Two seasons ago, I created (FROM MY BARE HANDS!) an idea called “Quarterback Madness.” It was like March Madness, but with less Prarie View A&M.

Quarterback Madness was created to determine who was the ultimate franchise quarterback in the NFL. Not “who is the best quarterback right this very moment?”. This is about who is the ultimate franchise quarterback. In the previous two incarnations, Aaron Rodgers came away your winner.

But this is the year of the quarterback. And not just the quarterback, but the rookie quarterback (save for Brandon Weeden). Aaron Rodgers’ road is not as easy as it was in the previous two seasons. Can he win???? (waiting for suspenseful music….realizing this is the written word…..bowing in shame)

A refresher course: Each of the 32 NFL teams has a player on their roster who was their best quarterback. For some teams (Patriots, Packers, Falcons) it’s easy to determine who the “best” quarterback is. For other teams (too many to list) it’s not so easy. In the past, I’ve used the metric “guy who started the most games.” But, because of injuries and the like, that’s not going to work for some teams. So I’ll just take the liberty of deciding who is the best QB on each roster. If you have an issue with that and think that I picked incorrectly, I wouldn’t sweat it. I doubt that Blaine Gabbert is getting very far here.

QBs are seeded in four regions based on their team’s final regular season record. The four regions:

Akili Smith Region (#1 overall seed)
Tim Couch Region (#2 overall seed)
Cade McNown Region (#3 overall seed)
Jim Druckenmiller Region (#4 overall seed)

In the final four, Akili Smith faces Jim Druckenmiller. Tim Couch faces Cade McNown.

FIRST ROUND

AKILI SMITH REGION
1.) Matt Ryan
8.) Brady Quinn
Um, how about we don’t waste our time on this one?

4.) Ben Roethlisberger
5.) Sam Bradford
On the surface, a really interesting contest because of Roethlisberger’s age and history of injuries, both motorcycle and football-related. You don’t have to dive too deep though to realize that Ben is the winner here. Because he’s a winner. And a heck of a good QB. Bradford is, still, just potential. Handsome, handsome potential.

3.) Christian Ponder
6.) Philip Rivers
There’s nothing to get excited about here. Nothing. Philip Rivers appears to be toast. Christian Ponder appears to be Christian Ponder. Ponder showed some flashes of skill this season, when he wasn’t showing some flashes of being Christian Ponder. I’ll take his minimal upside and his relative youth over Philip Rivers who is not the answer in San Diego and maybe never was.

2.) Russell Wilson
7.) Jake Locker
Jake Locker is, in some distant planet, kind of similar to Russell Wilson. Unfortunately for Jake Locker, this is Earth. And Jake Locker is a severely inaccurate QB who hasn’t learned how to use his one asset (mobility) to his advantage. Russell Wilson is fabulous. He makes great decisions. His arm is stronger than you expect it to be. His accuracy is better than you expect it to be. His runs are smart. He’s not scared in the pocket. He’s just remarkably good.

TIM COUCH REGION
1.) Peyton Manning
8.) Blaine Gabbert
Peyton Manning could be 73 years old, have his neck surgically removed from his body, and still be a better quarterback than Blaine Gabbert (or Chad Henne).

4.) Tony Romo
5.) Cam Newton
Does Cam Newton’s attitude kind of suck? Sure. When the Panthers lose a game, he becomes more insufferable than Taylor Swift winning a Teen Choice Award. And I really like Tony Romo. I like the guy. I like the QB. He has never and will never get a fair shake. He performs, every year, like a Top 10-12 QB in the NFL. But I’m often in awe of Cam Newton’s talent. I’m not sure that he’s ever going to be a top 5 QB, but his youth (23 vs. Tony Romo’s 32) and tremendous ability make his ceiling almost limitless. It’s an easy victory despite all of the text I just used here.

3.) Andy Dalton
6.) Josh Freeman
I cannot get excited about either QB. I’ll take Dalton because he’s less inconsistent than Freeman, who is remarkably inconsistent.

2.) Andrew Luck
7.) Kevin Kolb
I’ll give you a few moments to try to think of something that any of Arizona’s 4 QBs (Kolb, Ryan Lindley, John Skelton, and Brian Hoyer) are better than Andrew Luck at. Go ahead. Take your time.

CADE MCNOWN REGION
1.) Matt Schaub
8.) Nick Foles
I actually think this is closer than it looks. I like Nick Foles. He’s accurate. He’s big. He can move a little bit. He’s, well, he’s Matt Schaub except he’s 8 years younger. And so I’m taking Nick Foles.

4.) Eli Manning
5.) Ryan Tannehill
It makes sense, somehow, that in the year I realized that Eli Manning was an elite QB, he looked like he did in his first few seasons. Inconsistent. Poor decision-maker. All that. I don’t think that he took a permanent step back. I also think that he’s two-time Super Bowl winning QB Eli Manning and Ryan Tannehill is just an okay signal-caller.

3.) Jay Cutler
6.) Ryan Fitzpatrick
Neither of these guys are going to win here, so I’ll just quickly give it to Jay Cutler.

2.) Aaron Rodgers
7.) Brandon Weeden
Um, yeah.

JIM DRUCKENMILLER REGION
1.) Tom Brady
8.) Carson Palmer
You know, Carson Palmer is 2 years younger than Brady….

4.) Robert Griffin III
5.) Drew Brees
Give this question to me before the Seattle playoff game and I’m taking RGIII without hesitation. Now, I not only hesitate, but I take Drew Brees. You don’t mess around with a QB who has torn his ACL twice. Especially when running is such an important part of his game.

3.) Joe Flacco
6.) Mark Sanchez
Yes, I think that Mark Sanchez starts the Jets first regular season game in September. Yes, he has no chance of ever being as good as Joe Flacco, which says a lot of things. A lot.

2.) Colin Kaepernick
7.) Matthew Stafford
I can’t put into words what we saw on Saturday night in San Francisco. Colin Kaepernick was beyond dazzling. There’s a risk I run in being too hyperbolic about his performance, but I think that was a level of NFL quarterbacking unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Matthew Stafford is a really good quarterback with a really tough draw here.


SECOND ROUND

AKILI SMITH REGION

1.) Matt Ryan
4.) Ben Roethlisberger
Matt Ryan’s career accomplishments aren’t in the Roethlisberger category, but I don’t think it’s wrong to say that he’s in a better spot to win two Super Bowls before his career ends than Roethlisberger is to win two more. What I’m trying to say is that Matt Ryan’s best days are clearly ahead of him. He needs some work. He still has absolute clunker games from time-to-time. But there’s a high ceiling there. We know Roethlisberger’s. Also, if I’m building a franchise and need a franchise quarterback, Ryan is slightly more marketable because his Wikipedia page doesn’t include the phrase, “including a nearly fatal motorcycle accident in 2006 and sexual assault allegations in Lake Tahoe in 2008 and in Milledgeville, Georgia, in 2010..”

3.) Christian Ponder
2.) Russell Wilson
Often, you’ll see a rookie quarterback regress as his season progresses. Russell Wilson got better. A lot better. Seattle played it close to the vest during the first half of the season, but once they gave Wilson the ball and said, “play,” he did. And he’ll likely win a Rookie of the Year for that play. He’s Seattle’s quarterback for the future. He’s a gem. He’s going to be a star.

TIM COUCH REGION

1.) Peyton Manning
5.) Cam Newton
Cam Newton wins here. Peyton Manning is the better quarterback right now, but if I want a franchise QB, I’m only going to get a few years more out of Manning, at best. Or I could have 10-15 of Cam Newton, with a near limitless ceiling. I’m willing to wait for the maturity issues to work themselves out.

3.) Andy Dalton
2.) Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck was not, statistically, a very good QB in 2012. His completion pct. hovered at times around 50% (he finished at 54%). He threw way too many interceptions, many of them poor decisions (a bug-a-boo even going back to Stanford). That said, Luck doesn’t have AJ Green. He has TY Hilton. Flip the teams here and this would be even easier than I think it is. Dalton is a fine game manager. I would not feel comfortable giving him the full control of my team.

CADE MCNOWN REGION

8.) Nick Foles
4.) Eli Manning
Not a contest. Manning.

3.) Jay Cutler
2.) Aaron Rodgers
Not a contest. Rodgers.

JIM DRUCKENMILLER REGION

1.) Tom Brady
5.) Drew Brees
The toughest matchup here. Brady is 2 years older than Brees, but has two more Super Bowl wins. Both are in the top 3, right now, of NFL QBs. I take Brady, by a hair, because he doesn’t throw interceptions. And while you might say, “But Brees throws the ball a lot more!” I’d counter by saying that Brees threw 33 more passes this season than Brady. And Brady threw 11 fewer interceptions. And Brady has won 3 Super Bowls.

3.) Joe Flacco
2.) Colin Kaepernick
Joe Flacco is a perfectly serviceable QB. Colin Kaepernick is much more than that. And I think he’s only getting started.

THIRD ROUND
(editor’s note: I paused after I looked at these quarterfinal matchups and thought, “Man, none of these are easy. I call myself “man”.”)

AKILI SMITH REGION

1.) Matt Ryan
2.) Russell Wilson
Such an intriguing battle. You have the prototypical, 6’4” pocket QB and the atypical 5’11” quarterback who can do it all, against all odds. Look, Russell Wilson deserves every ounce of credit he’s getting. It’s beyond rare to see a rookie quarterback, especially a third round draft pick, come in, start from day 1, and succeed in a regular offense. It took the Seahawks 4 weeks to realize that Wilson could lead a team. His game log shows that. His yards per attempt jumped. His yards per game jumped. You just don’t see that from third round rookies. And you certainly don’t see it from third round rookies who are under 6 feet tall.

Matt Ryan is a very good quarterback. But he’s not elite. And I’m not sure that we’re going to see him be elite. It’s not like he’s missing pieces on offense. Julio Jones is a dominant receiver, when the Falcons decide to use him. And Roddy White isn’t exactly a bad second option. Not to mention first ballot Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. For me, I think Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are equals right now. Wilson is a rookie. Ryan is a four year veteran. I think Wilson can get better. That gives him the advantage.


TIM COUCH REGION

5.) Cam Newton
2.) Andrew Luck
A somehow not staged battle between the previous two #1 overall picks. So age can’t be a determining factor. Cam Newton’s athleticism certainly gives him an edge. But Andrew Luck’s poise under pressure, which can’t be measured, but I think can be seen, evens that back up. I keep going back to the question, “Who would I want leading my team?” The answer is fairly clear at that point. I want the guy who doesn’t put on a show after the team loses. I want that guy with the perceived thicker skin. Cam Newton’s ceiling is limitless. Andrew Luck’s isn’t necessarily limitless, but I can see Luck reaching his ceiling (Hall of Fame QB) more realistically than I can see Newton reaching his (transcendent Hall of Fame QB). Luck advances to the final four.

CADE MCNOWN REGION

4.) Eli Manning
2.) Aaron Rodgers
By far the easiest of the matchups in this round. Aaron Rodgers has the age advantage, on top of being a better decision-maker than Manning. Eli is still prone to throwing the balls that he shouldn’t. Rodgers just doesn’t do that. Does he get sacked too often? Yes. Is that a ridiculous criticism of a remarkably good quarterback? Most definitely.

JIM DRUCKENMILLER REGION

1.) Tom Brady
2.) Colin Kaepernick
Before Saturday’s game, I think Tom Brady would win this despite the 10 year age difference between the two quarterbacks. But that Colin Kaepernick performance on Saturday was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in the NFL. I mean, if Kaepernick was just a pocket passer, he’d be serviceable. Joe Flacco might be an okay comp. If Kaepernick was just a “mobile” quarterback, he’d be serviceable. But I don’t know what the comp would be. Because Kaepernick is huge and fast and strong. Early Michael Vick doesn’t work. He was a finesse runner. Kaepernick can be a finesse runner or he can be a more physical runner. But when you combine them both? I don’t know that there’s a defense that can stop that.

And no one did stop Kaepernick. He took over for the injured Alex Smith on November 11. The 49ers lost twice in that span. Kaepernick (including the playoff game) threw a total of 4 interceptions. If you just look at Kaepernick’s passing numbers, you probably wouldn’t be wowed. He never threw for more than 300 yards. And if you looked at just the rushing numbers, you wouldn’t be wowed. He never ran for over 100 yards until Saturday’s 181. But when you put those numbers together, what you get is some kind of super QB. If Kaepernick stays healthy and Jim Harbaugh stays on as head coach, there is no telling what he can do. When you talk about limitless ceilings (and that’s what this is about, to me), Kaepernick’s might be the most limitless. Imagine if RGIII’s knees weren’t already balky. And imagine that RGIII was 6’6”. And imagine that RGIII had a stronger arm. That’s what Colin Kaepernick may very well be.

And then there’s Tom Brady, who you could easily argue is the greatest quarterback of all-time and still has probably 3-4 very good years in him. And that’s unfortunately what it comes down to for Tom Brady. I can have 12 years of Colin Kaepernick or 3 years of Tom Brady. This isn’t entirely about what you’ve done. It’s about what you’re going to do. The past can be predictive. But that’s about it. And so, against the past, thinking about the future, I take Colin Kaepernick (or “Colly Football”…you’re welcome).

FINAL FOUR

Russell Wilson v. Colin Kaepernick
As you can tell from reading this, there aren’t two quarterbacks who I enjoy watching more than Wilson and Kaepernick. And they’re pretty similar. Well, aside from one very large difference. That difference is, of course, size. Kaepernick is at least 7 inches taller than Wilson. And while DangerRuss might be a more accurate passer, the physical nature of Kaepernick’s running style is appealing in what I think is the new NFL.


Andrew Luck v. Aaron Rodgers
Andrew Luck’s realistic ceiling is probably Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers. While keeping this abbreviated might seem like a slight to Luck, I’d say that there are few compliments better than a quarterback being similar to Aaron Rodgers. Again, Luck will have to cut down on the interceptions, but I think he will.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Colin Kaepernick v. Aaron Rodgers
On November 10, this wouldn’t have been imaginable. Kaepernick was a backup quarterback. I had my doubts about Kaepernick’s college game translating to the NFL. In fact, the NFL’s game has transformed into the offense Kaepernick ran under Chris Ault at UNR. And, as it turns out, Kaepernick is the perfect NFL quarterback for the system.

Much of this likely seems like a reaction to one of the single best quarterbacking performances in playoff history. And, in a way, it is. What we saw on Saturday night, I truly believe, was a new phase in the NFL. We’ve been experiencing the era of the quarterback for the previous few seasons. Kaepernick’s performance on Saturday night, against a defense coached by a man many believe to be one of the best defensive minds in the sport, was the transition to the era of the new quarterback. We saw the start with RGIII. And Russell Wilson is certainly a leader of the movement, but Kaepernick is the face. Take away the run and he’ll beat you in the air. Take away the air and he’ll run through, around, and past you.  He, along with Wilson, Newton, and Griffin, are opening the door for all of the quarterbacks who got kicked to the curb a decade ago. There’s a place for them now. And not just as a gimmick. Athletic quarterbacks are the feature film from here on out.

Rodgers is more athletic than he gets credit for. He’s still accurate outside of the pocket and when needed, he can scramble for positive yardage. And he’s done it year after year. But I’ve written a lot about Rodgers in the previous two years. Does he hold onto his title or not?

Yes, but barely. Kaepernick has done it for two months. And while I feel confident that he’ll keep this going next year, and the year after that, etc. I’m not losing enough dynamic play by siding with Rodgers. He’s 29 years old. That’s 4 years older than Kaepernick, but not exactly Tom Brady’s 35.

Will this be different a year from now? Perhaps. But for now, Aaron Rodgers holds on to his championship belt.