Rankings and Quarterbacks

I've always been hesitant at ranking Quarterbacks.  In the NFL the ranking at the top has revolved around Brees/Manning/Brady/Rodgers.  To me those 4 are a blend of technique/ability while fitting in a scheme that complimented them.  A lot of what separates these 4 are not only ability but outside factors like scheme/coaches/organization.

The thing these 4 Quarterbacks have in common is they all played on controlled-passing offenses.  This offense has many labels...in a nutshell all of the offenses are timed-intermediate passing offenses.  All 4 have good physical ability, but there is better physical ability on other NFL rosters.  Although all 4 are different in their technique, all have efficient motions that lend itself well with the offenses they play in.

That's an example of why I am so hesitant to give rankings.  If you were to ask me who I thought was the best Quarterback (factoring age/potential) in the NFL was...my answer would be Joe Flacco.  Flacco will never match the numbers of the four mentioned above, because his offense isn't conducive for those numbers.  My preference is a running team, and in my opinion Flacco has the best skill set in the NFL to compliment that.

Although I feel Brady and co. are at the top of their games.  I like the power arms and power running.  I'll always side with the big arm that can execute in that style of offense.  That's where my ranking wouldn't match most other rankings.  To me the offense a Quarterback plays in or translates to, effect the way I rank.

In baseball Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux played the same position, but were as different as can be.  One was about power in Jackson (similar to Flacco, Stafford, BigBen) while the other in Maddux was about control (similar to Rodgers, Brees, Manning).  All have elements of control and power, while all make every throw in the route tree.  But all of them have pronounced skills.

Rankings for me when it's close, comes down to a matter of preference.  I can't argue with Brees and co. or Flacco anymore than I could Johnson or Maddux.  I believe a vertical passing game requires a higher degree of difficulty than the horizontal game.  I think finding a QB that can execute a vertical game is rarer to find than one that can operate a horizontal one.  But that's my preference.