We have reached the halfway point of the 2014 NFL season, and what better time to recap the best field generals so far than right now?
To be clear, this is NOT my final say in who the best will be at the end of the season. This is just me giving my researched opinions on who I think the best quarterbacks are at the halfway point. So don’t complain to me if your favorite QB isn’t on the list. There’s still time for your favorite quarterback to overtake another one and make the cut at the end of the year.
With that being said, I present the top ten quarterbacks from the first half of the 2014 season, starting with those I’ve ranked tenth through sixth.
Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks from the First Half of 2014 (ten through six)
10. Ryan Tannehill
First Half Stats: 178/281 (63.3% completion percentage), 1,907 yards, 14 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 90.9 rating, 60.47 QBR
Deciding on the tenth spot on my list was not an easy choice. Ultimately, it came down to Jay Cutler, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Carson Palmer. All five are having good seasons.
But Wilson doesn’t make the list because he’s pulled together a string of bad/mediocre games in between some great ones (with a few dropped passes to boot). He’s always had a poor offensive line, but in addition to that, he’s occasionally underthrowing/overthrowing his receivers more than he needs to, and has had a few game manager performances against teams like the Raiders and Cowboys at home. Joe Flacco has looked really good in some of his best games, but is still inefficient on the deep ball, and has made plenty of head-scratching decisions. Jay Cutler is doing fine, but has made as many equally bone headed moves as Wilson and Flacco. Palmer has played consistently above average, but only has five starts due to injury.
Which brings us to Ryan Tannehill. After a horrible start to the season (which included dropped passes everywhere), Tannehill and the offense finally clicked against the Raiders. The main reason he made the cut is because he has a better hot streak than Flacco, Wilson, and Cutler in recent games. In his last five starts, Tannehill has completed 68.8% of his passes for 1,283 yards, ten touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 104.1 quarterback rating.
This comes despite an awful offseason locker room, a bad offensive line (which has improved in the past few weeks), an injured running game (Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller both experienced injuries this season), and a poor receiving core (Tannehill has witnessed his receivers drop 18 of his passes this season).
Combine this with his underrated mobility in the pocket, and Tannehill’s consistent improvement suggests he’s on some kind of roll for the 2014 season, maybe not one with an MVP written all over it, but definitely an above average one, and one to remember. We’ll see if this holds up.
9. Drew Brees
First Half Stats: 229/329 (69.6% completion percentage), 2,524 yards, 15 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 97.1 rating, 74.44 QBR
It’s been a rough year for Drew Brees and the Saints, but Brees has proven he’s still at the top of his game.
The main problem for Brees isn’t his accuracy (he leads the NFL in completion percentage) or advancing the ball (continues to do it as well as the greats). The main problem is the red zone connections. Brees is under pressure more than ever, and with Jimmy Graham not dominating as much as he has in the past and a declining Marques Colston, it’s easy to see why Brees isn’t putting up the gaudy touchdown numbers we’re used to seeing from him.
What he is putting up is on par with previous seasons from the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Sure, he’s been awful against teams like the Browns and the Bucs, but he’s made it a commitment to bounce back from mistakes he’s made (like the Thursday Night game against Carolina, in which he fumbled twice and threw one pick yet still managed an 88.4 QBR) and has avoided the awful start from the 2012 season, managing a 4-4 record in an terrible NFC South.
The team around him is declining, but make no mistake, I see none of that from Brees himself. While the improved Mark Ingram in the backfield helps, Brees is still putting up consistency and high volume efficiency few quarterbacks can only dream of having.
8. Tony Romo
First Half Stats: 165/242 (68.2% completion percentage), 1,998 yards, 15 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 103.6 rating, 77.78 QBR
After a rough start to the season against the 49ers, in which he threw three interceptions and only a single touchdown, Tony Romo bounced back and surprised everyone by leading the Cowboys to an NFC East front running campaign (excluding the last two games). Romo has fired high velocity bullets while staying ever so mobile in the pocket, leading his team against all odds.
And at long last, Romo has a premiere running game threat in DeMarco Murray to ease things a little bit. But that doesn’t make him any less dependable, as he’s led three game-winning drives this season (currently the most in 2014). He’s made several memorable plays along the way, including a spin juke of JJ Watt and getting away from a sack to throw a critical first down pass at Seattle.
Romo has always been underrated, but it would seem as if he’s finally getting the respect he deserves. His injuries put him down on this list compared to others, but if Brandon Weeden is any indication, it doesn’t matter if you have the best running back of 2014. You need an accurate passer to help win games.
7. Eli Manning
First Half Stats: 173/277 (62.5% completion percentage), 1,932 yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions, 94.9 rating, 72.84 QBR
In 2013, Eli Manning had his worst season, throwing 27 interceptions to 18 touchdowns, as the team and coaching around him completely collapsed despite a respectable 7-9 record (with an 0-6 start). Numerous questions came as to whether Eli was still good enough to be a starting quarterback, and the Giants hired a new offensive coordinator in Ben McAdoo to create a new west coast offense system for Eli to play in.
And for the most part, it’s worked.
Eli is not making the longest throws or the razzle dazzle plays, but his decision making has been right on the money. Since the loss against the Lions, Manning has played very well (for the most part), making better choices with the ball and quicker throws than ever before.
While his completion percentage suggests he’s inaccurate this season, much of his incompletions are on dropped passes from his receivers, most of which should have been caught. In the Monday Night football game alone, I counted five dropped passes in the first quarter.
Don’t believe the raw stats. Eli’s making perfect throws everywhere (including a first down conversion against the Redskins on Thursday night, good enough to get a field goal kick off before the half). Combine the poor receiving hands with a soft offensive line and a 3-5 record, and Eli’s having a great season on a terrible team.
6. Ben Roethlisberger
First Half Stats: 231/338 (68.3% completion percentage), 2,720 yards, 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, 110.6 rating, 74.31 QBR
Remember when the rumors about cutting Big Ben from the Steelers came about? I certainly don’t.
Roethlisberger is riding his best statistical start to a season yet, and it’s easy to say he’s had a MUCH better start than the disaster of 2013. He still remains the scrambler in the pocket and can continue to extend plays, but it’s debatable if he’s ever played this well.
After getting destroyed on the road by the rival Browns, Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers to a three-game winning streak, completing 74.0% of his passes for 1,127 yards, 14 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 142.4 quarterback rating. Along the way he’s become the first quarterback EVER with multiple 500-yard games and back-to-back games of six touchdowns passing.
With a talented core in Antonio Brown, Le’veon Bell, and rookie Martavis Bryant, Big Ben is getting things done on all cylinders, and his ability to extend plays looks bigger and better than ever. And I’ll be damned if he isn’t the toughest son of a gun when he gets hit hard.
Click here to see the top five quarterbacks…
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