RSS FeedNFC Sends Forth Top Quarterbacks to 2011 NFL Playoffs
By Chris Malumphy
A quick look at the statistics for the starting quarterbacks of teams entering the 2011 NFL playoffs would lead one to believe that if the final results depend on the passing game, the NFC has a distinct advantage, with only the Patriots' Tom Brady posing much of a challenge to the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, the Saints' Drew Brees, the Lions' Matt Stafford, the Giants' Eli Manning, the Falcons' Matt Ryan. Of course, the AFC and the NFC don't meet until the Super Bowl game, so whoever survives the hunt in the AFC will only have to face one of those stellar NFC quarterbacks to claim the Lombardi Trophy.
| 2011 Starting Quarterbacks for Playoff Bound Teams | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Team | Att | C | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rating |
| Aaron Rodgers | Packers | 502 | 343 | 68.3 | 4,643 | 9.25 | 45 | 6 | 122.5 |
| Drew Brees | Saints | 657 | 468 | 71.2 | 5,476 | 8.34 | 46 | 14 | 110.6 |
| Tom Brady | Patriots | 611 | 401 | 65.6 | 5,235 | 8.57 | 39 | 12 | 105.6 |
| Matthew Stafford | Lions | 663 | 421 | 63.5 | 5,038 | 7.60 | 41 | 16 | 97.2 |
| Matt Schaub | Texans | 292 | 178 | 61.0 | 2,479 | 8.49 | 15 | 6 | 96.8 |
| Eli Manning | Giants | 589 | 359 | 61.0 | 4,933 | 8.38 | 29 | 16 | 92.9 |
| Matt Ryan | Falcons | 566 | 347 | 61.3 | 4,177 | 7.38 | 29 | 12 | 92.2 |
| Alex Smith | 49ers | 446 | 274 | 61.4 | 3,150 | 7.06 | 17 | 5 | 90.7 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Steelers | 513 | 324 | 63.2 | 4,077 | 7.95 | 21 | 14 | 90.1 |
| Joe Flacco | Ravens | 542 | 312 | 57.6 | 3,610 | 6.66 | 20 | 12 | 80.9 |
| Andy Dalton | Bengals | 516 | 300 | 58.1 | 3,398 | 6.59 | 20 | 13 | 80.4 |
| T.J. Yates | Texans | 134 | 82 | 61.2 | 949 | 7.08 | 3 | 3 | 80.2 |
| Tim Tebow | Broncos | 271 | 126 | 46.5 | 1,729 | 6.38 | 12 | 6 | 72.9 |
