MATT SLOCUM / Associated Press
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, leaving the field after Sunday's victory, has put up huge numbers, but hasn't won big.
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Ashley Fox
Saints' Brees is a winner without a ring
Inching toward Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles game Sunday, I listened to a spirited debate on WIP-AM (610) between Mike Mayock of the NFL Network and Reuben Frank, intrepid Eagles reporter for the Burlington County Times. Mayock and Frank vehemently disagreed over whether Drew Brees is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL.
Mayock said yes, and cited a laundry list of statistics and accomplishments by the nine-year veteran: 5,069 passing yards last season, a completion percentage in the 60s the last four seasons and three Pro Bowls, among other things. Frank said no, and pointed to the Saints' 15-17 record the last two years, Brees' mediocre road record, and the absence on his resume of a conference championship win.
The debate made for good radio. After watching Brees ruthlessly pick apart the Eagles' defense, completing 25 of 34 passes to nine different receivers for an average of 12.4 yards per pass play, it was hard to argue with Mayock. Even by his lofty statistical standards, Brees is off to a phenomenal start this season. In two games, he has completed 75 percent of his passes for 669 yards and has helped the Saints average 46.5 points per game.
Keep in mind New Orleans' opener was against Detroit, but still, the Saints are 2-0 for the first time under coach Sean Payton and are developing a swagger they haven't had since 2006, when they beat the Eagles to reach the NFC championship game.
But I'm with Frank on this one. Fair or not, quarterbacks are judged by results. It goes with the position. Think Dan Marino would rather have thrown for 61,361 career yards or won one Super Bowl? Think Warren Moon would trade his yellow Pro Football Hall of Fame blazer for Doug Williams' Super Bowl ring? You bet.
Brees is good, maybe even scary good, but hasn't been able to help his team overcome defensive deficiencies the last couple of years. He hasn't gotten the Saints above .500 since 2006, and hasn't won a playoff game in two seasons. Not all of that is his fault, but it's crowded at the top. This isn't fantasy football. It's the NFL. Statistics are one thing, but wins count.
Taking that into account, here are my top five quarterbacks in the league.
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis. It's bound to be an adjustment for Manning with his longtime coach, Tony Dungy, now dropping knowledge on America from the NBC studios. But Manning still has his brain, his vision and his arm, which are the best in the league.
Eli Manning, New York. This kills me, because I've never been a big Eli fan, but his composure is something else. Watching the end of the Giants-Cowboys game Sunday night, when New York trailed by one with 31/2 minutes to play, you knew Manning would pull off the win. He's now got 14 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, including Super Bowl XLII. That's clutch.
Tom Brady, New England. It's just a guess, but Brady won't be back to being Brady until next season. That's the nature of ACL tears. He can deny it all he wants to now, but next season Brady will admit that he never felt 100 percent comfortable in 2009. Watch.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh. He's not going to stuff the stat sheet, but he's got two rings and showed last year that it's not all about the Steelers' D.
Kurt Warner, Arizona. This could be Donovan McNabb's spot had the outcome of the NFC championship game been reversed. Warner's AARP card should be in the mail, but he's still sharp.
Five who could be in, or be back in, the top five at some point: McNabb, Brees, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez.
Five who, for whatever reason, won't: Tony Romo, Carson Palmer, Jay Cutler, Brady Quinn, JaMarcus Russell.
Brandon Jacobs' revulsion of the Dallas Cowboys goes beyond the typical ho-hum rivalry stuff that makes the NFC East the best division in football. Jacobs has hated the Cowboys since he was a kid.
So what did he think about ruining the much-ballyhooed unveiling of Jerry Jones' new $1.2 billion baby and silencing more than 105,000 Cowboys fans? "Probably the nicest thing I've ever been a part of," Jacobs told the New York Daily News. . . . Big props to the Jets. If you're going to talk smack, back it up. Boy did they. . . . If you haven't seen Ray Lewis smother Darren Sproles in the San Diego backfield to beat the Chargers, you missed what Lewis called one of the greatest plays of his career. That's really saying something, given the number of monster hits Lewis has delivered over 14 seasons.
Contact staff writer Ashley Fox
at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.
