TTrent Dilfer: Tom Brady Not Best QB in the NFL New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one of the front-runners for the NFL MVP this season. Despite a wealth of injuries, the surprising departure of Randy Moss, and facing one of the league’s most challenging schedules, Brady has led the Patriots to the top of the AFC East, arguable the toughest division in the NFL, with a 9-2 record. He has thrown for 2,703 yards with 23 TDs and 4 INTs in 11 games. He’s on pace for a year that would only fall short of his record-shattering 2007 season, in which he threw 4,398 yards, 50 TDs, and 8 INTs. Still, his numbers haven’t done much to sway Trent Dilfer, an ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback, to name him the best quarterback in the NFL right now. “I really believe Philip Rivers is the best quarterback in football today,” Dilfer said, “and I know that’s almost sacrilegious with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady still playing quarterback. But nobody does more things in a cluttered environment than Philip Rivers does. Nobody pushes the ball down the field more than Philip Rivers does.” “His level of difficulty for which he plays the position, down in and down out, far exceeds that of any other quarterback in this league. All that being said, he still puts up sick numbers. He still wins games late. He gets everybody involved.” Rivers, who has also excelled without the likes of Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, and Antonio Gates for the majority of the season, has thrown for 3,362 yards with 23 TDs and 9 INTs. If he averages 345 or more yards over his next five games, he’ll break Dan Marino’s NFL record for most passing yards in a single season (5,084). While the Chargers have won four-straight, the streak only pulled them within one game behind the AFC West leading Kansas City Chiefs with a 6-5 record. They’ll likely overtake the division lead by season end, but won’t have to face the caliber of opponents that New England will. Dilfer wouldn’t back down from his point, insisting that the nuances of Rivers play tip him above Brady. “Watch the film. Philip Rivers is the best quarterback in the NFL.”
I don't need to watch the film, I watch the games every week but it's good to see Philip finally getting the national recognition from informed sources that he richly deserves....it's easy to forget that Rivers has already been taken care of financially, you just cannot tell when he is on the field of play!
Brady has all day to stand in the pocket and find an open receiver, if Philip had that much time he would have even better numbers
Good read and always love to hear more ppl who are finaly figuring out what I have told many since 2005, that PR would eventualy become one of THE QBs. Im still waiting for the day that this dream comes to full fruiton. I think I will start a annual holiday on that day. PR respect day! Then again Ill jus say it was on a 17th. PR respect Month yea that works even better.
Trent Dilfer might be one the few analysts with a mind of his own. I mean, he is one of the few people to ever give rivers credit he deserves. Over the last several years he's compared rivers to marino before anyone else did and ranked him on top of QB's in the NFL right there with Brady and Manning before, Now on the very top. All other anylists are band wagoners as far as i'm concerned.
I would be more impressed if this didn't come out of Trent Dilfer's mouth. What I mean is, c'mon...it's Trent Dilfer. What did he ever do? Before any of you pop off about winning a Super Bowl...well, we all know that isn't exactly true. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, and though he is a former quarterback, he doesn't exactly carry the weight of Dan Fouts or Dan Marino or someone like Montana saying the same thing. I've watched this season pretty closely and while I do believe Rivers is the man, it could easily be argued that someone like Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league right now. I'm not going to argue it, but it could be argued...just sayin'. Trent Dilfer.
No it could it. Aaron is doing a beast of a job in Green Bay but as for this year he isn't has good as Rivers. Not saying he sucks or anything. Just imagine Rodgers play at the level 9 while Rivers is at 11.
No, you don't have to have been a great player in the league to be a good analyst, but that doesn't mean you're a good analyst.
Very true, but you're the one that posted his credentials as a player to insinuate that his word doesn't mean as much as players who were better.
I did say that Dilfer wasn't the best player at his position and I'm sure most of us will agree. Then I went on and "said" that I would have liked to have heard it from someone that was good at that position. Did I say that Dilfer's word isn't good enough? No. Did I insinuate it? Who cares? I'm not a former quarterback or analyst. My point was that to me it would have been more credible from someone that could relate to having been as talented as Rivers. Clearly Dilfer never was. As an analyst who knows, he's not really Pro Bowl caliber at that either.
If Rivers wasn't possessed of the ugliest throwing motion in NFL history he'd garner more respect. Always looks like he's shot putting the ball, his mechanics are for a 'not to' video. How he controls the ball so well with that motion is truly a mystery.
I dont care what he looks like, and I dont care what he says to the other players while he is out there. Just as long as when he walks off the field the Chargers have another "W" thats all that matters, RESULTS
you can translate his throwing motion into a batters hitting stance. If it works, dont mess with it. How did Jeff Bagwell have so much power??????
Agreed, I'd rather the guy who gets it done week in week out than the guy with a pretty motion that ain't worth diddly squat in the clutch.* * I don't mean Brady, lol.. just a random player.
In this link I agree with Bentley... kinda funny how the other guy in this video puts forth dumb perceptions and Bentley tells him how it really is. Except for the part at the end about Josh Freeman, this is a pretty fair assessment I believe. I'd go with Bradford over Freeman if I had to start a new team with a young quarterback...young, as in less than 2 years in the league. Linky: NFL Two-a-Days: League's Best QB Is ... -- NFL FanHouse
ANyone can run the system brady has worked in with reasonable success. Look at Matt Cassel... Look at Kyle Orton Even. If Orton can put up numbers like he has running their easy system Imagine what Rivers could do on those teams. THing is Rivers is still better right now even though he runs a much harder system and has to do way more.
Interesting hypathetical. As a Freeman fan back to his time with Kansas, I would take him with the bias vote. Freeman wasnt even supposed to start last season. He was dropped into the starting spot almost as fast as most all other 1st round QBs drafted the year before and last. He didnt come out of the gate on fire by any means. He took his lumps and some more early on this season, but since he seems to have settled into the job has done a great job for year 2. But living in Missouri, I do get closer than im comfortable with to the local teams. Hence the notice of Freeman. With that Bradford has been on fire since he got there. I can still distinctly remember how close to 4-0 they were at week 4s end. Steven Jackson is still a workhorse and can carry over half a team on a good day. But I think what helped STL and Bradford to have such a good start is the drafting. They have been improving those lines year after year and it is starting to show. Freeman also is working with the youngest team in the NFL and youngest coach. They still have alot of work to shore up their O and especialy D line. But deffiantly STL and TB have great QBs for at least a half decade. Originaly I was gonna respond to this hypathecial with Bradford as my choice for the few more years and the faster start to his career. But I think I gotta be a Homer and take my BOY Freeman. *Also a late surgence into Halflife could have helped fuel the like of the name FREEMAN* It is surprising to me how fast the situation at QB league wide has actualy started to turn around from 07 and 08 where there were record amounts of starting QBs put on the field. Due to injuries and ineptness. Tho the crop is still young it is at least promising. Also could be a few more franchise QBs to be had in this years draft.
Rives is the best QB in the league hands down. Our line play and lack of receivers only prove our point. Did you see the other guy, on SNF, that shares the record with our man P Rivs scoring offense through his first 50 games? It was a guy in a black and white picture from the 50's doing the Al Bundy pose, (Polk High in the house!). P Rivs is averaging over 28 points a game as a starter in 50 starts, let that set in for a few minutes, 4 td's a game in 50 games. 28 pts a game?? Tom Brady, no, Peyton Manning, no, Joe Montana, no. Phillip Rivers yes...Think about it.
Unless I see some of that 2009 Rivers Mojo late in this season, I still say Brady has a slight edge...as much as I hate the guy. Rivers has missed on a couple of opportunities for 4th Qtr comebacks this year (opening week vs the Chiefs, was eerily similar to 2006 opener with Brees vs the Cowboys...multiple chances inside the 5 to tie the game, didn't get it done). He needs another couple signature NYG like games from 2009 to cement himself in the Brady/Manning conversation. Mannings are dead to me...so it was painful mentioning #18.
