2008 NFL Playoffs: Rating the Top Quarterbacks

They say defense is what wins championships in the NFL, but what good is a defense if you can't score points? Better yet, what good is an offense without a good quarterback to lead it? With that in mind, here's how the eight quarterbacks still alive in the 2007 playoff race stack up.

1. Tom Brady (Patriots)

Though I can argue that Peyton Manning is perhaps a better all around quarterback, Brady is in the midst of a career year. This high profile quarterback leads a 16-0 team into the playoffs. With both Randy Moss and Wes Welker on the receiving end of his passes, look for Brady to extend on what he accomplished during the regular season. Yet besides Moss and Welker, Brady is the type of quarterback that will get his entire offense involved in a game. Cool and collective in the pocket, he seldom will give a game away through a mental error and is capable of coming from behind in a game. Brady ended the year with an NFL leading 117.2 QB Rating. Along the way he set an NFL record for touchdown passes with 50, and completed 68.2 percent of his passes. Look for more of the same in the playoffs.

2. Peyton Manning (Colts)

Perhaps the best passer of his generation, Peyton Manning is an offensive wizard who often changes plays at the line of scrimmage to compensate for the defensive formation across from him. The loss of Marvin Harrison for most of the season caused Peyton to rely on Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne a bit more often than in times past. Still, he compiled a superb season in which he threw for over 4,000 yards for the 8^th time in his career. He has now passed for 306 career touchdowns in only 160 games. Look for Peyton to be up for a defense of the Super Bowl title.

3. Tony Romo (Cowboys)

Tony Romo gets the nod over Brett Favre due to his mobility and his team's home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A gifted quarterback who set a new Cowboy record by throwing 37 touchdown passes this year, Romo led the NFC in passing. Though some see his hanging out with pop singer Jessica Simpson as a distraction this playoff season, Romo should still improve upon last season's playoff performance.

4. Brett Favre (Packers)

This old war horse still had one last great season in him. Favre's ability to come back from the dead lifted the Packers into the playoffs. Along the way, Favre set a new record for most touchdown passes in a career, a record which stood at 442 by seasons end. Unfortunately the road to the Super Bowl for him leads through Dallas, a team he lost to during the regular season.

5. David Garrard (Jaguars)

Garrard is red hot, and his ability to run with the ball help bounce the Steelers out of the playoffs. Taking over the team from Byron Leftwich, Garrard went on to compile a 102.2 QB rating during the regular season, though it should be noted that he lost two meeting to the Colts this year.

6. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

Matt Hasselbeck quietly put together an impressive season. This effective passer reached career highs in touchdown and yards passing. Hasselbeck also has more playoff experience than Romo and Garrard, having led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl one year. Yet with the Seahawks not as a strong on the ground as in years past, Hasselbeck will have to be sharp for Seattle to advance in the post season.

7. Eli Manning (Giants)

Peyton's little brother has taken a great deal of abuse over the past few years. Some critics still doubt Eli's ability to become a top flight quarterback, while others point to his last two impressive outings as signs that he has come of age. Helping Manning along is a good running game and a top notch pass rush.

8. Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Rivers has had an up and down year, looking good in some games and awful in others. Overall his numbers dipped down from last year, though he has put up some good starts over the last four games. He is coming off a big win against the Titans and has a top flight runner in Tomlinson to check off to.