The Quarter Poll: QB Power Rankings Through Week 4

We're 25% through the season so it's about time for the latest installment of meaningless lists consisting of 25% effort. Ok fine, 20%.

Team by team power rankings like the lists on ESPN or Peter King's Fine Fifteen are incredibly played out. QB power rankings? Not at all. We've set them up in four tiers here and do keep in mind this considers season to date play only. Last second super bowl drives did not factor into the mix.

Top Tier

Manning/Brees/Favre/Rivers in that order. All four have played incredibly well through the first four games, mistake free and winning games. All are poised to have monster seasons and will absolutely be tossed into the MVP race. When you consider the fact that no running back has broken out yet this season, I might even say these guys are 1-4 in your MVP voting four games in.

Second Tier

Things get a bit more interesting here as this next group is much closer to the bottom feeders than they are to the top guys. In no particular order, Big Ben/Brady/Rodgers/Flacco

Oh fuck finishing this thing. Lists are queer. The point is Manning/Brees/Favre/Rivers are playing on a level that nobody is close to touching and that includes Brady. We knew it would be a slow start for him coming off the knee thing and all but are we even sure it's the knee at this point? Did anybody think he'd be, at best, the 10th or 12th best QB in the league 25% of the way in?

Watch the top four guys play and then watch everyone else. Favre was like a kid out there last night slinging the ball around with such accuracy and touch. In 31 throws he made zero mistakes, not one bad throw all night. Manning, Brees and Rivers can all say the same thing in their first four as well.

ESPN Best Young QBs

Recently ESPN has put out an article saying who is the best young quarterback and listed the 5 up top. A lot of people said it was Big Ben, and a lot of people say Manning. So I guess here would be my ranking of those 5.

1. Big Ben: He is the fourth highest rated quarterback for a career behind Young, Manning and Warner. 2cnd best winning percentage in the NFL behind Tom Brady. Has won a superbowl. 6-6 and big so he can shake off a lot of defenders, has great pocket presence and game management. Also, has that end of the game drive much like the Bradys and Mannings do, that always seems to win the game. If many people do not think of Ben as an "Elite" QB maybe they should.

2. Eli Manning: I think there is a big drop-off after Ben, and I didn't want to give Manning second, but he won a Superbowl so I have too. Eli brought his game to a different level last year and proved that he isn't a bust. If I could define Eli's career it would one play, you know, "The Tyree Play". I think he may have moved from an alright player to a good player that one play. Also, has to be mentally tough to shrug off the New York media.

3. Tony Romo: You can't judge him because he hasn't won a Superbowl and because of that Seahawks snap. Tony Romo is a good player. He excels well in the regular season with an occasional hiccup but puts up good numbers. He came from no where and when given the chance to start he ran with it. Success is definitely in his future.

4. Phillip Rivers: Rivers has not been a disappointment, but hasn't shown he can be the key contributing factor for the Chargers so they can win a game. Rivers has been to the play-offs it seems like every year with the Chargers but I don't know if that can be thanked to him or LT. He has the worst arm strength out of the bunch, but with his offense that doesn't matter much. I see him as a QB that never wins a superbowl, or gets to one. I don't think he has it in him.

5. Jay Cutler: I truly believe after this season is done, he will be ranked ahead of Rivers. I was not going to judge his early success too heavily. Cutler has all the making of a good QB, a laser arm with a quick release and certainly has proved that early on. But I don't see the personality yet as that leader type. Even in a couple of games I have watched this year, he blows up at a WR who drops the ball rather than ignoring it and focusing on the next play, which you see your Bradys, Mannings, Roethlisbergers do.