QB No. 8: Matt Ryan

The number eight spot was a tough rank this year. For me, it came down to Eli Manning, Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan. While, it is a "what have you done for me lately" league, you can't completely ignore past success. So while Matt Ryan was undoubtedly better in the regular season, and actually won his first postseason game last year, he wasn't better than Flacco, and I'd still rank Eli Manning over Ryan.

Let's start with the good from Ryan. And there's a lot of it. It looked as if, in year 5, Ryan finally took that next step. He's always been a pretty efficient quarterback. He's never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a season. And in 2011, when he led the Falcons to a 13-3 record and home-field advantage, Ryan only threw nine interceptions. Over the last three seasons he has a 2.5:1 TD-INT ratio. But last season he threw for 4,700 yards, 32 TD, and completed 68% of his passes.

Perhaps most importantly, Ryan finally performed well in the postseason. Against the Seattle Seahawks, Ryan threw for 250 yards, 3TD, and 2 INT, but most importantly led the Falcons on a game-winning drive with about 30 seconds left to stun Seattle. The following week was just as impressive, going against the 49ers defense. He threw for 395 yards, 3TD, and 1INT, but the Falcons fell short 24-28.

As much as last season was an improvement for Ryan, we still can't forget the previous couple of seasons. Again, he's always been fine in the regular season. He's like Peyton Manning in that regard. Obviously not to that statistical level, but just in terms of how he plays well overall in the regular season, but once the playoffs arrive it's anyone's guess as to what he'll do. In 2011, the Falcons were the number one seed and hosting the Packers in the Divisional Round. The Packers rolled into Atlanta and trounced Matt Ryan's team, 48-21! Ryan was pretty poor, and the ultimate check-down master, throwing for only 186 yards, 1TD, and 2INT. The following year, the Falcons travelled to New York in the playoffs, to take on the Giants. It was an embarrassing performance for the whole team, but Ryan led them to 0 points! Their only two points came via a safety. Ryan again threw for only 199 yards, 0TD, and 0INT.

Ryan is one of the games best young quarterbacks, and if he continues to build on last year's success then he'll be alright. But I need to see more than one year at that level for me to move him up the rankings.

Projections: 4,500 yards, 31 TD, 12 INT

QB No. 9: Russell Wilson

And now we arrive at Seattle's own Russell Wilson. The savior for Seattle sports. Never has this city been this excited about the team's quarterback, certainly not since I've been alive. The tough part about this ranking was to be able to put my bias aside and look at all quarterbacks through the same lens. I love Wilson. There's virtually no one else I'd rather have. That's how big an impression he made during his rookie season.

Wilson's rookie season began slightly differently than Andrew Luck's or RG3's. Wilson found himself in a direct QB competition in camp. In fact, Matt Flynn was seen as the QB for 2012 since the Seahawks paid him in the offseason. But Wilson eventually took the job from both Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson. RG3 and Luck both had the job handed to them in camp. Of course, they were light-years better than their backups. Wilson proceeded to throw for 3,100 yards, 30 total TD, 10 INT, and 489 rushing yards by the end of the year.

The first few weeks were rough however. Pete Carroll treated Wilson like he was a rookie. Limiting the number of throws he made in a game. Limiting part of the playbook, only dialing up simple plays for the young QB. But when the Seahawks were forced to throw more to match Tom Brady in the 6th game of the year, Wilson was up to the task. He threw for 293 yards, 3TD, and 0INT, while leading the Hawks to an upset win.

The real change came in Week 9, when it seemed like the restraints were lifted from Wilson's game. From week 9 on, Wilson threw for 1,600 yards, completing 66.8% of the passes, accounted for 20 total TD, and only threw 2 INT! And most importantly, he led the Seahawks to 7 wins in the final 8 games, and the playoffs. You never know what you're going to get from rookies in the postseason, and Wilson seemed a little overwhelmed in his first game against the Redskins. The stats don't look great from that game, but just the fact that he led them back from a 14-point deficit is impressive enough. The following week against the Falcons probably was Wilson's most impressive performance of the year. In a hostile atmosphere in Atlanta, Wilson threw for 385 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, with 60 rushing yards and a rushing TD. The Seahawks came back from 20 points to take the their first lead with 30 seconds left. Unfortunately, all Seattle fans know the rest.

Regardless, Wilson showed much growth in his full rookie season. He accomplished so much more than normal rookies accomplish. Especially getting to play in two playoff games. I love Wilson for his accuracy, his elusiveness, and most importantly his knoweldge of the game. He seems to be in the same mold as a Peyton Manning. A "football junkie". Someone who endlessly watches game tape and works to get better. I believe his "smarts" alone separate him from fellow rookies Andrew Luck and RG3.

Projections: 4,300 yards, 38 total TD, 13 INT

QB No. 10: Robert Griffin III

So we have finally arrived at the Top 10. While Andrew Luck was the top pick in last year's draft, and broke the rookie record for passing yards in a season, it was RG3 who really captivated the NFL last season.

He opened up the season in spectacular fashion, leading the Redskins to a shocking road win against the New Orleans Saints. In Griffin's first NFL game, he completed 73% of his passes, for 320 yards, two touchdowns, no picks, and ran for 42 yards. He never looked back. Week-after-week, RG3 dazzled with incredibly accurate throws, spectacular running plays, and terrific leadership. RG3 finished the year with 3,200 yards, 20 TD, only 5 INT, with a 102.4 passer rating, while completing 65% of his passes! Not to mention the 815 yards rushing with seven rushing TD. Very impressive in a rookie season.

Sure he had a few bumps in the road, as is the usual for NFL rookies. But clearly his bumps were few and far between. Another highlight came during his 6th game of the year, when he clinched the game with a 76-yard touchdown run, displaying elite track speed. Here's the impressive thing though. The Redskins started the season 3-6. The season looked lost, despite the play of RG3. Remember, this was a bad football team the previous year, and honestly the 2012 version wasn't so much better, besides the addition of RG3. Granted, Alfred Morris came out of nowhere to lead the backfield. But the defense was mediocre at best. And the passing weapons around RG3 were poor, especially when Pierre Garcon missed games.

But RG3 led the Redskins to six straight wins to end the year, (Kirk Cousins won a game late in place of RG3 to make it seven straight wins overall), and the division title. Unfortunately, RG3 completely tore his ACL in the playoff game vs. the Seahawks, and the Redskins failed to advance. I've already seen enough of this guy to know he is a stud at quarterback. He's not just an elite running QB; he's an incredible pocket passer, as well as thrower on the run. The only question mark one has to have with Griffin at this point is how he recovers from the ACL injury. All reports this offseason are encouraging, and it might not be ludicrous to suggest that he returns much like Adrian Peterson did a season ago. This kid has all the talent in the world, and I expect big things for him in year two.

Projections: 3,800 yards, 29 TD, 8 INT, 500 rushing yards, and 3 rushing TD

QB No. 11: Andrew Luck

Now we get down to the tougher part of the rankings. The eleven guys I have left are all very talented in my eyes, and most have accomplished much in their careers. At number eleven I have to put Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback.

Andrew Luck certainly had his ups and downs in his rookie season, as you would expect from a rookie QB. The only major blemish on his rookie season was the amount of turnovers he produced. Luck turned the ball over 27 times, 18 of which were interceptions. He forced too many throws, and locked onto a single target too often, which allowed defenses to easily make plays on the ball. That must be Luck's number one priority heading into year two, limiting the turnovers.

But let's get real. That's really the only faulty thing about Luck's game. There's so much good to take from Luck's rookie year. How about the fact that Luck broke the rookie record for passing yards in a single season with 4,374? He also threw for 23 TD, while also rushing for 5 TD.

Yet, for all of the stats, undoubtedly the most impressive thing I noticed about Luck was his leadership and his poise. I don't know if people remember, but this was a 2-14 football team the season before. Luck turned that team, along with the brilliant coaching of Chuck Pagano and Bruce Arians (let's not forget them), into an 11-5 playoff team. How many come-from-behind victories did Luck lead the Colts to? The number seems endless. How about the incredible 18-point comeback at the Detroit Lions, when Luck threw the game-winning TD pass as time expired? The Colts made a habit of close wins last season, with nine of their eleven wins decided by a touchdown or less. That, to me, speaks to incredible poise from a rookie, and an overall young football team.

Overall, I only expect Luck to improve in year two. Bruce Arians is gone, which might lead to slightly less passing yards, because the new Offensive Coordinator is his former OC at Stanford, Pep Hamilton. His offense is synonymous with the West-Coast, short passing game. But it should help Luck cut down on the turnovers. He's already one of the smartest QB in the NFL, which is scary since it's about to be year two for him, so the sky is truly the limit for him.

Projections: 4,100 yards, 29 TD, and 12 INT 

QB No. 12: Tony Romo

Yes, Tony Romo is my number 12 quarterback. I fully acknowledge that I'm a little uneasy with this spot.

After all, Tony Romo has just one playoff win in seven years starting for the Dallas Cowboys. One! He's a guy wildly renowned for failing in the biggest moments. You can go right down the list. Last year, in Week 16, Romo and the Cowboys lost by three at home versus the Saints. Now, keep in mind that a win in either week 16 or 17 would've given the Cowboys the NFC East title. The loss set up a "winner take all" game versus the Redskins in Week 17. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Romo played awful at the worst possible point in the season, throwing 3 interceptions, throwing for only 218 yards, and completing only 54% of his passes, as the Cowboys lost 28-18. Same scenario in 2011. On the final day of the season, the Cowboys and Giants vied for the NFC East crown. Romo again played poorly and the Cowboys were blown out 31-14. And of course there's the "botched snap game" against the Seahawks in the playoffs years ago.

Right or wrong, that's all that fans choose to remember about Tony Romo. The bad. But for much of every regular season Tony Romo is actually impressive. First off, he is a 3-time pro-bowler. Something that can't be said for any of the quarterbacks below Romo on my list, with the exception of Philip Rivers. But in that case, if we're looking at "what have you done for me lately", Rivers has regressed over the last two years, whereas Romo has stayed pretty much at the same level.

Of course, people remember the final games of the season, when everything is on the line. But look at what the Cowboys went through last year. They started the season 3-5. Panic was setting in for America's team. But then Romo led the team to five wins over a six game stretch to propel them to 8-6. Romo threw 12 TD to only 3 INT during that stretch. Of course, we know the rest. I also believe however, that the Cowboys have had a string of bad luck over the last few years. Injuries to key players hindered the chemistry with the team. They never seem to have a healthy running back. Demarco Murray has missed significant games in his first two years, as did Felix Jones. Plus, Miles Austin, once a favorite target for Romo, dealt with hamstring issues and they still seem to dog him to this day.

The bottom line for me is that yes, this guy has seemed to fail too many times in big games, but I think the talent he has is unquestioned. I think it's a mental barrier preventing Romo from being better than he already is. This must be the year that he delivers for the Cowboys. He just got paid. Now go show us why you were paid.

Projections: 4,400 yards, 30 TD, and 14 INT. 

QB No. 13: Matthew Stafford

Lucky number thirteen. Or maybe not so lucky in the case of Matthew Stafford. Stafford has truly seen the ups and downs of the NFL game over his first four seasons.

He was thrust into the starting job as rookie but suffered through the season as the talent around him was atrocious. His season ended in late December with a knee injury. The following season Stafford once again felt the injury bug, injuring his throwing shoulder in the season opener. He only played three games that year. But in 2011, Stafford and the Lions seemed to put it all together. We finally saw the talent that made Stafford the number one overall pick. He became the second-youngest quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, and he led the Lions to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. He actually matched Drew Brees throw for throw in the Wild Card game, until late in the 4th when he threw a couple of costly picks. Last season was a major dissapointmnet in most people's eyes as the Lions underachieved, and Stafford regressed into a more innaccurate, turnover-prone QB (Stafford's final stats: 4,900 yards, 20 TD, 17 INT).

But when I look at these rankings I ask myself, "Who do I most want to have on my team, at the quarterback position, entering this season?". Maybe I'm too high on Stafford. He's really only produced one fantastic year over his four years. But I look at his talent. His explosive arm. His Jay Cutler/Ben Roethlisberger-esque guts. Then I look at the guys I ranked slightly below Stafford. I love his throwing talent compared to a Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick. Plus, I've seen more of Stafford than a guy like Caepernick (again, prove it for more than 10 games. At least give me a full season, Colin). And then there's a Schaub and a Rivers. And I truly believe that this guy has more talent than either of them.

Listen, I understand Stafford makes too many risky throws at times. He's like Cutler in that regard. His decision-making definitely could improve. But I also have to look at the situation he's been in with Detroit. Throw out the first year. That was a lost cause from the start. Unfortunately you have to throw out year two as well, since he couldn't play. But in his first true, healthy year, and with talent around him, Stafford led the team to the playoffs. And last year, the Lions defense was just as bad as it always has been, plus they had no running game and their wide receivers were dropping like flys due to injury, besides Megatron. The bottom-line is that I believe in this guy's talent, I do think he is a "tough" QB that fights through injuries, but he needs to prove that he can continue to stay healthy, as well as improve his decision-making if he wants to climb up the list.

QB No. 14: Cam Newton

So now we come to Cam Newton, third year quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. If you read my previous article on Colin Kaepernick, then you'll see a lot of the same stats and arguments in this piece. Sorry. Just had to make a comparison yesterday and set the record straight.

Cam Newton dazzled in his rookie campaign, completing 60% of his passes while throwing for just over 4,000 yards, 21 TD, and 17 INT. Oh, and he rushed for 706 yards and an incredible 14 TD! Last year, he and the Panthers got off to a horrible start, losing six of their first seven games. During that stretch Cam posted a 5:8 TD-INT ratio. He had a 100+ passer rating only twice, and three times his passer rating was under 60. Plus, his immaturity was shining through. He was often seen on the sidelines isolated, with a towel around his head, giving off the appearance that he was pouting. His demeanor angered some of his teammates and the media began attacking his character, as well as his play on the field.

But then something changed. I'm not sure what is was, or when it occurred. Over the final nine games, the Panthers went on to win six of those. Now, after a 1-6 start, one would have thought Cam and the Panthers would've folded the tent. They did not. Two of the six wins were extremely impressive. They first beat the Washington Redskins on the road 21-13, a game in which Cam outplayed the new, exciting, and prolific rookie RG3. Then, in the second weekend of December, Carolina beat down an Atlanta team that would go on to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In my opinion, it was Newton's best game of the season because of what he did, and who he did it against.

So although many people believe Newton regressed last year, I choose to look at how he closed the season, and have come away impressed. In those last nine games, Newton passed for 2,168 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT while rushing for 436 yards and 5TD. Like I stated earlier, Cam and the Panthers could have folded the tent. But they didn't. Which speaks to a growth in maturity, and in leadership from Cam Newton. Now, he's still woefully inaccurate at times, and will eventually need to learn to avoid taking SO many hits. But I still liked what I saw to end the season, and I'm expecting another big step forward this season.

Projections: 4,100 yards 26 TD, 15 INT, 600 rush yards, and 7 rush TD