After an action-packed opening weekend of NFL postseason football, four of the game's best quarterbacks were ousted from Super Bowl contention. Drew Brees' Saints, Michael Vick's Eagles, Matt Cassel's Chiefs and Peyton Manning's Colts were all losers over the weekend, and the play-callers will have seven long months to live with the defeat before hitting the gridiron again in September (if then).
While this group of quarterbacks is already planning an offseason getaway, there are eight more planning and preparing for their biggest game of the year. Besides Tom Brady, who is the best quarterback left?
Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdowns to lead the Packers over Vick's Eagles on Sunday, and he finished the regular season with a 101.2 QB rating — third only to Brady (111.0) and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (101.8).
In his third season as Falcons starter, Matt Ryan put up a career-high 28 touchdowns while throwing just nine picks. The BC alum also ended with a 91.1 QB rating, trailing future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning by just nine-tenths of a point.
Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger stormed back after a four-game suspension to open the season by throwing 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions and averaging over 266 passing yards per game.
Both Chicago's Jay Cutler and Baltimore's Joe Flacco were able to put some wins on the board despite being sacked the most and second-most, respectively, in the NFL. Cutler (52 times sacked) threw 26 touchdowns while Flacco (40 times sacked) connected for 25 passing touchdowns to just 10 picks.
Matt Hasselbeck didn't put up the sexiest numbers in Seattle, but the Seahawks' slinger has done enough to earn the NFC West champs a second-round playoff game. Hasselbeck put up more picks (17) than both starts (14) and touchdowns (12 passing, three rushing). Also having an ugly season was New York's Mark Sanchez, as the Jets' quarterback ended the 2010 campaign with 17 touchdowns and 13 picks to go with a 75.3 rating, second only to Hasselbeck's 73.2 among the 12 starting quarterbacks to make the postseason.
Besides Tom Brady, who's the best quarterback left in the NFL playoffs?customer surveys
