Day 286: Nobody Puts Tom Brady in the Corner.

Did you hear about this guy, Vinnie Iyer, from The Sporting News and the article he wrote this past week? He decided to rank the eight remaining NFL quarterbacks left in the playoffs. He based his rankings on different aspects of the game: arm strength, mobility, pocket presence, intangibles, blah blah, and then ranked the QBs within each area and assigned points. His results are a little shocking and kind of stupid.

Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson all scored 28 points to put them tied for first. Drew Brees came in fourth with 22 points and Cam Newton was fifth with 21 points. Phillip Rivers and Colin Kaepernick each scored 19 points to tie for sixth place. And then... in the lonely last place spot (the corner, as I like to call it) is Tom Brady, scoring just a 15 on Iyer's stupid point system. Wait... did I call it stupid already?

So the fact that Tom Brady has more Super Bowl wins than the other seven quarterbacks combined means nothing? Or that the Patriots have had to deal with both major personnel changes AND major losses to injuries means nothing? What about the NFL-leading five fourth-quarter comebacks and five game-winning drives this season? Nothing?

Sure, Tom Brady didn't have his best season statistically. He didn't blow the doors off any records or anything like that. Instead, he methodically lead a team of new guys, rookies and replacements to a 12-4 record, good for the second seed in the AFC and a first round bye. Back in December, this article on the Bleacher Report hit the nail on the head with this statement about Brady: "He's reverted back to his pre-2007 ways of squeezing maximum production out of minimum talent."Amen.

I dunno... call me crazy but I'd rather have a proven veteran at the helm going into these high-stress games. Someone who has demonstrated the ability to lead his team in all sorts of weather and all sorts of situations. Someone who never gives up—no matter how many points separate him from his opponent. A two-time Super Bowl MVP, perhaps?