When it comes to football these days, it's all about who you have under center. It's become a passing league and for better or worse, the days of smash mouth football are over. Of course it's better for the players health and safety, especially with all we've learned about concussions over just the last few years. Growing up a Bears fan, I'm a big supporter of defense, running the ball, and take pride in following the black and blue division. Really, I didn't have a choice other then to resist the change given the history of quarterbacks for the Chicago Bears.
You can't stop change though and while I still appreciate a good defensive battle more then most NFL fans, I've also started learning more and more about the technical side of offense outside of the latest exploits on the latest Madden game. But unless you have the NFL package, one game a week is going to be in one division no matter what. I'm lucky enough to live where I get to watch my Bears every week, but that also means I get to watch more NFC North games then any other division in football. And one thing I've noticed is that while it used to be just Brett Farve as the lone star QB in the black and blue division, the teams in the NFC North are actually one of the better teams when it comes to quarterback play.
So after making a list of each division and writing down the starting quarterbacks according to ESPN.com (except for teams that drafted a QB in the first round this year), I ranked each division 1-8 in terms of quarterback talent. What I found the most interesting was even though most people would consider the AFC to be the superior conference, I found myself ranking the top 3 groups as all from the NFC. But enough with the tease, from best to worst, here is my take on how each division stacks up in the quarterback department.
1 - NFC South
Headlined by two Pro Bowl quarterbacks, a Pro Bowl alternate in his first year, and the #1 pick from this year's draft, this division is the most talented from top to bottom. Drew Brees is considered by many to be the #3 quarterback in the entire league and Matt Ryan is probably the best young quarterback we have in the entire league. Josh Freeman had a coming out party last year and with his build (a lot like Big Ben) he's a pretty good bet to become one of the better quarterbacks in the entire league. And while Cam Newton is an unknown commodity he was talented enough to be this year's top draft pick and I'd rather have him starting under center then say, Alex Smith.
2 - NFC East
This group actually has three quarterbacks who can lay claim to having been Pro Bowl caliber players in recent years with Tony Romo, Eli Manning, and Mike Vick all under center for teams in this division. The best of the group last year was easily Mike Vick who finally looks as if he's put it all together to become the most dangerous offensive player in the entire NFL. Eli Manning once again looked to be a solid starter and Romo should be back and better then ever with a top 10 pick being used on an offensive lineman. What kept this group from being in the top spot was the idea that Rex Grossman might actually be a starting QB on another team. I'm a Bears fan and while there were some highs with Sexy Rexy, there were a lot more lows.
3 - NFC North
I know what you're thinking but before you go and call me a homer, take a look at the list. The Packers have probably the #4 QB in the entire league in Aaron Rodgers. Then you have Jay Cutler who is a great talent and should have a much better season after having a year to learn the Mike Martz system. And if Matthew Stafford can stay healthy he has tools to be considered one of the better quarterbacks in the league, especially if Calvin Johnson is still lining up on the outside for him. The Vikings are obviously the team lacking in this group but every division has at least one guy sticking out like a sore thumb and I'd much rather it be a first round draft pick like Ponder then someone like Jason Campbell.
4 - AFC South
5 - AFC North
I had a really hard time deciding between these two divisions, hence why I'm putting them together here. Both divisions have two quarterbacks that are considered elite with Manning and Schaub in the South while the North is represented by Big Ben and Joe Flacco. I like Manning a little bit more then Roethlisberger but Flacco more then Schaub. The only reason I rank the South higher is that I think Gabbart and Locker will turn into a better QB duo then McCoy and Dalton. Still, this was probably where I had the most trouble because both divisions are so similar in talent and potential.
6 - AFC East
The last three divisions are filled with one talented quarterback and three others that you probably only want to see on the field if it's the pre-season. But this division has a guy named Tom Brady so that automatically puts it ahead of both the AFC and NFC West. After Brady you've got Sanchez and Fitzpatrick, two guys who at least up to now, you can count on to win a few games but not quite talented enough to win a Super Bowl, and Chad Henne. Henne is yet another guy who would be much more suited as a back-up QB but will most likely end up getting some starts under center.
7 - AFC West
Much like the AFC East, this division has one elite level quarterback and three other guys that would be considered serviceable starters. Philip Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has proven that he's got the toughness to stay on the field. But I'm not a believer in Tebow ever being more then a slightly better Vince Young and neither Cassell nor Campbell do anything for me and both are at the peak of their talent level. While you could argue that there isn't a bad quarterback in this group, I'd counter with there is only one above average one and that puts this division almost dead last.
8 - NFC West
Was there ever any doubt which division would come in last? This division has a potential franchise guy in Sam Bradford and really, not much else. Matt Hasselbeck is nearly done, John Skelton has the look of a career journeyman, and Alex Smith looks worse and worse as he continues to fail while Aaron Rodgers picks up a Super Bowl win. This is easily the worst division in the entire NFL and when you look at the guys throwing the ball, it isn't hard to see why.
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