When someone mentions the best quarterbacks in the NFL, players like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, and Tom Brady come to mind.
Without a doubt, they are game-changing quarterbacks with the ability to make even the most unlikely miracle happen. Many of the above have produced countless fourth-quarter comebacks within the final seconds of the game to snatch wins. This is what you would expect from a top quarterback, a leader under all circumstances. What you really need is consistency. What good is a quarterback throwing interceptions instead of completions when he’s under pressure? He needs a quarterback who delivers, and he delivers day after day.
Most past quarterbacks have been to Super Bowls and come back and proved themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re immune to mistakes.
Take Eli Manning. Eli led the Giants to a third Super Bowl title against the previously undefeated Patriots thanks to the help of David Tyree’s helmet just three years ago. But the Giants have missed the playoffs the past two seasons showing a decline in form. Last season, despite throwing for more than 4,000 yards, 31 touchdowns, he also threw 25 interceptions, his most since he was drafted in 2004. Maybe he was taking more risks, but the stats suggest they were. unnecessary. The offensive line gave up just 16 sacks last season, just over half the season before, suggesting they were buying time for the quarterback, he was simply making the wrong decisions.
Drew Brees, even riskier, threw 33 touchdown passes, but these came at a cost: The Saints’ leader was intercepted by the opposition 22 times. Brees is an incredibly experienced quarterback and also has the luxury of having experienced wide receivers surrounding him, so 22 interceptions is a surprise.
Everyone praised Peyton Manning, the ‘Field General’ who produces results with his young receiving team. The Colts struggled a lot with injuries, but still made the playoffs for the ninth straight season. He threw well again, for more than 4,700 yards, but this is always expected of a quarterback with such a high reputation. His overall quarterback rating for the season was unbelievably low compared to other top-tier quarterbacks Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, and Michael Vick.
In my opinion, a player who deserves more recognition in the 2010-2011 season is Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. In what was only Freeman’s second season, and his first full one, he led the Bucs from a team with a 3-13 record to an impressive and positive 10-6 record. Unfortunately, the Bucs narrowly missed the playoffs, but Freeman threw for over 3,400 yards and 25 touchdowns. And at what cost? He only 6 steals, same as Michael Vick. It’s true that Freeman had a bumpy start to the season with 5 picks in the first 9 weeks, but he ended up throwing only 1 pick in the remaining 8 games, which shows that he’s a quick learner and builds on his mistakes. Freeman also led the Bucs to 4 notable comebacks last season that demonstrated his poise and maturity under pressure.
The Bucs rely heavily on rookie players offensively, as does the Manning situation. The longest-serving wide receiver is Maurice Stovall in his sixth year. What Freeman managed to pull off was definitely an impressive second season for such a young quarterback. For a team with very few consistent game-changing wide receivers, Freeman produced inspiring results and it’s amazing how this talent went so largely unnoticed amid the euphoria of the success of Vick’s comeback season.
Freeman has surely lifted what some fans believed to be a sinking ship in Tampa and the Bucs will be unlucky enough to miss the playoffs again.
