Reviewing Jaworski's Rankings: Best QBs of 2013

For the sake of honesty, I will admit without hesitation that Ron Jaworski is far more qualified to make a "Best of 2013" quarterback list. His 17-season career in the NFL is well-documented and exceptional; his knowledge of the game proves that he has looked into the statistics, technique, leadership capabilities and crunch-time swagger of each QB on his list in an attempt to determine the best of the best in a way that few others can. That being said, I do believe there are some positions that are inconceivable given what several QBs have submitted as their body of work. Let's take a look at Jaworski's rankings and evaluate!

In my personal opinion, one person on this list does not belong. I'll let you guess which, but let's start from the top.

Aaron Rodgers deserves the #1 spot. Earning Super Bowl XLV MVP Honors in 2010 and League MVP in 2011, as well as leading the league in passer rating and touchdowns per attempt in 2012, Rodgers has proven time and time again that he is the best of the best. No one best personifies the image of "The Man" like he does. For example, what happens if you put Rodgers on the Kansas City Chiefs or Arizona Cardinals? Instant playoff contenders, wouldn't you say? The Discount Double-Check signal caller is currently the best in the NFL, and as a Packers fan I look forward to what he can accomplish in the future.

Peyton Manning will be remembered as debatably the best regular season QB of all time. Producing double-digit wins in all but two seasons, Manning has won 4 League MVP awards and is a Super Bowl MVP. Despite what some may say about his tendency to choke in the playoffs, none can deny the ability he has to read defenses and bring wins to his fans.

I feel this is a comfortable spot for Tom Brady. He'll go down as one of the best of all time and was having a MVP-worthy season in 2012 before tight end Rob Gronkowski went down. This is a great spot for a great player, who has several seasons of playoff contention left before his looming retirement.

Aaaaaaand...here's the problem. The men on top of this guy are all League MVPs, 5000 yard passers, and among the best QBs the NFL has ever produced. I have a huge problem with Joe Flacco being #4 on this list. Flacco had an excellent postseason last year; 11 touchdowns, no interceptions and a Super Bowl MVP Award is among the most dominant play the NFL playoffs has ever seen. He has won at least one playoff game since his arrival to the NFL. But number 4...really? He has earned a season passer rating of 90.0 or higher only once. He has never thrown for more than 4,000 yards in a season. I think he has quite a road ahead of him before he even thinks about earning a League MVP nomination.

What Flacco did during the 2012 postseason was magical. He absolutely deserved to win the Super Bowl MVP, and has brought an unprecedented level of success to the Baltimore Ravens franchise. However, the weakness he has occasionally displayed during the regular season should be observed and noted. I would have been much happier if Drew Brees had earned this spot, despite the interceptions he has thrown. I would place Flacco behind Roethlisberger and in front of Eli Manning, who I believe he shares a number of similarities with.

And finally, I love that Matt Ryan closes out the top five. He's a true winner and an excellent QB. I hope to see him reach even further success as his career continues. Barring injuries or unforeseen setbacks, I see 2013 as being a career year for the Atlanta field general.

Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning belong here. Both were a bit absent in 2012, but will bounce back in 2013. They are two-time Super Bowl Champions and will be more dominant this season. I wanted to quickly clarify that so I could address the rest of the top 10.

I'm absolutely fine with Andrew Luck bringing up the rear at #10. I don't think anyone did more with less than what Luck accomplished last year. He will be in discussion for the top 10 on an annual basis for years to come.

But...Matt Schaub, the ninth-best QB in the NFL? Really, Jaws? I appreciate Schaub more than most. He's a top 15 quarterback and is without a doubt the best QB the Texans have ever had. They wouldn't be annual playoff contenders without him.

Let me ask you a question, dear reader: who would you rather have on your team, Robert Griffin III or Matt Schaub? When RG3 learns how to slide and avoid injury, he will be a complete player; he absolutely decimated the NFL last year and is by far the most exciting player in FedExField since Sean Taylor. He's a proven playmaker who deserves Schaub's spot. He has beaten other stars at his position like Drew Brees and Tony Romo, and was mopping the floor with Russell Wilson in the playoffs before his knee was shot. I hope that RG3 returns to the NFL healthy and ready to stay healthy - when he's on the field, Robert Griffin III captivates the NFL.

Once you get out of the top 10, most of the following spots become a manner of preference. For example, my feelings on places 11-15 would be Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, and Matt Schaub.

Although he started off slowly, Russell Wilson had developed into an enormously efficient by the end of the 2012 season. He played excellently in big games, like his combined five touchdown-no interception performances against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. He led a substantial comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, nearly beating them. I imagine out of the Gang of Four breakout QBs from 2012, Wilson is the least likely to develop a case of the sophomore slump.

In contrast, I'm not really a believer of Colin Kaepernick. What he accomplished last year as a mid-season starter was phenomenal. However, I think a lot of it came from his legs and big arm. When he was contained in the pocket during the Super Bowl, I think he lacked the mechanics of a pure pocket passer and suffered for it. I mean no disrespect; Kaepernick is a remarkable athlete. I just don't think he's better than RG3, Luck, or Wilson.

You've no doubt heard all the support Tony Romo has received this offseason resulting from his massive contract. His career passer rating of 95.6 is #5 in the history of the NFL, and he's a great quarterback. Romo's biggest problem is his "un-clutchness". As seen from the video below, Romo has been well-documented as a guy who can get you far, then make you watch your dreams crash and burn. I think that's less of an issue than most others; while he has had his moments, it's not always the job of one guy to make a win happen.

Meanwhile, I believe Matt Stafford will enjoy a far more productive season in 2013. His best (and truly only) target was Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, who was tackled on an opponent's one-yard line 5 times last season. The defense was so porous I could use it as a strainer for my mac n' cheese dinner. The lack of a consistent running game hurt the offense, and since they had to play from behind so many times Stafford was forced to throw, but really only had Megatron to pass to. I doubt the defense will improve by too much, but the arrival of Reggie Bush as a dual-threat running back as well as a healthy offseason for the rest of the Lions can help the Detroit team improve by at least two wins.

The rest of these guys on Jaws' list have a lot expected of them going into 2013. Whether it's stepping up to be the franchise player you're thought to be (Jake Locker, Christian Ponder), reigniting your career after spending 2012 on the bench (Alex Smith, Michael Vick), making the most of a contract year (Jay Cutler, Josh Freeman), or just struggling to start for an entire 16 game season (Kevin Kolb, Matt Flynn), these guys have a lot of ground to cover. Only time and energy spent on refining their game can get these QBs over the hump and higher on Jaworski's 2014 list.

With the information we know about all these quarterbacks, who do you think is currently the best in the NFL? Let me know by voting in the poll and commenting below if I ranked your team's starter too high or too low! Thanks for reading!