Bart Hubbuch’s playoff rankings
The Post continues its examination of certain aspects of the NFL playoff teams. Here’s a look at the QUARTERBACKS:
Incredibly,1. Tom he Bradyjust keeps Patriots getting betterhave been with the age. 39-year-old’sThis might bestfor nearly season 4,000 yet, yardsas he in threwjust 12 gamesNFL record and for broke touchdown-to-the all-time interception ratio with 28 TD passes and just two picks. 2. Aaron Rodgers Packers Rodgers vowed to “run the table” when Green Bay was 4-6 — and backed it up with one of the best stretches of his career (15 TD passes and zero interceptions). He led the league with 40 TD passes overall, a feat that didn’t seem possible in midseason when Rodgers looked like a quarterback in steep decline. 3. Matt Ryan Falcons Sure, his 2016 numbers — 4,944 yards, 38 TDs and just seven interceptions — were MVP-worthy. But Ryan never will be truly respected until he gets the job done in the playoffs. Atlanta is just 1-4 with Ryan in the postseason, and his 85.2 passer rating in those five starts leaves a lot to be desired. 4. Ben Roethlisberger Steelers Pittsburgh has just one playoff victory since 2010 with Roethlisberger at quarterback, and Big Ben is no longer the TD and passing-yardage machine he was as recently as 2014. But Roethlisberger can still catch fire, and the Steelers have no shortage of potent weapons around him. 5. Dak Prescott Cowboys After a storybook rookie season that saw him improbably lead Dallas to a 13-3 record while throwing 23 TD passes and just four interceptions, Prescott is facing sky-high expectations in his playoff debut. The only knock on the fourth-rounder is Prescott is doesn’t throw downfield, but with a terrific running game and a solid defense, the Cowboys might not need that. 6. Russell Wilson Seahawks This has been Wilson’s worst season as a pro in terms of interceptions (11) and passer rating (92.6), and his rushing numbers were at career lows, too. Wilson finished strong, though, with eight TD passes and just one pick in Seattle’s final three games. 7. Matthew Stafford Lions Stafford was a legitimate MVP candidate until injuring the middle finger on his passing hand in Week 14. He hasn’t even been an average quarterback since then, throwing just two TD passes with three interceptions in three games — all of them losses. 8. Eli Manning Giants Big Blue can only hope the fabled “Playoff Eli” returns, because “2016 Regular Season Eli” was too often an eyesore of missed opportunities, awful turnovers and a talent-laden offense that mystifyingly couldn’t score. And the 2011 season was a long time ago, especially for a 36-year-old quarterback who often appears to be regressing rapidly. 9. Alex Smith Chiefs Smith turned in a typical Alex Smith regular season — in other words, nothing special. But his career playoff numbers are surprisingly good (11 TD passes and just one interception in five starts). Kansas City has enough weapons around him — hello, Tyreek Hill — and such a solid defense that relying on Smith won’t be necessary. 10. Matt Moore Dolphins With Ryan Tannehill sidelined by injury, Moore has been getting his first significant playing time since 2011 over the past month — and hasn’t looked too bad doing it. Miami is 3-1 in games with Moore either starting or playing most of the way. 11. Brock Osweiler Texans Signing Osweiler to a $72 million contract already is looking like one of the all-time worst freeagent moves. Osweiler was benched late in the year and is only starting because of Tom Savage’s injury. He’s a brutally bad quarterback with a good chance of getting booed by his own fans during a playoff game. 12. Connor Cook Raiders Its potential Super Bowl dream season ruined by Derek Carr’s broken leg, Oakland is stuck with its third option — a fourthround rookie. Cook wasn’t awful in his debut last week, but he wasn’t good, either.