Archive for August, 2009

Top Five Clutch NFL Quarterbacks

We can safely assume Joe Montana is at the top of this list, if not the easy-call to be the best clutch performer to ever hit an NFL field.

But, as periods change and times goes on, people lose their sight on relevance, and it begins to get increasingly more difficult to truly compare people.

This rings especially true for quarterbacks, as they are often lifted up or held down by their offensive systems, good or bad defenses, and their supporting casts.

Stats don’t always tell the whole story either, but sometimes that’s really all we have to go by. That is, unless you were there for some of those heroic moments delivered by the Fran Tarkenton’s, Terry Bradshaw’s, John Elway’s, and even Brett Favre.

But let’s keep it relevant, at least, as much as possible.

With Favre still retired, here’s a look at the top five active quarterbacks who you’d want running your two-minute drill, throwing that last pass, and ultimately leading your team into every game.

Look for the usuals to make the list, but especially keep your eye out for a surprise or two.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks)

Hasselbeck has registered 57 wins as a starter in the regular season, and played a big hand in bringing the once lowly Seattle Seahawks to a competitive level.

In eight seasons as the starter, Hasselbeck as racked up over 23,000 passing yards, 145 touchdowns, and has led Seattle to four postseason trips, including a Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005.

Other Notable Semi-Clutch Passers

Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers)

Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Delhomme has been to a Super Bowl and the playoffs several times, Rivers hasn’t won much, but is a clutch performer, and Brees is a great performer with a trip to the NFC Championship and three career postseason trips under his belt.

5. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles)

Despite nagging injuries and not always having elite receiving weapons (save for one good year of T.O.) McNabb has had to make a lot out of nothing, and much too often.

Sure, he’s almost always had Brian Westbrook, a stout offensive line, and a supportive defense, but he’s still won more games by himself than he has by leaning on his teammates.

McNabb has reached one Super Bowl and helped the Eagles appear in five NFC championship games in his career.

Really, when you think of McNabb, all you need to think of is the 4th and 26 play that helped beat Green Bay and put the Eagles in the NFC Championship back in 2003.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 194

INT: 90

YDS: 29,320

Regular Season Wins: 82

Postseason Wins: 9

Best Season: 13-2 (Super Bowl Appearance)

4. Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals)

While he’s probably better known for a three-year run of two Super Bowl appearances (one win) and a sick display of offensive production in St. Louis, Warner has had enough moments in Arizona to keep his “clutch-ness” relevant.

Warner had a righteous time in St. Louis, losing only eight regular season games in his first three seasons, while throwing for over 36 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards in two of those three seasons.

With three Super Bowl appearances and his insane accuracy in tight moments, including a game-changing touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald in 2008′s Super Bowl loss, Warner deserves a place on this list.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 182

INT: 114

YDS: 28,591

Regular Season Wins: 57

Postseason Wins: 8

Best Season: 13-3 (Super Bowl Champions)

3. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)

Manning has a rocket arm and lightning quick release, and is known as one of the most efficient, cerebral players in the league.

He’s a student of the game, as he practices and studies by himself and with his receivers constantly, even during the off-season, as to keep timing and chemistry at it’s highest possible level.

While he has the tools, smarts, and dedication to deserve to make this list, he also has the stats, experience, and wins.

Manning is slowly climbing up the ladder in almost every major passing category, and will either eclipse Brett Favre’s final numbers, or finish second behind him in most of the major passing categories.

After being regarded as “another Dan Marino”, an elite quarterback who can put up numbers but couldn’t win games, Manning finally separated himself from the Marino’s of the world, and won his first Super Bowl in 2006.

After starting his career in the postseason with a lackluster 0-3 record, Manning has since carved a niche for himself as one of the more prepared and clutch performers, leading Indianapolis to a solid 7-5 post-season record.

Throw in his 117-59 regular season record, as well as over 30 fourth quarter comeback victories, and you’ve got a guy who knows how to win.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 333

INT: 165

YDS: 45,628

Regular Season Wins: 117

Postseason Wins: 7

Best Season: 12-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

2. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Big Ben is a household name, especially after his heroics in 2008′s Super Bowl win. If he wasn’t famous before that night, he surely is now.

Chalk it up.

Two Super Bowl titles, and a slew of regular season wins. 51, to be exact.

In just five seasons, Roethlisberger has helped the Steelers eclipse 50 regular season wins, including going 13-0 as a rookie, and 22-3 in his first 25 starts.

Talk about a first impression.

Roethlisberger was so clutch and effective, that his team was able to be competitive right away in 2004, and then re-grouped to win his first Super Bowl in 2005.

With an 8-2 career record in the post-season, as well as his “money” late-game winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in last year’s Super Bowl, Big Ben easily makes his way on this list.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 101

INT: 69

YDS: 14,974

Regular Season Wins: 51

Postseason Wins: 8

Best Season: 12-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

Brady is quite arguably the most effective clutch performer, as he was 3-3 in Super Bowl clutch moments until the New York Giants front line crushed his hopes of winning a fourth championship.

Still, there are few other quarterbacks, even in the NFL’s history, that you’d want guiding your team with under two minutes to go.

Brady has an impressive 87-24 regular season record, while guiding the Patriots to six seasons of 10-6 or better, including the NFL’s only undefeated season, as New England went 16-0, and 18-0 until they lost 2007′s Super Bowl.

Brady’s worst season as a starter came in 2002, where he and the Patriots could only finish 9-7. What’s most impressive, however, is that’s the worst record he has ever had as a starter.

With a 14-3 postseason record, several comeback wins, and three Lombardi Trophies to his credit, Brady, knee injury or not, is still the guy the majority of teams would want behind center when all the chips are on the line.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 197

INT: 86

YDS: 26,446

Regular Season Wins: 87

Postseason Wins: 14

Best Season: 18-1 (Super Bowl Appearance)

6. The Wild Card: Eli Manning (New York Giants)

Personally, I’m not sold on Manning as an elite passer, but his numbers (not fantasy-wise) are fairly consistent, and he appears to be a good leader, and most importantly, knows how to win.

His career will likely forever be defined for his 2007 run and win against the 18-0 New England Patriots.

However, he doesn’t make the cut for the top five, due to the extraordinary help he got from his extremely aggressive defense that year.

Besides, when he had Plaxico Burress to throw to, too.

The other thing to note is that he and the Giants went 4-0 during that run, and Manning hadn’t won a playoff game before, and hasn’t since.

Still, Manning delivered clutch performance-after-clutch performance in 2007, and has since cemented himself as one of the better, and more complete young quarterbacks in the NFL.

The Numbers (Career):

TD: 98

INT: 74

YDS: 14,623

Regular Season Wins: 42

Postseason Wins: 4

Best Season: 10-6 (Super Bowl Champions)

Jay Cutler Vs. Kyle Orton: Why Do Either Have To Be Bad?

Jay Cutler is overrated, and Kyle Orton is a system quarterback. Or is it, Cutler is a wimpy cry baby, and Orton is a simple-minded game-manager?

How about none of those?

Why do either of these guys have to be regarded as fantasy (or real world) busts for 2009, just because they are switching teams?

Yes, they both have new offenses, new coaches, new cities, and new weapons.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t good or can’t play at an elite level.

Since both of these players have a hate-wagon following them to every city they go to, I beg of you to relax, sit back, and read an unbiased approach to both of their new situations.

Life is about change, people. Remember the song? Change, change…will do you good. No?

Well, still, both of these guys are talented enough to make things happen in their first year in new colors, and I have evidence as to why I believe so.

Jay Cutler

Cutler took over for Jake Plummer mid-way through the season three years ago, and showed enough to Mike Shanahan and co. that they knew they had done the right thing.

Trouble is, they stopped at the quarterback, and never built a new defense.

John Lynch, anyone?

Cutler went on to form a bitter and exciting rivalry with Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, routinely dominate the Oakland Raiders, and finally turned himself into a sure- fire Pro Bowler in 2008.

You don’t pass for 25 touchdowns and over 4,500 yards on a whim. The guy is talented.

He’s got a Brett Favre-moxie that you can’t teach, a rocket arm, and excellent mobility.

To anyone who doubts his ability to win, or his fading at times in clutch situations, I have some news for you.

The guy is 25 years old.

He just started coming into his own last year, and while a change in scenery could potentially affect that growth, I believe he’s already reached a confidence and talent level too high to be knocked back down to where he was as a rookie.

In Chicago he will find no Brandon Marshall’s, no Eddie Royal’s, and no Mike Shanahan.

But he still has weapons.

Devin Hester’s speed and explosiveness could make both players look like magicians in 2008, and Greg Olsen’s size and speed could make Tony Scheffler look like a baby Mark Chmura.

The point is, Cutler may not be quite as “great” as his Denver weapons and numbers made him out to be, but he also isn’t anywhere close to the wimpy, cry baby, drama king that the trade to Chicago made him out to be, either.

He still knows how to play football, and he’s talented enough to make things happen with the few weapons that Chicago does have.

Oh, and this time around, he’ll actually have a supportive defense.

Kyle Orton

Orton is entering into a system that gave Matt Cassel the quickest quarterback make-over we’ve ever seen.

Cassel had no experience to speak of at any level, and hadn’t started a football game since high school. We may find out fairly soon in Kansas City that, while the guy is talented, he is nowhere near as good as this system (and Randy Moss and Wes Welker) made him out to be.

Do you see the common theme, here? Nothing is what you think it is. At least, not when you’re discussing Cutler and Orton.

Orton tossed over 2,900 yards and 18 touchdowns with those average weapons everyone keeps talking about, and is now walking into Jay Cutler-territory, where he has the luxury of having Marshall, Royal, and Scheffler at his disposal.

So, really, which is it?

Did those talented receivers make Cutler, or did Orton’s lack of talent make him? Or is it both?

I say neither.

Orton proved (on a bum ankle for the final four weeks) that he can manage games, and is talented enough to put up solid numbers, despite not having polished weapons around him.

With a new cast of friends sharing the load on offense, Orton’s numbers could get half-way to where Cutler was last year.

And as far as that whole “system quarterback” label is concerned-so what?

If he is indeed a system quarterback, then that’s all the more reason to pull the trade that Josh McDaniels orchestrated, and nab Orton, a guy who can clearly do what he’s told, when he’s told it, and do it well.

Denver won’t have the defensive support Orton had last year, at least not immediately, but if McDaniels system is anything like Bill Belichick’s in New England, there should be some good results.

Fantasy Summary

If you’re looking to draft either of these guys as sleepers, good luck.

It’s becoming more and more obvious that both quarterbacks are getting very comfortable in their new environment, and with all of their respective offensive weapons healthy, there’s no reason to think they both can’t succeed.

Cutler has his defense backing him, as well as a fantastic weapon in Matt Forte (who people tend to overlook when talking about Cutler’s supporting cast), and whether you like it or not, the guy is actually good.

Orton, on the other hand, is only going to play as bad as Brandon Marshall allows him to, and Eddie Royal is set-up to have huge numbers as the Wes Welker-clone, as well.

If those two receivers are putting up elite numbers, don’t you think Orton will reap some of those benefits?

Real World Summary

If we’re being realistic, it’s as simple as this:

Orton is good enough to help make the Denver offense go, but their offensive line is still aging, and their entire defense is, well, incomplete.

They are probably still a .500 team, but Orton is too smart and safe to have them lose more than nine games.

Cutler, on the other hand, has a good defense and special teams, and while some of his weapons aren’t necessarily elite or proven yet, they have the athleticism and explosive needed to make that jump.

With Cutler’s arm guiding the way, the Bears could enter into the top ten in the league, offensively.

Even if they don’t, Cutler is still better than Orton, and Chicago won’t finish any worse than they did last year, which could equate to Cutler’s first “winning” season.