As we enter the NFL Playoffs, the one position that is almost always the most important on any football team becomes even more so — the quarterback. With the exception of the 2000 Ravens, rarely can a team advance deep in the postseason without a top tier signal-caller under center. With that in mind, let’s rank the 12 leading this year’s playoff squads, from best to worst.
1. Tom Brady
Yeah, the guy who won four Super Bowls and played in two more is a pretty obvious choice here. Sure, the Pats have limped into the playoffs, going 2-4 after a 10-0 start, and they do look pretty banged up, but going against Brady in the postseason is not something any team wants to do. Plus, the Pats didn’t look like they wanted to show too much against the Dolphins on Sunday, with Brady attempting just five passes in the first half. The full Brady will be unleashed in the playoffs, and he’ll be as frightening as ever.
2. Russell Wilson
While Cam Newton is definitely winning the MVP, Wilson was about even with him in the second half of the season, particularly during a stunning five-game stretch where he threw 19 touchdowns without a single interception. Wilson has already proven he can perform in the playoffs, and the desire to avenge last year’s heartbreaking pick in the Super Bowl will provide an extra bit of motivation. The Vikings have a strong defense, but Russell Wilson is not going to make life easy for them.
3. Cam Newton
Cam lands one spot below Russell because he doesn’t have the same playoff pedigree (his only postseason win came against Ryan Lindley last year), but with the season Cam had, he’s still pretty frightening to go up against. He led the Panthers to a 15-1 record, despite a dearth of offensive weapons, and he became the player we all dreamed he could be when he came into the league five years ago.
4. Aaron Rodgers
He was the hardest guy to rank. The argument could be made that he’s the best pure QB in the league, but in terms of confidence entering the playoffs, things get a bit iffy. The Pack went 4-6 after a 10-0 start, and perhaps more importantly, their passing game has looked stagnant. That’s not really Rodgers’ fault, however, as without Jordy Nelson, the team’s receiving core is an uninspiring group that struggles to get open. Rodgers can only do so much, but it wouldn’t totally shock me if he found a way to rally his team to a surprising playoff run. James Jones Magic Hoodie Powers Activate!
5. Ben Roethlisberger
Ryan Fitzpatrick would have been so much easier to deal with. Instead, we get Big Ben, who has two Super Bowls and a third appearance, and he brought the ultra-frightening Antonio Brown with him. The Steelers are the six-seed, and they face an intimidating Bengals defense in round one. And yet, it wouldn’t shock anyone if they ended up going deep in the playoffs this year.
6. Carson Palmer
This seems a bit low for Palmer, considering what an impressive season he’s had. But Palmer has never won a playoff game, and he’s played in just two in his 13-year career. With that said, he’s coming off a career season, and this is by far the best supporting cast he’s ever had. Palmer has a great deep ball, along with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, and Michael Floyd who can haul it in. There’s a lot to like about this Cardinals offense, and after a fairly star-crossed career, things finally may be working out for Carson Palmer.
7. Alex Smith
Smith’s Chiefs are entering the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, and while he usually doesn’t inspire a ton of excitement, he’s played surprisingly well in the playoffs when he’s had the chance. Four years ago, he shocked the world by winning an epic duel against Drew Brees, and he played quite well for the first three quarters of the Chiefs-Colts showdown two years ago — it wasn’t his fault the defense collapsed against Andrew Luck. Smith seems to be capable of stepping things up in the playoffs. Let’s see if he can come through against J.J. Watt and the Texans’ strong defense.
8. Kirk Cousins
You like that ranking, Kirk? Probably not, but it was hard to think of the proper spot for Washington’s breakout QB. He’s played shockingly well down the stretch, and has likely earned a solid contract extension this offseason. If Cousins keeps this up, the Skins could be the most sneaky-scary team in the playoffs. But we can’t say for sure that he won’t shrink against the weight of the moment. Consider this the most tentative ranking on this list.
9. Peyton Manning/Brock Osweiler
This is a tough situation to get perspective on. We don’t know who will start for the Broncos, but they’re likely leaning towards Manning; he looked solid when leading the Broncos to a comeback win over the Chargers on Sunday, and if he’s back at full strength, he could potentially be pretty dangerous. And yet, he’s coming off by far his worst season with 17 picks to nine touchdowns, and it’s not impossible to think that Gary Kubiak could turn things over to the still-pretty-unproven Osweiler, who showed flashes, but was inconsistent in his time this season.
10. Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater stepped up his game down the stretch, helping the Vikings secure the NFC North title for the first time since 2009. With that said, we know his weaknesses; he lacks arm strength, and he might be nervous entering his first playoff game. These concerns become compounded when we consider that he’s going against a deeply frightening Seahawks defense. If Adrian Peterson can’t establish the run game, the pressure will fall on Bridgewater, and we can credibly doubt if he’ll be able to handle it.
11. Brian Hoyer
Well, give Hoyer this: Out of the four gentleman who have started games for the Texans this year, he’s easily been the best. In the past two seasons, he’s revealed himself to be a solid game manager-type QB with the Browns and now with Houston. After winning the lowly AFC South, he has the edge of playing at home, but whether he’ll be able to do anything against a stout Chiefs defense remains to be seen.
12. A.J. McCarron/Andy Dalton
This whole situation is pretty weird. The Bengals appear to be ready to start McCarron, although Dalton hasn’t been ruled out entirely. Now, Dalton’s playoff history has been putrid in its own right, but he was putting together the best season of his career before his hand injury. If we knew Dalton were healthy, we could bump him up a few spots. For now, though, the thought of A.J. McCarron going against the Steelers has to be a scary thought for Bengals fans, who frankly have suffered more than enough.
