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1.
Peyton Manning, Colts
Manning leads the league in completion percentage (69.8), yards per
game (317.1), is second in first-down percentage and is tied for second
in touchdown passes (21). He's only fallen short of the 300-yard mark
twice this year.
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2. Brett Favre, Vikings
Favre's 69.7-percent accuracy has helped put him on pace to finish
with a career-low five interceptions this season. Since becoming a
starter in 1992, he hasn't thrown less than 13 picks in a season.
Favre's tied for second-best in touchdown passes with 21.
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3. Drew Brees, Saints
The Saints quarterback goes head-to-head with Tom Brady on Monday
night. Brees leads the NFL with 21 touchdown passes and is
third-best at moving the chains with 40-percent of his throws resulting
in a first down.
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4. Tom Brady, Patriots
After just one 300-yard game in his first five games, Brady has
exceeded that threshold in all of his last five outings. He's second in
yards per game (304.9), fourth in touchdowns (20), and has thrown just
six interceptions this year.
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5. Ben
Roethlisberger, Steelers
Roethlisberger leads the NFL in getting a new set of downs for his
team with 40.4 percent of his passes, is fourth in yards per game
(286.7) and third in completion percentage (68.9). He's expected to play
this week despite last weekend's concussion.
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6. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Rodgers' 278.8 passing yards per game is fifth-best in the NFL, and
he's tied for sixth in touchdown passes with 19. He's been sacked a
league-worst 43 times, but is also tied for first in pass completions of
40-plus yards with 11 this year.
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7. Matt Schaub, Texans
Schaub has thrown for over 300 yards in six games--including his
last two--but the Texans are 2-4 in those contests. He's third in
passing yards per game (295.8), tied for sixth in touchdown passes (19),
and is tied for second with 38 completions for 20-plus yards.
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8. Kurt Warner, Cardinals
Warner is in the top ten in all major passing categories, including
one that he wishes he'd be ranked much lower. His 11 interceptions is
the sixth-highest mark among NFL starters. During his last two games, he
completed at least 76 percent of his passes.
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9. Philip Rivers, Chargers
Rivers isn't quite putting up the eye-popping numbers he did in
2008, but he's still a dangerous opponent. His top ranking this year is
in converting first downs with 39.9 percent of his passes, fourth best
in the NFL.
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10. Eli Manning, Giants
After a strong start, Manning slumped a bit and is only among the
top ten throwers in one major category--touchdown passes (18). That
said, he's on pace to set a personal career-best for a single season in passing
yards and touchdown passes.
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11. Donovan McNabb, Eagles
For the third consecutive year, McNabb is completing better than 60
percent of his passes. The 11th-year veteran is coming off a
71.9-percent completion performance against Chicago and has thrown at
least two touchdown passes in his last two games.
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12. Joe Flacco, Ravens
Flacco's 256-yards passing against the Colts was the first time he's
thrown for better than 200 yards since October 18. He's seventh-best at
moving the chains with 38.5 percent of his passes, but in three of his
last five games he hasn't thrown a touchdown pass
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13. Tony Romo, Cowboys
Romo is eighth in passing yards per game (262.4), is tied for
twelfth in touchdown passes (15), and is on pace for his second
4,000-yard season of his career. But he's thrown as many interceptions
as touchdowns over the last three weeks (3).
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14. Carson Palmer, Bengals
Palmer's most notable strength this year is in keeping the
first-down marker flipping with 35.9 percent of his passes--twelfth-best
in the NFL. It's unlikely he'll throw for 4,000 yards like he did in
2006 and 2007, but the team doesn't need it thanks to better balance.
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15. Matt Ryan, Falcons
Ryan's struggling. Earlier this year, he was the league's
second-best quarterback at getting a first down with 42.4% of his passes,
but he's now fourteenth with a 34.6 mark. And over the past four weeks
he's thrown for five touchdowns against six interceptions.
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16. Kyle Orton, Broncos
Orton's completing 62 percent of his throws and has thrown just five
interceptions. But he's also only contributing an average of 220 passing
yards per game and is eighteenth in touchdown passes (11). Denver needs
a spark from him this week versus the Giants.
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17. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks
The 11th-year veteran is completing 60-percent of his throws this
year. While he's passed for over 300 yards in two of his last three
games, he's thrown just two touchdown passes versus four picks during
that stretch
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18. Jason Campbell, Redskins
Although he's got the sixth-best completion rate in the NFL (66
percent)
and is sixth in moving the chains with his passes (38.8 percent), the
Redskins have only put more than 17 points on the board once this year
with him leading the offense.
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19. David Garrard, Jaguars
Garrard has been a bit of a feast or famine quarterback. He's 11th
in completions of 20-plus yards with 31, but his eight touchdown passes
puts him in a tie for 24th in the NFL. Without a strong finish, his
future as a starter anywhere in 2010 becomes questionable.
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20. Jay Cutler, Bears
Cutler's tenth in the NFL in passing yards per game (252.4) and 12th
in touchdowns with 15, but his 18 interceptions is the worst mark in the
league. He's on pace to log his second consecutive 4,000-yard season,
but it's not likely going to benefit the Bears this year.
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21. Alex Smith, 49ers
Despite his 61-percent completion rate this year, Smith hasn't been
getting the job done since returning to the starting lineup. He's a slow
starter who's completed just 45.8 percent of his passes in the first
quarter and no touchdowns.
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22. Vince Young, Titans
Young has added a new dimension to the Titans offense, but it's way
too early to coronate him as the franchise quarterback. In four starts
he has three touchdown passes, has turned the ball over two times and is
averaging only 156 passing yards per game.
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23. Chad Henne, Dolphins
Henne is still a work in progress, and the use of the wildcat
offense can't be helping as he's trying to get into a groove. He's been
below the 60-percent completion mark for five straight games and has
just three touchdown passes during that stretch.
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24. Matthew Stafford, Lions
Stafford showed a lot of grit coming back into the game last week to
make the game-winning toss despite a badly-injured shoulder. His five
touchdown passes against the Browns nearly matched his total for the
year before the start of the game. He's showing progress.
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25. Matt Cassel, Chiefs
Cassel's 55-percent completion rate is sub-par, and he's struggled
to move the chains through the air with just 26 percent of his throws
resulting in a first down. But his 12 touchdowns to six interceptions
ratio is at least respectable.
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26. Jake Delhomme, Panthers
Delhomme only has eight touchdown passes this season and has thrown
14 picks. And his 57.1-percent completion rate is the second-worst
single-season mark of his 11-year career. It may be time for him to
settle into a second-string mentor role in 2010.
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27. Mark Sanchez, Jets
Sanchez is pressing, trying to force plays that simply aren't
there--as evidenced by his 16 interceptions. And while he still makes
some great plays, including 29 completions for 20-plus yards, his
completion rate of 52-percent is one of the lowest among current
starters.
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28. Kyle Boller, Rams
With Marc Bulger out for three to six weeks due to a knee injury,
Boller takes over as the starter once again. During his previous two
starts this year, the team scored a combined total of just ten points.
But 32.6 percent of his throws this year have resulted in a first down.
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29. Brady Quinn, Browns
Despite a morale-busting loss on the closing play last week, the
Browns had to be glad to see Quinn log his first 300-yard
game--including four touchdown passes. With the Bengals up next,
Cleveland needs him to do it again.
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30. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers
Freeman is making his share of rookie mistakes, turning the ball
over seven times during his three starts. But he also has five touchdown
passes and hovered around 200 passing yards per game until last week
(126 yards).
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31. Bruce Gradkowski, Raiders
Gradkowski spread the ball around nicely against Cincinnati while
completing 50 percent of his throws for 183 yards in his first start
this year. He threw a pair of touchdown passes and one interception.
More on the Raiders...
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32. Ryan Fitzpatrick,
Bills
The Bills have a quarterback quandary. Fitzpatrick gets the nod this
week after completing 58 percent of his passes last weekend. But he's
thrown just three touchdowns versus six interceptions as a starter this
year. He's not the long-term answer.
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