Best of the Best of What's Left

The NFL is a QB driven league, and that statement could not be more true than this year. Three QBs passed for 5,000 yards, and three also threw for over 40 TDs. As the NFL Postseason is set to start tomorrow, QB play will be the difference in many games, in what looks like it will be a very entertaining postseason. There are only 12 starting QBs remaining, here is who I think is the best of the best.

AFC

1. Tom Brady - Brady had one of the best seasons of his career, throwing for 39 TDs and a career high 5,235 yards. Brady must perform at a high level if New England wants to get to Indianapolis because the Pats defense will simply not get it done.

2. Ben Roethlisberger - After a rough start to the season where the Steelers offense committed 7 turnovers against the Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger has definitely turned it around and had an incredible season.

3. Joe Flacco - Flacco didn't take the huge step forward that most people expected, but still had a solid season. The down field game for Baltimore has improved with the addition of Torrey Smith, as the Ravens have 44 passes of 20+ yards. Flacco must cut down on turnovers however, especially fumbles.

4. Andy Dalton - Dalton has had a stellar rookie season leading Cincinnati to the postseason in the first year of the post-Carson Palmer era. Dalton has to continue to work the ball down the field. The rookie averages only 6.6 yards per completion.

5. Tim Tebow - Honestly, this is where the talent pool starts to get thin. After 6 straight weeks of Tebow Time and Tebow Mania, the Tebow Bandwagon has slowed down with 3 straight losses to end the year.

6. T.J. Yates - In very limited time I've been impressed with T.J. Yates. Yates has been put in a tough spot, playing for the injured Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, but for a 3rd stringer Yates has played very well.

NFC

1. Drew Brees - Rodgers may win MVP but numbers don't lie, Brees had the better season. And with 8 straight wins, the Saints are the hottest team in the NFL.

2. Aaron Rodgers - The word turnover isn't in the vocabulary of the Packers. Rodgers has only 6 interceptions all season and 45 TD passes.

3. Matthew Stafford - I'm still confused about how this guy is not in the Pro Bowl. In Stafford's first season playing 16 games he threw for 5,000 yards and 41 TDs. Not bad for your first full year in the league, huh?

4. Eli Manning - Over the summer Eli Manning said that he was in the same class as Tom Brady. Eli stayed true to his word and had his best season, proving that he deserve to be mentioned in that elite class. Manning nearly threw for 5,000 yards and had 29 TD passes.

5. Matt Ryan - Matt Ryan was under the radar the whole season, after making the Pro Bowl the previous year. Ryan had his best year, throwing for 4,000 yards for the first time in his career. The true test for Matt Ryan will be if he can win his first playoff game.

 6. Alex Smith - Alex Smith had a very nice year, tossing 17 TDs and only 5 interceptions. Certainly no one was blown away by Alex Smith's numbers, but Smith proved that he could be a winner, leading the 49ers to the playoffs for the 1st time since 2002.