Rank’Em: A Brutal Slate Of Opposing QBs

10. Josh Allen: Was a struggle for him his rookie season but the talent is there. Finished the season well in a Week 17 game where the Bills polished off the Dolphins 42-17. Highly competitive player on tape. Will throw his body around in order to make the play work. Took some major hits during the season but was no worse for wear. Toughness to bounce back and keep fighting. Got a sense that his teammates respected his demeanor and approach. One of the strongest arms in the league. Can deliver the ball down the field with a flick of the wrist. Overall accuracy needs work. There were too many snaps where the staff put him in position to make a big play only to have him miss on the connection. Struggled with tight window throws because he trusted his arm too much. Will benefit from the addition of Cole Beasley to the roster who will give him a secure target underneath. Keep an eye on under drafted rookie David Sills out of West Virginia. This guy was highly productive for the Mountaineers.

9. Sam Darnold: I give the New York Jets a lot of credit for drafting Sam Darnold and playing him right off the bat in his rookie season. The move likely cost their General Manager and Head Coach their jobs but the experience he gained in his first season is invaluable. It will be up to Adam Gase to develop much like we've seen from the coaching staffs in Los Angeles and Chicago. For Darnold change should be good. The numbers for Darnold were not impressive but there were some flashes of brilliance. He was outstanding against a very good Indianapolis squad in Week 6 where he was able engineer a victory. Darnold physically looks impressive and carries himself well in these games. Arm talent is top shelf. Where he's going to need to improve from year one to two is protecting the ball. He made far too many mistakes with interceptions. Did a better job his last three games throwing none. Cowboys catch him in Week 6 and with more games under his belt should be tougher to play.

8. Kirk Cousins: Put up huge numbers against the Cowboys in previous meeting when he was with the Washington Redskins. Despite those statics had trouble closing the game with a victory. Streaky quarterback. Can be unstoppable then the next moment turn the ball over three times. I question his poise. Have seen defensive coordinators rattle him. When his game goes south it's hard for him to pull it out of the ditch. On the other hand when he feels comfortable, he is capable of lighting up a defense. Had seven games where he attempted 40 or more passes and in those game had an incredible completion percentage of 71%. Is fortunate to have outstanding talent around him especially at wide receiver. Matchup against him is on Sunday night so could play into the Cowboys favor with the crowd noise and surroundings.

7. Mitch Trubisky: Love his athlete ability. Smooth. Throws well to his left or right. Touch on the deep ball. Can throw the swing. Quick footed. Doesn't waste much time. Keeps eyes down the field. Can escape in the pocket. Poise. Shows touch. Will lead the receiver up the field. Doesn't make the receiver work for the ball. Strong to hang in the pocket. Nice job on the slant. Can put it where it needs to be along the sidelines. When he throws interceptions it's because he doesn't see. Football intelligence. Plays with balance. Mechanics give him a chance but will miss some throws of open receivers. Like Jared Goff and Carson Wentz has benefited for a strong play caller. Matt Nagy does an outstanding job of making things work for him. Has a real feel for how to pull the right strings for him. Had a game last season against the Buccaneers where he threw six touchdowns in the game.

6. Carson Wentz: Plays with a great deal of physical toughness/courage. Gets banged up during games but hangs in there for his teammates. Has come a long way in a short time. Has missed parts of the season at various times during his career with knee/back injuries. Ball comes off his hand well. There is some pace to his passes. Can be hit/miss with his accuracy but feel in part that's due to his foot work. Feet can be all over the place in the pocket. When he's not bouncing around the pocket and sets his feet that accuracy improves. Like Matthew Stafford in that he can deliver the ball at different arm angles. Has a feel for how to get the ball around rushers and be accurate. There is some impressive creativity to his game. If he has a fault it is that he never gives up on a play. This can get him in trouble and cause him to make mistakes. When he protects the ball, this offense with Doug Pederson calling plays can hum.

5. Jared Goff: Felt like his career was saved by a coaching change after his rookie season. Was on the path to being a "Draft Bust" until Sean McVay showed up. Benefits greatly from creative play calling and a roster of quality players. McVay does an outstanding job of playing to Goff's strengths. He's not asking him to completely play from the pocket. Play action and movement is a big part what they do which has allowed Goff to flourish. The ball comes out of his hand quicker and there are more open throws for him to make. The staff is also not asking him to force the ball into tight windows which is what he struggled with his rookie year. Every decision and throw that first season just led to a compounding of mistakes. You no longer see those issues and their record bares that out. Goff is a quarterback that has not only had playoff success but now has Super Bowl experience, he's only going to get better.

4. Matthew Stafford: If you just base your evaluation on quarterbacks in the league with raw talent alone, Matthew Stafford would be high on a lot of scout's lists. I think it's unfortunate that Stafford plays in an organization that has had as much turnover as the Lions have endured. Stafford's career has been marred by a continuous stream of coaches with new ideas/plans. Throughout this cycle Stafford has managed to work though the changes putting up incredible numbers. His physical toughness reminds me of Brett Favre and Tony Romo. Have seen him play through a separated shoulder and lead his team to victory. Arm talent/strength has always been outstanding. Can easily make those across the field throws which requires distance but more importantly have to be accurate. Has rare deep ball touch. Ability to lay it right over the top of the defender into the receivers hands. Doesn't let mistakes bother him or slow him down. Fighter.

3. Drew Brees: When they speak of high character players around the league Drew Brees' name is generally one of the first mentioned. Incredible teammate and leader. True passion/love for the game. Tremendous work ethic and mental toughness. Doesn't have the arm talent of others around the league but his accuracy makes up for lack of arm strength. Is a tight window thrower. Doesn't make his receivers work for the ball at all. One of the best I've seen in delivering balls to receivers on the move. He will throw the ball to a spot knowing full well that his receiver is going to get it. Majority of the Saints chunk plays on offense is when Brees hits the receivers and they have the opportunity for run after catch. Kris Richard/Rod Marinelli had an outstanding plan for him last season to shut him down and it was executed well. They took away from him those options which make him so successful.

2. Aaron Rodgers: If not for Tom Brady being an opponent this season, Rodgers would have been my number one choice here. Is the classic example of a quarterback that makes everyone around him better. Just look at the various receivers that have played in that system. Good players that became great due to Rodgers throwing them the ball. I mean this as no disrespect to Russell Wilson or Pat Mahomes but would say that Rodgers is the most difficult quarterback in the league to defend. Is a rare combination of mobility, vision and grit. Makes throws during games which most quarterbacks only dream about. Amazing the command he has of the situation and what's going on around him. The bigger the moment, the better he plays.

1. Tom Brady: In my opinion the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the NFL. To accomplish what his has in the Salary Cap Era is beyond impressive. Every season that he's been a starting quarterback, his supporting cast has changed in some form or fashion. Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw and to some extent Joe Montana played with the same roster their entire careers. There are few players that enjoy playing the game as much as Tom Brady does. I believe guys like Brady, Brett Favre and Darren Woodson would still play the game even if they didn't get paid. They love the game that much. Leadership, football intelligence and mental toughness are off the charts. Despite his advancing age still plays with rare traits. Has figured out how to mask deficiencies that he has due to his age. Generally have a better chance of defeating him early in the season so this late November date will come at a bad time.