NFL.com Ranks Cam as 12th Best QB

[Proudiddy]

Sounds pretty good right? 

 

Until you see that Luck, RG3, Russell Wilson, and Kaepernick are all ranked ahead of him...

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000200131/article/ranking-the-nfl-quarterbacks

 

Furthermore, the criteria doesn't seem to be very clear.  All the rookie/sophs above Cam are given all the credit for winning seasons last year, which seems to have been the deciding factor in ranking them ahead of Cam, despite the author acknowledging Cam's unmatched abilities.

 

I truly hope we kill it this year and shut all the "he isn't a winner" critics up.

 

Last week, my Around The League colleague Dan Hanzus unveiled his list of the NFL's top running backs.

That Herculean effort was met with a swirl of wonder, agitation and pressing questions, so, naturally, we're back for more.

This week, I humbly offer you my compilation of the NFL's top quarterbacks.

The ground rules are simple: Taking rookies out of the mix, I ranked signal-callers from top to bottom based on how I believe they'll perform in 2013.

I am prepared to be pistol-whipped by readers, coworkers, friends and family.

Off we travel:

 

 

Three kings

1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tom Brady

Age to age, these men deliver. What Rodgers has accomplished since his Super Bowl-winning season of 2010 is even more impressive when you factor in the lack of a potent ground game and often subpar protection. I was among those who thought a neck-surgery-addled Manning wouldn't be the same guy. Instead, he was better, and he'll do it again in 2013. As for Brady, I won't be surprised when documents unearthed in 2077 reveal that Tom was, in fact, a robot patched together by a team of frustrated Foxborough-area scientists. His mission: To wreak havoc forever on the AFC East and merge with a dangerously attractive female humanoid.

 

 

Franchise gold

4. Drew Brees
5. Ben Roethlisberger
6. Matt Ryan
7. Eli Manning

Roethlisberger, in my eyes, is the toughest quarterback in all of football. Eli comes off a down year, but I'm done doubting him. Brees is a flat-out executioner. With five Lombardis between them, these three have proven they can go the distance. Ryan hasn't, but he's coming off a monster season and sits out there as legitimate MVP material. It's no coincidence that the coaches teamed with these passers -- Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Mike Smith and Tom Coughlin -- are in zero danger of losing their jobs.

 

 

The future, Part I

8. Andrew Luck
9. Robert Griffin III

Luck took a beating last season behind Indy's patchwork line, but he kept getting back up. In that sense, he reminds me of Roethlisberger. He might ultimately be the finest of the 2012 class. In Washington, I'm assuming RG3's knee regains full strength and allows him to spin his magic all over again. It's easy to get lost in Griffin's abilities on the ground, but his pocket presence, decision-making and crisp mechanics make him a top-10 passer.

 

 

The future, Part II

10. Colin Kaepernick
11. Russell Wilson
12. Cam Newton

Gregg Rosenthal informs me that I've given too much love to the newbies. I disagree. Last year's rookies -- and the schemes they operated -- altered the game. Wilson is a thing of beauty: technically clean, a fiery leader, never cowed by the moment. Kaepernick won me over during that chaotic first half of the NFC title game. He never panicked. Nothing about either player tells me they'll regress. Newton -- entering a huge year three -- sits at No. 12 because his physical tools are insane. So much pure ability. Cam can chart his fate, for better or worse.

 

 

Solid dudes

13. Joe Flacco
14. Tony Romo
15. Matthew Stafford
16. Jay Cutler

Citizens of Baltimore: Hear me out. Admittedly, Flacco's place on this list haunts me. His work in the playoffs was otherworldly. I might eat raven on this one, but I can't wait to see where Flacco goes in 2013. I also struggled placing Romo this low, but how much higher should he be? I don't blame Romo for the mess in Dallas, but he isn't saving the day, either. Stafford is still too inconsistent. And quick: List five truly memorable performances by Cutler. A tough group to grade.

 

 

Critical seasons ahead

17. Philip Rivers
18. Alex Smith
19. Ryan Tannehill

Rivers is an aging but tough-as-nails quarterback. Still, I'm not certain he's even on the Chargers in 2014 if he doesn't rebound from back-to-back down seasons. Smith's work in San Francisco was underrated. His handling of the situation was even more impressive. Tannehill, in his second season, will shoot up this list if he clicks with Miami's new toys.

 

 

Trick or treat

20. Matt Schaub
21. Sam Bradford
22. Andy Dalton

There's hope for this group, because this tier is where Flacco lived a year ago. Still, Schaub and Dalton -- playoff quarterbacks both -- leave me wanting. Dameshek has a growing man-crush on the Glowing Ginger Man, but I don't see it. Schaub concerns me, too. In summary: two big bowls of vanilla ice cream. Down in St. Louis, the Rams have paid Bradford $50 million guaranteed, and it's still unclear if he's the right guy. All three quarterbacks are surrounded by talent. Time to make it happen.

 

 

Stopgaps

23. Michael Vick
24. Carson Palmer

In theory, Vick gives coach Chip Kelly a quarterback who can run his up-tempo offense. In reality, does anyone trust Vick to stay on two feet past September? People talk about Palmer's big numbers in Oakland, but the Raiders eternally played from 20 points down during his run. Carson's not the future for the Cardinals -- or any team.

 

 

How can I trust you?

25. Josh Freeman
26. Christian Ponder
27. Jake Locker
28. Nick Foles
29. Kevin Kolb
30. Matt Hasselbeck

Ponder has been wonderful as an 'Adrian Peterson Handoff Machine 1.0,' but we need to see him take over games. Kolb can't go a fortnight without breaking a body part, and we're still waiting for Locker to exit the starting gate. Foles showed promise last season, but he's mired in a jam-packed quarterback room. In Indy, that song you hear? It's the closing credits on Hasselbeck's proud career. Of the group, it's Freeman who intrigues me most. He caught fire last season, before falling to pieces. As it stands, he's a candidate to lose his job in 2013.

 

 

JAG

31. Matt Cassel
32. Ryan Fitzpatrick
33. Brandon Weeden
34. Blaine Gabbert
35. Mark Sanchez

We're back with this Hanzus-inspired category: JAG, as in, just another guy. These are gentlemen on the fringe of a promising career at CVS. Apologies, Jets fans, but I don't have a problem ranking Sanchez this low. He's been a statistical train wreck ever since Gang Green abandoned the ground and pound. ESPN's Chris Mortensen this week spoke with league sources who insist Sanchez "is not throwing the ball as well as he was as a rookie." I'd argue that if Sanchez and Blaine Gabbert were both available, just as many clubs would take a chance on Gabbert, thinking they could fix him. Sanchez needs a full reboot. Weeden might fight his way out of this group if he takes off under Rob Chudzinski. If he doesn't, he'll be looking for work.

[Vampire the buffet slayer]

Its called search bro.

[Jakob]

Nothing like a good ol repost.

[Taro ∆]

Rookie mistake.

[Proudiddy]

Haha, Repost Police! Take that!

[TheRumGone]

Taro is Alt J

[RelaxImaPro]

I know this goes without saying, especially this much later, but... I'm so fuging glad we didn't draft Blaine Gabbert.

[KendrickPanther]

I bet if you search the posting history of some of these people, the only thing they post is criticism of other posters. Just discuss the topic or move along.

 

Yeah Kaep, Luck, Wilson, and RG3 are ahead of Cam because they are "winners". But apparently actually winning the Super Bowl doesn't matter because Flacco has made the playoffs EVERY season he's been in the NFL. He just won the Super Bowl yet he is grouped behind the winners. Behind Matt Freaking Ryan. This is the problem with internet lists. They aren't about logic. They are about pissing people off so they get on a message board and link the article.

[Guest]

I bet if you search the posting history of some of these people, the only thing they post is criticism of other posters. Just discuss the topic or move along.

Yeah Kaep, Luck, Wilson, and RG3 are ahead of Cam because they are "winners". But apparently actually winning the Super Bowl doesn't matter because Flacco has made the playoffs EVERY season he's been in the NFL. He just won the Super Bowl yet he is grouped behind the winners. Behind Matt Freaking Ryan. This is the problem with internet lists. They aren't about logic. They are about pissing people off so they get on a message board and link the article.

Flacco has also won at least one play off game in each post season. So while I appreciate that his regular season stats are not as stellar as some, the guy is a proven winner. He should be further up.

Two more questionable decisions are placing Tannehill ahead of Schaub and Dalton. Schaub has led the Texans to division titles and done very well with them. And Dalton has led the Bengals go the play offs in his first two years and put up decent stats as well. For me both should rank above Tannehill.

As for Cam I think twelve is fair, he's certainly amongst the top half of starting QBs and has the potential to be at least top ten.

[Happy Panther]

RGII and Wilson should be up there. RGIII had 20 TDs to 5 INTs and a passer rating over 100. Wilson was similar.

 

Those are top 5 QB stats over and above playoff appearances.

[Kakarot]

I don't mind the 12th ranking; in fact, I think if I had to rank him, he'd be in the 9-12 range.  There's no way in hell Luck should be ahead of him, though.  Cam has never had a stretch of games where he completed below 50%; atleast not like Luck has had.  Plus, Luck was a turnover machine.  You never hear about his turnovers, though.  All last offseason, we had to hear how Cam needed to cut down on his turnovers.

[FootballMaestro]

I don't mind the 12th ranking; in fact, I think if I had to rank him, he'd be in the 9-12 range.  There's no way in hell Luck should be ahead of him, though.  Cam has never had a stretch of games where he completed below 50%; atleast not like Luck has had.  Plus, Luck was a turnover machine.  You never hear about his turnovers, though.  All last offseason, we had to hear how Cam needed to cut down on his turnovers.

 

Good point.

 

No one also points out, that Luck's defense; no matter how poorly they played--up until that point,  managed to hold on to his fourth quarter leads (that Luck got credit for as game winning/4th quarter drives). They held on to six of them, giving Luck "6 game winning, 4th qtr drives". On the contrary: Cam's team/defense blew most of his leads (only speaking about the defense here guys; not Cam), that he would have got credit for as game winning/4th quarter drives, no matter how well they were playing up until that point.

 

Luck was also immensely fortunate, that many of his late game INT's weren't game crippling drives, as the Colts defense, once again showed resourcefulness when it counted (late in the game, 4th quarter; even following Luck/offensive turnovers), despite the Colts defense poor play/numbers during the game preceding it. The Panther D, could learn something about that from them. 

 

Yes, Luck was incredibly Lucky (Pun intended/unintended), while Cam and the Panthers were the total opposite.

 

Of course, the Colts terrible schedule contributed immensely as well, to their win total. 

 

And of course, most of this rarely gets discussed. Cause despite NFL League Pass and Red Zone, most reporters (due to their unimpressive knowledge and analysis of either) have not appeared to see Cam or Luck play much. SMH; a shame.

[Peppers90 NC]

i think most of us believes he is top 10, but you won't find many nationalists to agree until he(we) start having a winning season

[FootballMaestro]

I also find it ironic, that the Author, Greg Rosenthal doesn't think he gave Luck, Wilson and RG3 TOO much credit (and him, or some other reporter had said 'he doesn't think they'll have a sophomore slump'), when a few things are quite clear:

 

1) RG3 played in a short, quick throw gimmick offense, with a very strong run game, and is coming off a Knee operation--due to his running/playing style, and lack of size. Hmmmh. 

 

2) Andrew Luck was incredibly (ahem, pardon the pun) Lucky, surviving numerous late game interceptions, as his defense held--late when it counted, despite previous poor play through out. They secured him his six game winning/4th Qtr drives. Is he going to be this Luck-y this season? He could be in a for a big fall?

 

3) Russel Wilson relied strongly on his defense and running game, especially early in the season. And who's to say that Pete Carroll and the Seahawks will live up to expectations in 2013 as a contending coach and team? That remains to be seen. We all know how quickly, the sands shift in the NFL, especially with playoff teams year to year. 

 

4) Colin Kaepernick, has only played 9 or 10 NFL games, and it's clear (like RG3) the goal is to get the ball out of his hands quickly (or fool the defense for a wide open receiver downfield), cause his pocket presence is highly questionable. He gets happy feet, and doesn't appear composed when he has too much time to throw, making multiple reads. The jury's still out. He's a potential talent though;  fortunate to have a good QB HC--in Harbaugh on his side. 

 

Say what you want about Cam. But along with Luck, and Tannenhill, none of the successful  young QB's who have entered the league the past 2 years, have had the total responsibility from day one as Newton. No Sir-eee! None of those guys have played more than one full season in the NFL (Kaepernick and RG3--less), to boot, as well. 

 

RG3, Kaepernick, and even Wilsons stats, are largely a result of the systems they play in. Hey, give their HC, OC's and running backs credit! Nonetheless, you can't directly compare Cam's completion %, QB rating or team wins to RG3, Kaepernick, or even Wilson. It's a different ball of wax. 

 

Most importantly, Cam has been the most successful (if you look at his first two seasons, individually), despite all the responsibility being thrust on him (I.e., how would any of those guys performed on the Panthers last year or his Rookie season)? And despite the Panthers unimpressive record; any observer who watches the Panthers notices a few things:

 

1) Cam Newton leaps out of the television screen. His presence is omnipotent. I.e., everything the Panthers (and even defense) do, runs through this--mostly composed physical specimen. Unlike the others, Cam just Carries the load. 

2) Despite the Panthers record, they're in most games, and could have a 9, 10, 11 win season with some better fortune (or coaching/Play Calling; yeah I said it-Lol)...... Cam makes the Panthers compete or contend. 

3) Cam has excellent pocket presence (especially his rookie season, and 2nd half of 2012), especially with time to throw. Except for Wilson; none of the other Rookies/New Guys pocket presence has impressed me. This doesn't get discussed enough. And RG3, Kaepernick (and even the more polished Wilson) benefit heavily from strong run games, along with The Redskins Gimmick Offense and The 49ers Pistol. 

4) Despite his size and speed: Cam is a very instinctive, elusive runner, with great vision and decision making. The other guys just run straight ahead with speed (RG3 and Kaepernick), Run to fall down (Luck), or can actually run (Wilson), but aren't really big enough--like Wilson, RG3 and Kaepernick. Cam's running smarts and elusiveness has not been credited enough. 

5) The offensive line was like Velcro, with defenders seemingly all over them or Cam, at the snap, all too often. 

6) The Panthers coaching (Offensive, Defense and Head Coaching) left something to be desired in 2012, even 2011.  

 

Due to these factors, of the other Rookie/Young QB's, I don't know how any reporter could really believe (unless they're just clueless, reporting stuff they don't know, haven't seen) that Luck, Wilson, RG3 or Kaepernick, are almost locks to duplicate their 2012 success. So much has to go right for them again. I say, it remains to be seen/We'll see?

 

Do most of these reporters and broadcasters (as opposed to scouts or real football junkies) actually watch these players play?

 

I say no!