NFL First Third Awards

Awards given to players through the first third of the season.

MVP

Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB)

Rodgers has picked up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. He leads the league in QB rating (122.9), touchdown passes (14), and completion percentage (71.7). He is third in total passing yards and has the Packers at 5-0.

In the running

Fred Jackson (RB, BUF) –Freddie has 712 yards from scrimmage, 480 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns for the 5-0 Bills.

Tom Brady (QB, NE) – Tom is still terrific with 1,874 yards, 14 touchdowns, and a 101.4 QB rating.

Matthew Stafford (QB, DET) – A Lion’s QB up for MVP? I guess when you have 1,436 yard and 14 touchdowns in 5 games the consideration is warranted.

Drew Brees (QB, NO) – His number are typical Drew Brees threw 5 games; 1,769 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 102.3 rating. Perennial MVP candidate.

Best Defensive Player

Jared Allen (vikingsgab.com)

Jared Allen (DE, MIN)

Allen has been dominating and flat-out unblockable thus far. He is not only sacking QBs, he is playing a little pass defense as well. Through the first third of the season, Allen leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks and has 4 passes defended, 1 interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He’s been the best on the defensive side of the ball so far.

In the running

George Wilson (SS, BUF) – Wilson is third in the league in total tackles (47) and has a league leading 3 interceptions for the Bills.

Morgan Burnett (SS, GB) – The Packer’s strong safety is tied for the league lead in interceptions (3) and has tallied 8 passes defended, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Carlos Rogers (CB, SF) – Rogers is tied for the league’s lead in both interceptions (3) and passes defended (10). He also has an interception returned for a touchdown.

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, NYG) – JPP is leading one of the league’s best defensive lines with 7.0 sacks (2^nd in the league), 27 tackles, and a forced fumble.

Best Offensive Rookie

Andy Dalton (Getty Images, J. Miller)

Andy Dalton (QB, CIN)

I know, I know, you were probably expecting Cam Newton. While Dalton hasn’t thrown for the yards that Newton has, he has just one less touchdown pass and one less interception thrown than the Carolina QB. Dalton leads rookie passers in completion percentage (59.2%) and wins (3). He has a team with fewer weapons than almost any other in second place in the AFC North.

In the running

Cam Newton (QB, CAR) – The 2011 number 1 pick leads all rookie passers with 1,610 yards, 7 touchdown passes and a rating of 84.3.

A.J. Green (WR, CIN) – The Bengals wideout leads all rookie receivers in yards (402) and touchdowns (3)

Julio Jones (WR, ATL) – Jones leads all rookies with 25 catches and is second with 358 yards.

Best Defensive Rookie

Von Miller (wikipedia.org)

Von Miller (OLB, DEN)

Von Miller has completely lived up to his hype so far. The second overall pick in the 2011 draft has been a bright spot in the Broncos’ dark start. He leads all rookies with 5.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. The sky is the limit for this guy.

In the running

Aldon Smith (OLB/DE, SF) – The 49ers rookie is second among rookies with 3.5 sacks.

Patrick Peterson (CB, AZ) – The rookie has tallied one interception to go along with a punt returned for a touchdown.

Comeback Player

Matthew Stafford (nflsfutre.com)

Matthew Stafford (QB, DET)

This was a close one between Stafford and Alex Smith. Ultimately, superior numbers and one more gives Stafford the nod.  Stafford has finally given the Lions’ fans something to roar about. After a terrible injury cut his season to just 3 games in 2010, Stafford has rebounded to be an MVP candidate. He has thrown for 1,436 yard, 14 touchdowns, and has a QB rating of 101.4. More importantly, he has his Lions 5-0 for the first time in 50 years.  

In the running

Alex Smith (QB, SF) – Jim Harbaugh has the former number 1 overall pick finally playing winning football after years of futility. Smith ranks sixth in NFL in completion percentage (65.9%) and fourth in passer rating (104.1).

Steve Smith (WR, CAR) – Smith has rebounded from injuries, inconsistency, and spotty QB play and has returned to Pro Bowl form. Smith leads the league in yards per catch (22.6) and is second in receiving yards (609).

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, NYG) – JPP has finally started to play up to his first round selection. He has 7.0 sacks and force fumble through 5 games, besting his entire 2010 season output.

Biggest Loser; Winning Free Agency doesn't equal winning games

Tough year for Eagles fans.

Well, now I guess we can say that the proverbial sky has fallen over Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles have sputtered out of the gate to a 1-4 record, vastly falling short of preseason expectations.

The team’s dysfunction is not just limited to the playing field. The fans are calling for the firing of coaches and guys in the locker room are questioning the intestinal fortitude of fellow teammates.   

Should the team's start be a complete surprise? Maybe not. How many times have we seen franchises collect super talent in the offseason and not get immediate results on the field, court, or diamond?

The Eagles committed millions to Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Vince Young, and the prize of free agency Nnamdi Asomughua. All of those guys were former Pro Bowlers, and even one is a Super Bowl Champ.  

I guess the Eagles didn’t think about continuity, camaraderie, and team chemistry when they dished out those big contracts.  It’s baffling to see franchises go on wild spending sprees in free agency and expect the team to immediately win when history has always shown the total opposite.

Yankees have one title since '01

The Yankees have always been big free agency spenders but have only won one World Series titles since 2001. The Redskins of the 1990s popularized big spending and bigger losing in the NFL. Last season saw the Miami Heat sign 3 top 20 players and fall short of a title. And this list goes on and on.

Spending big just masks weaknesses that are unveiled in big moments. No one knew the Heat lacked good point guard play and interior defense until the NBA Finals. In the same way, no one was talking about the Eagles' poor talent at linebacker, an inadequate offensive line, and the head scratching move of switching the offensive line coach to defensive coordinator.

The Only Dream Team

This Eagles team was flawed from the beginning. They strengthened areas where they were already strong and completely ignored their major areas of concern. The “dream team” label was only added pressure. Especially since the only Dream Team consisted of all time greats like Jordan, Magic, and Bird. This team is just a bunch of birds with no magic.

photos courtesy of delawareonline.com, boozecrewsports.com, draftdaysuit.com

The list continues - QBs # 5-#3

5. Kurt Warner        FTQBR - 46

Surprise! Who knew Kurt Warner would rank this high on the list? At first glance, you wouldn’t put Warner over Aikman or Marino. But when you look at the numbers, they scream Hall of Fame. Kurt Warner has been an MVP twice, a Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and first team All Pro twice.

He retired second all time with a 65.5% completion percentage and second all time 93.7 career passer rating, both better than the aforementioned Hall of Famers. But perhaps his greatest accomplishment was leading the hapless Ram and Cardinal franchises to Super Bowls. For that alone he should be on this list.

Warner went from bagging groceries to the Super Bowl in a matter of months. A devout Christian and community activist, Warner is living proof that nice guys don’t always finish last.

4. Peyton Manning        FTQBR - 53

You didn’t think Peyton Manning would be left out did you? Manning walked into the worst franchise in the NFL in 1998 and changed the fortunes of the Colts forever. After a 3-13 rookie year, Manning led the Colts to 13-3 the next season and they haven’t had a losing season since.

Peyton plays the position like General Patton. He barks plays at his troops and meticulously attacks the opposition with tenacity; firing bullets up and down the field with precision.

His stats are straight up ridiculous. He’s thrown for 54,000 yards, 399 touchdowns and he’s been named All Pro 5 times. Cap those numbers with a Super Bowl win and we’re talking about a guy on the Mt. Rushmore of quarterbacks.

I don’t know if there is any quarterback that works harder at the position as Manning. His record 4, yes 4, MVP trophies are proof of that.

3. Steve Young        FTQBR - 55

Steve Young was one of the most physically gifted athletes to ever play in the NFL. The dude was 6’2, 215 lbs, had 4.5 speed, pin-point accuracy and had the intelligence of a lawyer.

After playing in quarterback purgatory, coaching legend Bill Walsh traded his second and fourth-round draft choices to Tampa for Young. The Bucs got Vinny Testaverde and more years of losing while the 49ers got a Hall of Famer.

When he finally got his time to start in San Francisco, he never looked back. He won a record 6 passing titles, 2 league MVPs, and 3 first team All Pro selections. He played big in the NFL’s biggest game throwing a record 6 touchdowns and earning the MVP award in his Super Bowl victory over the San Diego Chargers.

The guy would do anything to get a victory. If it meant throwing the winning touchdown pass or running threw a linebacker for a first down, Young did it.

Young threw and ran his way through the NFL record books. He retired with the highest quarterback rating in NFL history and a quarterback record 43 rushing touchdowns.

Young was the most versatile quarterback to ever play the game. To know how good he was just think about this. The Niners sent the great Joe Montana to Kansas City in Young's favor and the team didn’t miss a beat. Nuff said.

More of the Top QB List

8. Troy Aikman        FTQBR - 39

How fitting for Troy to land at number 8 on my list. The golden boy starred for UCLA before being the number 1 overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. After posting a 0-11 record in his rookie season, Aikman won 90 games and 3 Super Bowls in the decade of the 1990s.

Aikman’s 3 titles, which includes a game MVP, set him in exclusive company. Only 2 quarterbacks have won more. Surprisingly, Troy has very average stats, throwing just 165 touchdown passes compared to 141 interceptions. All in all, Troy was a winner whose leadership cannot be told by sheer numbers. Unless those numbers are 3, the number of titles he brought to Dallas.

7. John Elway        FTQBR - 39

No one did so much with so little as John Elway. This guy carried 3 different Denver Bronco teams to the Super Bowl when they had no business being there. A true clutch performer, Elway has 46 game winning drives on his resume. He guided the Denver Broncos to 148 wins with his 50,000 passing yards during his 16-year career.

Elway’s rifle arm led him to 399 career touchdown passes. On the other hand, that arm also produced 226 interceptions and a very mediocre 56.9% completion percentage. But I don’t remember him for his miscues. I remember him closing out his career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Talk about going out in style.

6. Brett Favre        FTQBR - 43

I’m not one of those guys who has a man crush on Favre. What no one can deny is that for 20 seasons no one played with the combination of toughness, exuberance, and joy quite like Favre did. He literally rewrote the record books and was as revered across the NFL as any other player in league history.

Favre retired with the most passing yards, completions, and touchdowns in league history. He also retired with the most interceptions (336) and, for all his success, just a 7-11 record in the postseason. His multiple retiring and un-retiring routines are well documented, but the guy deserves his props for winning 3 MVPs and playing sport’s toughest position for 298 straight games. That’s gangsta.

Top Quarterback list continued: numbers 11-9

11. Jim Kelly        FTQBR - 24
For 11 years Jim Kelly ran the K-Gun offense to perfection for the Buffalo Bills. The Hall of Fame quarterback led the Bills to 8 playoff appearances including 4 straight trips to the Super Bowl.

Kelly threw an impressive 237 touchdowns passes in his career, including his league leading 33 in 1991 when he was named to his only All Pro team. He would have had to win a couple of those Super Bowls to break into the top 10.

10. Drew Brees        FTQBR - 33
Drafted by San Diego, Brees developed into a Pro Bowl quarterback before the Chargers let him walk due to injury. He signed with the Saints and brought a Super Bowl to the Katrina ravaged city of New Orleans.

Brees put up big career numbers across the board with a 91.2 rating, 239 touchdown passes and a 65% completion percentage. Add a first team All Pro selection and a Super Bowl MVP award with those numbers and Brees is well on his way to a bust Canton.

 
9. Dan Marino        FTQBR - 39
Now we are firmly into the upper echelon and who better to start with than Dan Marino. He set the world on fire in 1984 when he was league MVP, setting single records for touchdowns (48) and passing yards (5,084). With his quick release, Marino retired holding every major career passing record. His play earned him a first ballot Hall of Fame selection.

Unfortunately, Marino was never able to have the same success in the postseason. He had just a 5-10 playoff record after winning 147 games in the regular season. The biggest blemish on his resume` is his lack of a Super Bowl title, but still Dan Marino was truly an all time great and deserves this top 10 spot on my list.

Top Quarterbacks of the last 30 years

Who’s the greatest quarterback of the last 30 years? It’s a never-ending debate in the sports universe. What exactly is the criterion? Is it the guy with the best stats? Is it the number of Super Bowl titles? What about wins and unforgettable moments. Of course it’s got to be a combination of all of those things. Just because a guy like Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls doesn’t make him a better quarterback than say Dan Marino or Jim Kelly.

Over the next few days I will be ranking the best quarterbacks in the NFL dating back from 1980 up to now using my own FTQBR system, which is the Fanatical Truth Quarterback Rating system. I added the statistics that best show a quarterback’s value and subtracted the sum by the total of negative plays. Remember, the bulk of his career has to be played after 1980 (sorry Dan Fouts). Also, the quarterback had to be a starter for at least 9 seasons.

I used everything from touchdowns and championships to losses and interceptions. I weighted Super Bowl wins heavy, giving 5 points for each. I also gave the same amount of points for making First Team All-Pro as I did for MVPs. Like an MVP award, making 1st team All Pro means that you were the best quarterback in the NFL for that season.

On the other hand, I gave the lowest amount of points for Pro Bowl selections because the value of being a Pro Bowler isn’t as high as it used to be. I mean, who knows who actually was chosen for the game and who only got there as an injury replacement?

I also gave bonus points for Comeback Player of the Year awards and Hall of Fame inductions. Obviously making it in the Hall of Fame is huge and I liked that players got through some adversity and came back to perform at a high level.

Scoring is as follows:
Career wins – 50-80=2 pts, 81-100=5 pts, over 100=7 pts
Playoff wins – 1-5=2 pts, 6-10=5 pts, 11-15=7 pts
Touchdown Passes – 100=2 pts, 101-200=5 pts, 201-300=7 pts, over 300=10pts
Completion % - 55=2 pts, 56-60=5 pts, over 60=7pts
Passer Rating – 75-85=2 pts, 86-90=5 pts, over 90=7 pts
MVP awards – 1=5 pts, 2=7 pts, 3=10pts, 4=12 pts
1st Team All-Pro – 1=5pts, 2=7pts, 3=10 pts, 4=12pts
Pro Bowls – 1-3=1 pt, 4-6=pts, 7-10=3 pts, over 11= 4 pts
Super Bowl MVPs – 1=2 pts, 2=5 pts, 3=7 pts
Hall of Fame = 5 pts (bonus)
Comeback Player of The Year = 1 pt (bonus)
Losses – 50= -2, 51-80= -5, 81-100= -7, over 100= -10
Playoff Losses – 1-5= -2, 6-10= -5, 11-15= -7, over 16= -10
Interceptions – 50= -1, 51-100= -2, 101-150= -3, 151-200= -4, over 200= -5

Let the debating begin!

Young Guns
These are the guys who deserve to be mentioned on this list, but do not have the required years as a starter (9).

Ben Roethlisberger  FTQBR – 29
The two time champ does nothing but win

Aaron Rodgers  FTQBR – 20
The Super Bowl MVP last season. The arrow is pointing way up.

Phil Rivers  FTQBR – 20
He is a prolific passer and a big time leader.

Tony Romo  FTQBR – 18
When he isn’t busy dating actresses and singers, he’s putting up big numbers in Big D.

Mike Vick  FTQBR – 5
Vick is the most explosive quarterback in league history.
 
The List 

#16 Warren Moon     FTQBR – 11 
I had to include Warren Moon even though I intended to only rank the top 15. His 11 rating is a little miscued because it doesn’t include his career as a Canadian Football League (CFL) star. He came along at a time when the NFL hadn’t had many black QBs and had to go to Canada to continue to play the position. He ended his CFL career with 5 championships, an MVP, and 144 touchdown passes in 6 seasons.

Unfortunately, this is the best quarterbacks in the NFL since 1980. Warren Moon is the NFL’s first African American star quarterback. His rating was aided by his Hall of Fame (HOF) induction, 291 touchdown passes and his 102 wins. But his 101 losses, lack of playoff success and high interception total (233) heavily contributed to his low ranking.

#15 Randall Cunningham    FTQBR – 15
Randall dazzled Eagle and Viking fans for year and was once dubbed the Ultimate Weapon. He had a gun for an arm and the ability to run pass even the fastest defenders. He has an MVP award from The Sporting News but the only official MVP award is given by the Associated Press, so I couldn’t count it.

His 207 touchdown passes, first team All Pro selection (1) and bonus point for his Comeback Player of the Year award help is case. But his pedestrian 81.5 rating and only having 3 playoff wins in 10 seasons as a starter do him in.

#14 Boomer Esiason    FTQBR – 15

I give Boomer the tiebreaker over Randall due to his Super Bowl appearance.  He was gun slinging lefty who led the Bengals, yes the Bengals, to a Super Bowl in 1988. The second round pick out of Maryland was the 1988 NFL MVP and he was voted 1st team All Pro that same year. What hurts him is his 93 loses and, due to his gun slinging, 184 interceptions.

#13 Donovan McNabb    FTQBR – 16

Throw out last season and all Donovan McNabb has done is win football games. The Eagles were a mess when they drafted him and they’ve been to 5 NFC championship games since.

The underappreciated quarterback has won 7 playoff games and won 230 touchdowns in his 11 years as a full time starter. However, he falls because he was never an MVP, 1st team All Pro or a Super Bowl champion. 

#12 Phil Simms    FTQBR – 16

Simms owns the tie breaker over McNabb due to his Super Bowl title. Phil Simms, along with Bill Parcels and Lawrence Taylor, brought championship football back to the Giants. His 22-25 for 268 yards and 3 tds performance in Super Bowl XXI remains as legendary today as it was then.

Simms FTQBR was greatly impacted on his Super Bowl title and game MVP honors. But his completion percentage (55%) and passer rating (78.5) are just average.