbon asked Ben what his goal was in the NFL. Ben said he wanted to win three more Super Bowls.

He wants to have five—one more than Terry Bradshaw.The only record Steelers fans thought would never be broken, and Ben said he wants it. Are you going to bet against him?

Ben decided that Arians needs to stay, and the Rooney Family listened. Kevin Colbert could not change it. Mike Tomlin could not change it. It is what it is. Ben Roethlisberger is the man in charge of the Steelers, like it or not.

 

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Who Will Win The NFL MVP Award? Peyton Manning Appears Most Deserving

It is without question the greatest honor an individual player can earn in the National Football League.

It is the Associated Press’ NFL league MVP award and it is given to the absolute best player the NFL has to offer.

Or at least, that is the intent.

No, it’s not the top goal of these NFL stars to win this MVP award, but winning it can often be more reflective of an individual’s contributions than any other accolade the NFL has to offer.

Right now, the NFL’s finest teams are preparing for the post-season and their goal is to win the Super Bowl.

But more often than not, the best player in the NFL does not happen to play for the best team.

It’s a sad reality that many people fail to come to grips with because they desire so much for that best player to be paired with the best team.

How poetic.

It is the reason why we have seen less productive players pushed beyond their capacity for actual performance on the field into the realm of beloved heroism for exploits achieved by their entire team (as a whole) while they themselves continue to contribute less than should be expected for aforementioned praise they receive.

Right now, I’m talking league MVP’s.

I’m talking about players who at an individual level, contribute more to their team’s chances of winning than anyone else in the National Football League.

This year, we have a number of qualified candidates but none more deserving than the most productive player in the 90-year history of the sport.

Peyton Manning.

We’re talking about a man who, despite the loss of a future Hall of Fame head coach, the loss of a starting wide receiver, and backed by the worst rushing support in the entire league, managed to perform at a level above and beyond what he contributed on the football field during times far more favorable.

We’re talking about a guy who helped lead his team to an undefeated record.

No, that’s not a typo.

Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts went 14-0 while Curtis Painter’s Indianapolis Colts went 0-2.

Or perhaps you are of the belief that the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills were simply better teams than the Colts.

I’m not concerned with the perception of reality.

I value reality itself.

You often hear people saying that “most people believe that…” and that is exactly what I’m disregarding.

False perceptions of reality.

But lets talk about this year’s MVP award.

The goal of each player might be to win the Super Bowl, but the best player from an individual standpoint is honored with an award that is reflective of 80-percent-plus of an entire season, not simply its conclusion.

For the same reason that Tom Brady was better than Eli Manning in 2007 and for the same reason that Peyton Manning was better than Ben Roethlisberger in 2008, this year’s MVP (should) represent the best player the NFL has to offer regardless of what happens from this point forward.

League MVP’s who happen to win championships during the same season are a rare breed, and ones that should be valued beyond measure.

Peyton Manning will have the chance to do that this season, as will the runners-up to the MVP award.

While the award has yet to be announced, I imagine that Manning will capture the votes necessary to pull away with the honor, despite the number of candidates who might take some votes away from him.

Drew Brees and Brett Favre come to mind for me, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Philip Rivers gets a few more votes that he deserves.

Rivers has had an impressive season, but I feel the “high” journalists have been on lieu of the Chargers 11-game winning streak might push Rivers to the top of some voters’ lists.

The issue I have here is the one that is bound to be overlooked.

As I see it, the MVP award is given to the best player in the NFL over the course of the entire regular season.

A great performance in week 16 is no more or less valuable than a great performance on opening weekend.

Had the Chargers began their winning streak early but lost three games towards the end of the season, Rivers wouldn’t even be in this discussion.

It’s the very reason why Drew Brees will not get the recognition he deserves.

By contrast, if the Colts started off 0-2 and won their next 14, this MVP race wouldn’t even be up for debate.

The point being, voters should not get consumed with what has happened more recently because the league MVP award is not about the finish, it’s about the entire season as a whole.

Then we have Chris Johnson.

A player who has certainly had an MVP-caliber season from a running-back’s perspective.

But that just so happens to be the problem; no matter how unfair it might seem.

I don’t hold the Titans’ 8-8 record against Johnson one bit.

It is not as though his NFL record 2,509 total yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns weren’t enough to give his Titans the best opportunity to win.

Football, being the team sport that it is, requires far more than the performance of one MVP-caliber player to get them as far as they’d like to go.

In Johnson’s case, I hold the fact that he is a running-back against him (only) as it pertains to this year’s MVP race.

Quarterbacks might often receive the lion’s share of the recognition, but no player on the field has the opportunity to contribute as much to their team’s chances of winning.

Johnson ran for 2,006 yards, but Matt Shaub threw for 4,770.

Johnson scored 16 total touchdowns, yet Drew Brees threw for 34.

It’s simply the nature of the position and for the same reason that no defensive player will have any reasonable shot at winning the MVP despite how well they may play at their given position, Chris Johnson will not win the MVP award either.

Which brings me to Peyton Manning.

He finished second in the NFL is passing (4,500), second in touchdown passes (33), second in completion percentage (68.8), and sixth in quarterback rating (99.9).

Statistically, Drew Brees seems to be the logical selection.

He led the league in touchdown passes (34) and quarterback rating (109.6) while setting an NFL record with a completion percentage of 70.6.

The fact that his Saints dropped their final three games (two of which Brees was active for) will likely be held against him.

Their final loss of the season had nothing to do with Brees but that might not be relevant to a number of voter who simply remember the 0-3 finish.

His back-ups losing instead of winning is bound to have some impact on Brees’ chances regardless of the lack of logic.

As I said before, it doesn’t make a difference whether the losing games (or bad games) came at the beginning or end of the season because this is not the MVP of December award.

In this case, it’s more a matter of how impressive Manning has been than it is a matter of Brees not being impressive enough.

Manning’s Colts ranked 32nd in the NFL (dead last) in rushing compared to the Saints who ranked sixth.

That is a monumental difference in terms of support.

When your running-game becomes non-existent, it forces your quarterback to play under far more pressure because defenses know that they need to throw the football to have any reasonable chance of winning.

Yet despite being backed by the league’s least productive rushing-attack, Manning was able to become the most productive quarterback in the league.

Had he been given the opportunity to play the entire season (even if Brees played his final game), it would be fair to assume that Manning would have led the league in both passing yards and touchdowns.

His cameo appearances in the Colts final two games skew his per-game averages to the point in which they are not logically applicable to the discussion.

The trade-off between Manning and Brees comes down to interceptions (Manning’s 16 to Brees’ 11) but those figures were severely impacted by level of rushing support.

Defenses that played the Saints feared both the pass and the run.

When defenses played the Colts, it became all about protecting against the pass and that leads to interceptions.

Just ask Drew Brees.

He threw 17 interceptions in 2008 while being backed by a rushing attack far more productive than the Colts had this year.

What makes Manning’s 2009 season all the more impressive is who he has been throwing to.

People will be quick to say that he had Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and they’d be right regarding Wayne.

But with Clark, we’re talking about a player who averaged 43 reception for 513 yards and five touchdowns per-season prior to this year.

Yet people talk about it as though he has been a Pro Bowl caliber receiver.

Manning was paired with one such target (Reggie Wayne) and a tight end who has only recently developed into an exceptionally productive target.

Manning lost his starting receiver in Anthony Gonzalez yet still managed to turn two late-round draft picks (Pierre Garcon & Austin Collie) into productive targets.

Over the course of doing so, he led the Colts to an undefeated record.

I’d mention Manning’s NFL-record seven fourth quarter comebacks but something makes me hesitant to do so.

The Colts should have played better during the first three quarters of those games, and while while I don’t put too much stock in the heroics of these “clutch” moments, they should be recognized because the Colts wouldn’t have likely been in those kinds of situations if it wasn’t for an atrocious running-game to begin with, yet Manning still managed to prevent his team from losing each and every week.

Remove Brees, Favre, and Rivers from their clubs and I’d imagine they’d still be winning teams.

Not nearly the same threats mind you, but good teams loaded with talent never the less.

Take Peyton Manning away from the Colts and…well…we see the Colts of weeks 16 and 17.

Think about this for a moment.

The Colts had seven fourth quarter comebacks in 2009.

Remove Manning from the team and do you honestly think they would have had an opportunity to win any of those seven games?

That’s provided that Jim Sorgi or Curtis Painter produced at Manning’s level for the first three quarters of all those games (which clearly isn’t logical).

You can then add another seven “L’s” to accompany the two that Curtis Painter’s Colts earned.

That brings the Colts to a 7-9 record under the absolute best of circumstances.

There is simply no player as valuable to his team as Manning is to the Colts.

You cannot ignore his knowledge of the playbook, his mastery of the audible, his desire to work with the younger talent to help them develop, none of these things you get to nearly to the same extent with another quarterback under center in Indianapolis.

The fact that he managed to still be so productive and remain undefeated while being backed by horrendous rushing support and a very young receiving corps speaks volumes.

That to me, more than warrants an NFL-record fourth league MVP award.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Donovan McNabb Vs Tony Romo: Who Is More Prepared For The Postseason?

Before anyone begins to get too in-depth with this article, I’m going to throw a word out there for everyone to remember whilst reading it.  Choke.

Yes, choke, the term that everyone is so fond of using nowadays, can pretty much sum up these two guys careers in a nutshell.

So let’s start with Tony.  A career that has had it’s high points and it’s low points, Tony Romo is still considered one of the premiere quarterbacks of today.  When it comes to the playoffs though, well I can’t really say the same thing.

2006, the Cowboys were one of the teams to beat.  With Romo already the holder of the NFL’s ‘Galloping Gobbler’ award, Romo and the Cowboys had secured a playoff spot.

Matched up with the Seattle Seahawks in the first round, the Cowboys were down 21-20 late in the 4th quarter.  Anyone who doesn’t remember what happened next isn’t a true football fan.  With a bobbled snap and an attempted run toward the end zone, the Cowboys once again lost a playoff game.

With that being one of the Cowboys, and Romo’s biggest chokes in his career, where does that leave Donovan McNabb?

Well this rewind is a little more recent.

After an impressive playoff run in the 2008 season, the Eagles made an impressive march toward the NFC Championship Game.  Most people were confident that the Eagles could pull off the victory.  After all, McNabb had been playing well, Westbrook had been rushing well and Brian Dawkins and the Eagles defense was red hot.  Therefore, most people expected to see the same form come the last game before the Super Bowl.

Wrong.

McNabb had actually played quite well in the game.  With 375 yards on 47 attempts and three touchdowns to only one interception, it was hard to calculate mathematically how the Eagles had only scored 6 points in the first half.

The second half was much the same from McNabb.  Great stats posted, but at the end the Arizona Cardinals came out victors with a convincing 35-25 win.  McNabb was then criticised for weeks to come.  Apparent accuracy problems were the blame of the Eagles loss to the Cardinals.  Although the defense was at fault as well.

With all this in the past though, where does it leave our two quarterbacks heading into next weeks fixture?

Some people will call it a ‘Choker v Choker’ match.  I prefer to call it a battle of two quarterbacks that are willing to take risks.

Tony Romo had had a great December.  With a win over New Orleans to start it all, he is coming into this game with a passer rating of 97.6.  A win already under his belt against the Eagles last week leaves him with the confidence that he so surely needs heading back to Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.

Donovan McNabb isn’t to be taken lightly either.  With a lower passer rating of 92.9, McNabb’s numbers are all lower than Romo’s on his 2009 season.  One thing he does have in his favor though is coaching.  Andy Reid isn’t going to let last week’s loss effect his side going into Saturday’s match up, and he sure as hell isn’t going to let it effect his quarterback.

Out of the two though, the edge would have to go to Tony Romo.  Only nine interceptions on the season and twenty six touchdowns, gives him the edge stats wise. 

Ranked third in passing yards behind Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub, Tony Romo also has his go to guy, and roommate Miles Austin to rely on.  With this week ahead, you can guarantee that the two have read the playbook top to bottom while in their hotel room.

Home field advantage also plays into Romo’s hands, especially since he doesn’t have a certain girl dressed in a pink number 9 jersey to distract him this year.  Instead his head is in the game, and for once, out of the media.

With all these positives working in Romo’s favor, expect him to have a big game.  Risks will payoff in this one, especially since Miles Austin is red hot. 

One thing Romo must avoid though is not taking enough risks.  In a forth and short situation, I think it is important for them to go for it early.  Gain even more confidence, and not settle for field goals.

If it doesn’t work early though, change it.  A good mixture of run and pass can win the game for either team.  Both have the ability at the running back position, and at the quarterback position.

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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