Nate Kaeding, Chargers, Choke: Join Eagles as Decades Biggest Choke Artists

For the fifth time this decade the Chargers have gotten into the playoffs with high expectations but will not have advanced to the Super Bowl.

But this year was different. This year the Chargers had a different feel. This was the year the Chargers were better than the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers. This was the year that all the Chargers would have to do is beat a team they've made a living beating; the Indianapolis Colts.

But it wasn't to be. The Chargers, who were widely considered the weekends biggest favorites, came out Sunday and laid an egg. The game had the familiar feeling of Charger losses of the past. L.T was useless, Rivers got hot-headed, Nate Kaeding missed three field goals, and Merriman stood on the sideline gasping into an oxygen tank. Norv Turner ran out on the field to dispute a fumble that wasn't even under review, and Charger fans bailed on their team to the point where, in front of the biggest national audience Qualcomm has had in decades, a loud "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!" chant could be heard.

The game solidified a lot of unfortunate things for the Chargers. First and foremost it solidified Norv Turner's butt back on the hot seat. The expectations this team had did not warrant a "one and done." Second, the pressure is on Philip Rivers. I think Philip Rivers is a great quarterback, easily top ten in the NFL, but if you really think about it he's been far from stellar in the playoffs. He has three playoff wins as a starter, two against the Colts, one against the Titans, and one win against the Colts came from the hot hand known as Billy Volek.

The pressure has also fallen onto LaDainian Tomlinson to leave San Diego. It's time. You've meant more to this franchise than any other player, at the very least you're on the same plain as Seau and Fouts. Unfortunately your playoff resume has sickened San Diego fans to the point where they booed every time you touched the ball on Sunday. I know it wasn't his fault, but that music video was released at a really unfortunate time for Tomlinson. But look at the bright side, if Ed Reed, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner all retire this year, mixed with Seau, it could be a pretty stacked Hall of Fame class in 2014.

It's also time for Merriman to leave. That was obvious before this game, but he's useless now. Ever since the steroids thing in 2006 he's been a shell of his former self. Charger fans will not be the least bit upset if he's not on the roster entering 2010.

And then there's Nate Kaeding. What else is there to say about Kaeding besides stating the obvious, he is the new Mike Vanderjagt. When the pressure is off, or even in "big" kicks in the regular season, he can make them all. In the playoffs, I'd take anyone but Kaeding. He is the new Mike Vanderjagt, plain and simple.

The Chargers also become this decades AFC version of the Eagles. The team that always looked like a Super Bowl contender, but could never get it together. I suppose the Eagles will get more attention as the "Bills of the 00's" because they had more success overall than the Chargers (the Eagles at least got to five NFC title games to the Chargers one), but Chargers lack of success is worth noting. I often put them in the same sentence as New England, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis, but that may need to change until they win.

Don't get me wrong, the Chargers are a very good team, but like the Dallas Cowboys, talent doesn't equal wins. There is too much immaturity on this Chargers team (stemming from their leadership in Rivers and Tomlinson) and that needs to change. This is a team that faces adversity like the Raiders pass the ball: they don't. The Chargers gave up today.

The Chargers probably won't fire Norv, though they should. Rivers is their quarterback as long as he wants to be, he's that good. This is a team that cannot win a Super Bowl until they change something though, and it's more than a head coach, it's a culture.

Ok, We Can Finally Start Talking MVP Race

To me, the NFL is not a sport where you can start discussing the MVP before the end of the season. I know fans of the NBA love to have that debate and crown an MVP before Christmas, but I don't like crowning an NFL MVP before Christmas, let alone the NBA. But we're now 11 weeks in, every team has had their bye week, and it's officially "ok" to start wondering who the MVP of the league is.

And for the seventh time this decade it's likely to be named a quarterback.

As of right now Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre lead the MVP voting, with Tom Brady and Philip Rivers seriously in contention. It's going to be a tough situation for voters, given they're not only going to have to judge wins, and numbers, but for once they're going to have to judge just how important each of the five players are to their team.

Manning was given the award in 2008, so there's no judging whether or not the voters will hold that against him in 2009. In 2008 the Patriots won 11 games without Tom Brady, they'll need to win out for Brady to get the MVP this year (unless his numbers are huge). The 2008 Vikings won their division, so the 2009 Vikings will likely need to win home field advantage for Favre to get the MVP award, and then there's still the chance the Adrian Peterson manages to snag a vote or two from him. Brees' numbers are down from 2008 but his teams wins are way up, it'll be hard to ignore him. Rivers is the wild card of the bunch, if the Chargers can somehow earn a first round bye, it'll be really hard to ignore Rivers, no matter what Manning, Brady, Brees, and Favre do. That being said, It will be tough for Rivers to make it to the Pro Bowl this year with Manning, Brady, Palmer, and Roethlisberger all putting up huge numbers in the AFC.

As you can see through week 11 it's a wash.

But let's not forget, at this point last year the Colts were 6-4 and Manning was just entering the MVP discussion that was headed by Adrian Peterson and James Harrison. At the end of the year, Peterson and Harrison pretty much fell out of the discussion, Chad Pennington and Michael Turner entered it, and Peyton Manning won by a mile.

So you really can't clearly judge an MVP situation in week 11 unless a player is having a ridiculous season and his team is winning like Manning 04, Alexander 05, Tomlinson 06, and Brady 07, still 04 had Jamal Lewis, 05 had Peyton Manning, 06 had Drew Brees, and 07 had Randy Moss to make it a debate at this point in the season.

Personally who do I think is the MVP through week 11? It's hard to say. Since 2003 Peyton Manning has finished out of the top 3 in MVP voting only once (2007 when he played perhaps his best season) so the odds are in favor that it will be hard to stop Manning from getting his league record 4th MVP award. The only things stopping him are a late season collapse, a rise in turnovers, or the media really falling in love with Brett Favre.

But for the moment the MVP depth chart is 1. Manning, 2. Brees, 3. Favre, 4. Brady 5. Rivers.

You can almost guarantee that will change between now and the first week of January.

Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Right Now

Right now is a great moment for NFL Quarterbacks. After a beginning of the decade that saw powerhouse defenses shake passing offenses down, and running backs take the steam away from QB's, the Quarterback has once again taken over as the flashiest batch of players in the NFL.

There's no doubt that a large part of the success of the leagues passing game right now has to do with the rule changes that came in the middle of the decade, but whether we agree with those or not, there are still a lot of talented QB's in the league right now; there's a reason the 00's have produced more first round QB's than any decade in league history.

This is a list of the ten best QB's in the NFL right now. It's not a power ranking of who did the best last week, or who has been doing the best this season, it's a list of who the ten best quarterbacks in the NFL are.

This list discounts no one. It's not like the NBA where we write off KG and Tim Duncan because they're older and supplant them with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in the Top 5. Kurt Warner and Brett Favre remain on this list, in great stature, because at this point in time they still win, perform, and show up more than the bulk of quarterbacks in the league.

Obviously Peyton Manning is number one, and the rest of the list mathematically sorts itself out after that.

Before I bore you, let me present you with the list;

The Ten Best Quarterbacks in the NFL

10. Carson Palmer - When healthy, Carson Palmer is a quarterbacking machine, and the only Pac-10 quarterback to develop this decade (sorry Matt Leinart, Kyle Boeller, Ryan Leaf, and Cade McNown). Although the Bengals have only been to the playoffs once since they drafted Palmer, he has proven leadership in what has probably been the most tumultuous locker room in league history (all the arrests). This season Palmer has the Bengals poised for another playoff run, and if things continue to work this way for Palmer he'll only be moving closer and close to elite status in the NFL.

09. Donovan McNabb - Although Donovan is dropping down the list faster than anyone, I don't think anyone should worry too much. Like Warner, McNabb has tools that can translate to any team in the NFL, and he can make any team in the NFL better, and that's what has made him so great. This decade only he and Tom Brady have been to five AFC Championship games, and only he has finished all five games (though I wouldn't exactly attribute health as a McNabb strong point). Just last year McNabb took the Eagles on a great run back to the NFC championship game that almost ended in a comeback equal to that of the 2006 AFC Championship game. Because he's been so good for so long people question how much McNabb has left in his tank, but the answer is a lot; barring another serious injury to his legs, McNabb will be a great QB in the league well into the next decade.

08. Philip Rivers - Although he's entering his late twenties, Rivers is still judged as a young quarterback and rightfully so. Although he's infamously a member of the same draft class as Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, he has been given time to grow while those two were asked to be champions immediately in their careers. Thus far, Rivers has been the most successful quarterback in Chargers history, and he could be on his way to supplanting Dan Fouts as the greatest Chargers QB of all time, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. At times he's displayed toughness, and he's shown the ability to go head to head with the top tier. The only issue with Rivers is that he may be too emotional. Whereas Eli and Roethlisberger always keep their heads on their shoulders, Rivers sometimes gets caught up in his own dilemma too much, sometimes leading to unnecessary fights and penalties. There is no doubt that Rivers has the tools to become a champion, it's just a matter of wrapping his head around the concept of adulthood in the NFL.

07. Eli Manning - Say what you want about Eli being a "one game wonder," but last I checked leading his team to the playoffs every year since 2005 would qualify Eli as a five year wonder. In that same time span only his brother Peyton Manning has lead his team to the playoffs each of those seasons (meaning Brady, Favre, Roethlisberger, and McNabb have not). Some would argue that Philip Rivers' numbers are better, or that McNabb has beaten Eli time and time again, but the difference between the three is that Eli is the one with a ring, and he got in a game in which not only did he orchestrate the greatest drive in NFL history (that's right Montana, Elway, and Peyton), but he also won the MVP of. It's easy to pick on Eli because he refused to be a Charger, he doesn't have the charisma of his older brother, and well, he's kind of the Owen Hart of the NFL; but at this point in his career, Eli is in elite company when it comes to 4th quarter aesthetic, and he currently sits just outside of being considered an elite QB in the league.

06. Brett Favre - You can't argue that Brett Favre is still a top 5 QB in the NFL, the proof is in the pudding here. Favre is about to bring his third different franchise to a winning record in three years (07 Packers, 08 Jets, 09 Vikings), a feat that no other QB in NFL history has ever done. What's even more impressive? Favre is doing it an age where Montana, Marino, Elway, Aikman, Young, and Kelly were already retired at. Some question as to whether or not he's stuck around so long to break all sorts of career records, but 2009 has proved that Favre has stuck around because he can still win. A Super Bowl win this year would shut up every member of the media that said he was washed up, and cement Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy's legacy's as goats.

05. Drew Brees - You have to wonder how much of his greatness stems from that chip on his shoulders? I mean, in San Diego he was good, a Pro Bowler even, but it wasn't until he came to New Orleans in 2006 that he became a 4,000 yards a season QB. In 2008 he even became a member of the ultra exclusive 5,000 yards a season club. The real issue with Brees, and it's not entirely his fault, is that in an eight year career he only has one playoff win, and only two playoff appearances. With all due respect that's pretty bad. If we're going to ridicule players like Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, and Philip Rivers for getting to the playoffs and losing, at some point we need to start looking at Brees, too. All signs point to 2009 as the year that everything is finally coming together for Brees though, his team is in great shape to make a playoff run, and Brees is likely to go to yet another Pro Bowl. I'm sure the QB from Purdue is hoping he'll be starting in the other Bowl game taking place in Miami though.

04. Kurt Warner - In 2006 his career looked over and Kurt Warner was going to go down as nothing more than an NFL trivial pursuit question. Then in 2007 he began a career resurgence that has been nothing short of spectacular. In 2008 Warner reminded us all why he was a 2 time MVP and former Super Bowl MVP when he lead the Arizona Cardinals all the way to Super Bowl XLIII. What Warner has done in turning the losing culture around in Arizona is worthy of all time great status, and it's the second time Warner has turned a franchise around in his career. If you really dissect it, what Kurt Warner has done in his career is nothing short of remarkable, and the way he still plays every single Sunday is absolutely astonishing.Warner is nowhere near a mobile QB, and he has some nagging injuries that you can tell still bother him, but if you need a quarterback for just one game, it'd be hard not to have him on a short list. He's a proven winner, and his arm strength is still in the elite level.

03. Ben Roethlisberger - I think we're still waiting for this guy to come down to Earth. Roethlisberger started his career with a 15-1 record as a rookie, won the Super Bowl in his second season, won the AFC North for a second time in his fourth season, and in his fifth season won his second Super Bowl. If you don't think that's great, then it's time to digest the fact that Roethlisberger has developed into a legitimate passer as well. Roethlisberger is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady in developing from elite game manager, into elite quarterback. He hasn't reached his prime yet either.

02. Tom Brady - He started his NFL career better than any quarterback in NFL history (though Big Ben is rapidly approaching him), and has since continued to help his team win. After suffering a season ending knee injury in 2008, his backup Matt Cassell still took the Patriots to an 11-5 record and put up better numbers than Brady put up in his first seven seasons as a starter raising the question as to how good Tom Brady really is? That's a dumb question because Brady is still a great player, and he's not far from being the best in the game. His 2007 season is without question the best single season performance any quarterback has ever had, and likely ever will have. Like Roethlisberger he's had the benefit of having a very good defense to guide him to championships, when he you need 40 yards to get a game winning field goal, there's no better QB in the NFL than Tom Brady.

01. Peyton Manning - The best Quarterback in the league, and he has a chance to become the greatest of all time. It's scary to think that those years of 2003-2005 were nowhere near his prime. This half of the decade he's silenced his critics about winning the big one, picked up a Super Bowl MVP to go with his three MVP awards, and has earned a reputation as a great "clutch" performer as well. Love him or hate him, we treat Peyton Manning the same way we treat all the greats; Ali, Jordan, Kobe, Gretzky, Tiger, A-Rod: we dissect every single move he makes, and every game he plays is his make or break moment. When his team loses we blame him, when his team wins then they should have won by more... Because they have Peyton Manning. A scary thought is that if Manning wins another Super Bowl this season, he will have equaled John Elway's entire 16 year career in only 11 seasons (50,000 passing yards, 2 Super Bowl championships... Manning will likely have 4 MVPs after this season to Elway's one). Manning has also replaced Elway as the guy whose hands you place the ball in when you're down by six and need 90 (or 28) yards for a score.

So there you have. A majority of the list was easy to create. Initially I wanted to put Brees at #5 but after writing up what Kurt Warner has done since 2007, you can't put Brees ahead of him. Although it's amazing that Brees has turned the culture around in New Orleans, it's even more astonishing that Warner has turned the culture around in Arizona. Also, as mentioned, Brees has only one playoff win since 2006 (and in his career), while Warner helped take the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

Rivers versus Eli is tough because Rivers has better numbers, but Eli has a Super Bowl. Eli's ring is enough to put him ahead of Rivers at this point in his career, especially since they've each been to the same amount of Pro Bowls, and Eli has yet to miss the playoffs as a full time starter.

Rivers over McNabb was the toughest decision, but this was a list of who is the best NOW, not this decade. There is no doubt in my mind that Donovan McNabb is one of the five or six best quarterbacks of the 00's, and if I had a vote I'd put McNabb in the Hall of Fame when he retires, but right now, one game, i'd take #17 over #5.

Missing the list were Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan who I'd put at numbers 11 and 12. At this point Hasselbeck is on his way down while Ryan is on his way up. Tony Romo needs to make a good playoff run before he can get consideration, while Vince Young needs to get some numbers to along with his commendable winning percentage. Joe Flacco would round out my top 15. Personally, I'm not the biggest Jay Cutler or Aaron Rodgers fan, in part because neither has been to the playoffs, and in part because I consider them "fantasy football players," meaning they put up good numbers, but where are the wins? Both inherited teams that hosted Championship games before they took over, neither team has been back to the playoffs since.

I hope you enjoy the list and I'd love to hear your feedback.

Top 10 Players Who Should Be Quiet

In recent years the NFL has captivated audiences with shoot-interviews and rants that would make Vince McMahon proud. Not because McMahon first picked up on the countries obsession with "athletes behaving badly" when he formed the (awful) XFL (which I can happily state I did attend a game of), but because the NFL has so much turned into the WWE that it wasn't even a huge deal when Ben Roethlisberger decided to "host" an episode of WWE Raw.

Some classic football fans, like myself, who yearn for the days of games on Sunday and nothing but strategy during the week have been sucked into this world of the NFL being nothing more than an abridged version of the WWE cycle, with each Sunday being the Pay-Per-View event where feuds are resolved.

On Monday the players begin to open their mouth, and on Tuesday their wide open. By Wednesday big words are flung around, and on Thursday someone gets arrested. On Friday "everything's cool" and "nothing is personal," and on Saturday the parting shots are made. What happens on Sunday rarely matters.

But here's the thing; in the WWE the crappy wrestlers are rarely given time to talk. It's one thing if Triple H, John Cena, Stone Cold, Sgt Slaughter, or Bret Hart wanna take the mic, they've earned it. But when people like Prince Albert and Maven tried to get a rise out of another superstar, audiences tend to tune it out, or change the channel.

Here's a list of Prince Albert's and Maven's.

10. Reggie Bush - Seriously, Reggie Bush is the Saint to proclaim they're going undefeated? The same Reggie Bush who did that cool flip in the 2006 NFC Championship Game? Man, that flip was awesome. But seriously, what has this guy done since 2006 to warrant opening his mouth about going undefeated? Even Jeremy Shockey wasn't that dumb. It's a shame because this team has a lot of players with class on it; Vilma, Brees, Sharper, Coltson; guys who know what to say and when to say it. Unfortunately Bush, who is a good person, wasn't briefed on the memo that "only critical players should comment on a teams success."

09. Joey Porter - Porter could easily be number one on this list, but in the past he's backed up his words with performance. This year has been a different story, and it looks as if Porter is nearing the end of his career. To be honest, I can't wait.

08. Terrell Owens - The king of smack talk in the NFL, it's hard to put T.O on this list because he's been so good. I also think the media taunt him so much that there's so little Owens can do not to flap his gums. But sometimes he takes it too far, and complaining while in Buffalo is like the homeless guy complaining about the sheets he has to sleep on at the homeless shelter. We all know the reason Owens ended up in Buffalo was because no other attractive offers came across the table, and no attractive offers look to come across his table again. Can't wait until his Hall of Fame speech though.

07. Philip Rivers - If it weren't for his two playoff wins against the Colts he'd be number one. For a quarterback this guy opens his mouth way too much, and eventually he's going to pay for it. His own fans love the way he talks smack to opponents, yells at referees, picks fights with opposing players, and pouts on the sideline after a bad game, but Rivers should take a page out of theElway-Manning-Montana-Favre-Staubach-Aikman-Unitas-Young book of Championship QB's who play the sport with tremendous competitiveness and class.

06. Roy Williams - The Cowboys receiver is honestly becoming the biggest punchline in the NFL. I hate to say it because I do like this player, bur whenever we've heard him talk since coming to Dallas, all we hear are excuses. The guys a clown right now; hopefully he pulls himself together.

05. Jeremy Shockey - Just when you thought he was humbled by the Giants success without him Jeremy Shockey returned from hell to remind us all just how he once turned himself into a huge joke. There's no denying that Shockey is a talented tight end, there's also no denying that he's the Bob Sanders of tight ends (once again, not in the good way). Every time Shockey opens his mouth this season I've wondered whether or not he'd break his arm, or sprain his MCL, or dislocate something. When you consider yourself the best offensive weapon on a team, and that team gets much better without you, you need to shut up until you win. And week 7 regular season games don't count.

04. Aaron Rodgers - I don't want to hear him anymore. He's always saying the most generic things a QB can utter; He makes 2006 Eli Manning look charismatic. Even worse the media continues to defend this guy like he's a great QB; obviously they only follow fantasy QB because as a pro he's been very pedestrian. Don't forget; it's not like he's Alex Smith and took over an awful team; he took over a team that went into over time in the NFC Championship game 8 months before his first start. Start winning and then you can be proud of yourself, mad at the refs, or whatever you wish.

03. Larry Johnson - Though I understand where his frustration is coming from, and LJ has done a lot for the Chiefs franchise, the guy needs to shut up. Since 2006 he has barely been "adequate," and let's not get into the numbers he put up in the 2006 playoffs. He may have one or two good seasons left in his tank if some team wants to give him a chance, but chances are Johnson has not only damaged his playing career, but any career he planned on having after football.

02. Vernon Davis - For a guy who spent the first three years of his career as a disappointment, he sure has a lot to say; especially when his team is one of this seasons biggest disappointments. It makes you really start to feel bad for Frank Gore; what did that guy do to deserve what he's been given?

01. LaDanian Tomlinson - I guess there's a reason he's earned the name Complainian. I've never seen winning kill someone as much as winning at the meadowlands killed LT on Sunday; or how much beating Indianapolis killed LT in both 07 and 08. I think you have to concede that Tomlinson is one of the best running backs in the leagues history, and perhaps the last of a dying breed of every down backs. You just wish that Tomlinson would have the same class that players like Walter Payton, Curtis Martin, Emmitt Smith, and Jerome Bettis had. Maybe class isn't the right word, after all Tomlinson once used the floor of a postgame conference after a loss to New England to remind us how classy he was. The right word is grace, and in the waning moments of his career Tomlinson has shown absolutely no grace, and thus needs to shut up, because LT, if you ever want to get a ring it's going to have to be this year, and if you want to win this year, you're going to have to take a minimal role in the offense.

Oh, and Mr. Tomlinson, playing in a playoff game would actually help. Riding the sidelines on a bicycle while your backup does all the dirty work doesn't count. And I don't want to hear injury excuses because your quarterback played in 07 with an injury that'd put the average QB out of commission.

Ok, so there you have it. The list of players who really need to shut up and stop turning the NFL into a classless sports league. It's a shame that the sport has gotten so popular thanks in large part to this drama, because after all, most of us stopped watching Pro Wrestling by the time we hit puberty.

Why There's So Much More to Eli vs Brees Than Meets the Eye

It was the year 2004. The New England Patriots had just defeated the Carolina Panthers for the franchises second Super Bowl Championship*, Peyton Manning had just won his second MVP, everyone wondered whether or not Brett Favre would retire, and the San Diego Chargers were the owners of the #1 overall pick for the second time in four years.

Heading into the 2004 NFL draft, San Diego Chargers franchise were still stuck in a post Super Bowl XXIX hangover. The team made the playoffs in 1995, but were defeated at home by Jim Harbaugh and the Colts. The next several years would filled with futility.

In 1998, the franchise drafted Ryan Leaf #2 overall, one pick after Peyton Manning. Heading into the draft there was a lot of debate over who the Colts should take with the #1 overall pick; they selected Manning, the less physically gifted, but far more disciplined player. In the time since Manning would make the Colts a perennial playoff team, while Leaf was off the Chargers roster by 2001; the year the team selected Drew Brees with the #32 overall pick.

From 2001 to 2002 Brees showed signs of eventually developing into a great Quarterback. The Chargers looked like a team improving with each game, and in 2002 the team went 8-8, with Brees starting all 16 games.

2003 was a disaster however, and once again the Chargers landed the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. With a starting record of 2-9 in 2003, Brees looked as though he'd never pan out to be a full time NFL starter. In 1998 the Chargers missed out on one Manning, in 2004 the franchise had an opportunity to make good and draft Peyton's brother, Eli.

And so they did. And just like that it seemed as though Eli Manning would pull the plug on Drew Brees' tenure as San Diego's QB.

But something happened that April afternoon; Eli, under the guidance of his father, former NFL/NCAA star QB Archie, decided he didn't want to play in San Diego. Eli had learned from his fathers mistake of what happens when you end up with a bad franchise. Archie spent his entire career with a New Orleans Saints team that never got close to good; and both Eli and Archie watched what happened to Brees to and Leaf. In 2004, San Diego was the place where good QB's went to die.

So Eli informed the Chargers that he wasn't going to sign, and the Chargers made a trade which sent Philip Rivers, who the Giants selected #4 overall, to the Chargers in exchange for Eli, and some draft picks.

San Diego didn't have the guy they wanted, but they had a solid QB they thought they could develop, and after the draft they decided they were going to give Rivers time to develop, and let Brees continue to play out his contract.

On the other side of the country were the New York Giants. In 2000 the team went to the Super Bowl with QB Kerry Collins. Since 2000 Collins was a solid, though sometimes erratic QB in Jim Fassel's offense. After a disappointing 2003 season, in which Collins missed the final 3 games of the season, the Giants cut ties with both Collins and Fassel. Collins would end up in Oakland for the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

In June, about six weeks after acquiring Manning, the Giants signed Kurt Warner to a deal. Warner was the league MVP in 1999 and 2001, as well as the Super Bowl MVP in 1999. The Giants figured that the supposed "declining" Warner could serve as the transitional QB to Manning.

Under Warner, the Giants would start the season 4-1, before winning only one of their following 3. At 5-4, it seemed as though Warner was truly declining, and the Giants decided to give up on pursuing .500 and a potential playoff opportunity and figured to let Eli develop instead. The Giants would win only one game in seven tries under Eli, but the torch had officially been passed. Warner signed with the Arizona Cardinals, the final team he started against in 2004, for the 2005 season.

(Note: In 2003 Warner's last game as a starter was against the Giants who he started for the following season in 04. Weird right?)

Meanwhile in San Diego, Drew Brees had developed in a pro QB. With Rivers holding a clipboard, Brees took the Chargers back to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years in 2004. Although they were one and done to the New York Jets, the future was looking bright in SD.

Enter: 2005.

In Arizona, Kurt Warner truly looked finished, as he and the Cardinals would go a putrid 5-11; topped only by Kerry Collins and 4-11, Raiders. In 2006 the Cardinals drafted Matt Leinart to take over for Warner, and Collins headed to Tennessee where he was set to keep the seat warm until Vince Young was ready to steer ship.

In New York, things were looking good. Though the Giants were one and done, Eli had lead the team to an 11-5 record and an NFC East title.

2005 was good for San Diego, but not great. The Chargers would go 9-7, but Brees would earn a spot in the Pro Bowl. Due an injury in the last game of the season, Brees missed the Pro Bowl, and the same injury likely caused the Chargers to decide to let Brees go and hand the keys over to Philip Rivers.

In 2006 both Warner and Collins would due their duty and start the season, then hand the starting job over to Leinart and Young. Leinart looked promising, and Young would go on to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Brees, who had signed with New Orleans for 6 years/60 million (SD offered a 5 years/50 million incentive laden deal) took the Saints to the deepest they'd ever gone in the playoffs.

Rivers and the Chargers won 14 games, though they lost in the divisional round to the Patriots. The same playoffs where Peyton Manning would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Eli and the Giants went back to the playoffs, but like Rivers, were one and done.

In 2007, Warner had a comeback year. Leinart failed to progress as a sophomore, and Warner started 11 games and passed for over 3,000 yards for the first time in six seasons.

Kerry Collins spent most of 2007 on the bench.

Drew Brees and the Saints came down to earth, but more because of the Saints defense than Brees' play.

Philip Rivers and the Chargers made it into the playoffs and in the first round defeated Vince Young's Titans raising questions about Young's ability to play QB at the pro level. In the following round the Chargers would defeat Peyton Manning's Colts. The Chargers would end their season as victory number 18 in the Patriots recording breaking 18-0 run, a run that ended with Eli Manning.

In 2007 pressure began to build for Eli. The New York media began to critique his leadership and ability to win the big game. All of that ended when Eli lead the Giants on a miracle run, which included a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.

The effects of the 2004 NFL Draft came into full form in 2008.

In 2008, Warner and Collins won back their starting jobs. Warner beat out Leinart in training camp, Collins took over after a Vince Young meltdown following week 1. Warner would lead the Cardinals to their first Division championship since moving the Arizona, and Collins would lead the Titans to the best record in the NFL.

Eli and the Giants kept their Super Bowl momentum going, earning the team home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Rivers would lead the league in passer rating, as the Chargers would win the AFC West with an 8-8 record.

And Drew Brees would challenge almost every major passing record as the QB for the Saints.

Warner, Collins, Eli, and Rivers all played in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Only Warner would advance.

Warner would lose in the Super Bowl to another QB from the 2004 draft, Ben Roethlisberger, who the Pittsburgh Steelers took in the first round, after Eli and Rivers were off the board. Rumor has it however, that if the Giants couldn't get Eli, they were going to select Roethlisberger, who they valued over Rivers.

Instead the New York Giants landed Eli Manning and a Super Bowl XLII victory. The Chargers landed Philip Rivers and have been a contender ever since. The Cardinals landed Kurt Warner who helped turn the franchise from the league's worst franchise into one of it's most feared. The Titans landed Kerry Collins who gave the team it's best single season run of the decade. The Saints landed Drew Brees who, like Warner, helped ressurect a fledgling franchise. And the Steelers landed Ben Roethlisberger, who rewarded the team with two Super Bowl rings since 2004.

All because Eli Manning didn't want to play for the Chargers.

So when you watch Eli vs Brees this weekend, think about how these two are linked. Think about How Brees' awful 2003 season has shaped the NFL since. Think about all the names mentioned in this entry.

One thing is for sure though, things worked out pretty well for all six franchises.

Weekly Top 10: Top 10 #1 Picks of the Decade

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Top 10's, Top 5's, Top anything countdowns. I love ranking things. My girlfriend thinks it's a sign of a rare but serious brain condition.

I think it's because I have too much free time.

Either way, every Saturday I'm going to present a new weekly countdown. This week I'm going to be breaking down the top #1 overall picks in the NFL draft from 00-09. Now I know time hasn't given us enough time to project how good the #1 overall picks from 06-09, or even 05, are going to be, but I think we can kinda tell.

And either way, this is an easy countdown to break into for everyone.

10. 2005 Alex Smith, Quarterback Utah - San Francisco 49ers: Drafted in 2005 to a lot of speculation, Smith has done nothing but live up to every ounce of that speculation. Given every chance to take the starting Quarterback job, Smith has never capitalized; never failing to fail. Though it's still early in Smith's career, at this point he's without a doubt the worst #1 overall draft pick of the decade based on the lone fact that his career has thus far amounted to nothing. On the bright side the '9ers landed Running back Frank Gore in the 3rd round.

09. 2000 Courtney Brown, Defensive End Penn State - Cleveland Browns: Brown had a productive rookie campaign, but injuries slowed him down after that. He was a solid defensive end in the NFL when healthy, helping the Browns in their most successful season (2002), and the Denver Broncos in their best season of the decade (2005). He retired from the NFL in 2006 to absolutely no fanfare, and is likely to be remembered as nothing more than an NFL Draft Trivial Pursuit question.

08. 2002 David Carr, Quarterback Fresno State - Houston Texans: I can hear your sighs. Of all ten players on this list, I feel like this was the guy most people wanted to see succeed. He was fun to watch, had a nice arm, decent mobility, and reminded us of the great Quarterbacks of the 1990's, something that the NFL was desperate for in 2002. An awful offensive line, a franchise with seemingly no direction at the time, and a division that featured three solid pass rushes lead to Carr becoming the most sacked QB in the league, and left him permanently scarred. A failed one year stint in Carolina where he was eventually replaced by a 43 year old Vinny Testaverde (1987's #1 overall pick), lead to Carr backing up Eli Manning (2004's #1 overall pick) in New York, where he still resides. Whether or not Carr will ever get or earn another shot to start in the NFL remains to be seen, but he'll always have a soft spot in hearts, because we know in a better situation he would've been good. Had the Texans entered the league the year before Carr would've been drafted by the Panthers who at the time were proud to have Chris Weinke on their roster. In 2003 a no named QB known as Jake Delhomme lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl... Oh what could have been.

07. 2007 JaMarcus Russell, Quarterback LSU - Oakland Raiders: In a couple of years Russell can easily be sitting at #10, but for now I still think he's got a chance. Sure his work ethic has been called abysmal, his weight is a top tier joke amongst fans, teammates, and peers, and so far this season he's made about one good play. But let's give Russell a break, he got drafted by the Raiders. This is the same offense that made Randy Moss look like Craphonso Thorpe the year before Russell was drafted. We've seen signs of Russell being good; not great, but good. He's still young, and the Raiders have some pieces in tact. We'll know more about where he is in two years.

06. 2009 Matthew Stafford, Quarterback Georgia - Detroit Lions: I guess this is going out on a limb a little bit, but heck, in his rookie year he already looks better than half the QB's in the league. Perhaps his even greater achievement is getting the Lions their first win since 2007. If he can stay healthy, Stafford will be a legitimate NFL quarterback, and he'll help the Lions contend year in and year out. In a division that is shaping up to have some adequate quarterbacking for the next four to five years, Stafford will be the flagship signal caller. Maybe he'll be another Joey Harrington, but I think he'll fall more along the lines of a much cooler Jay Cutler.

05. 2003 Carson Palmer, Quarterback USC - Cincinnati Bengals: In 2005 I would have said Palmer was going to be the #1 of the decade. Things were looking great for Carson. He was leading the Bengals to a division title, he had a solid offense around him, a seemingly brilliant head coach, and for the first time since Boomer Esiason (stint one) the Bengals had a quarterback whose name wasn't immediately followed by laughter (sorry Jeff Blake... I always drafted you in Quarterback Club 1998 for N64). Unfortunately for Palmer that 2005 season ended in the operating table for Palmer and a knee injury was later fallowed by good numbers but few wins in 06, and 07, and an elbow injury in 08. 09 has been a sweeter year for Palmer, and he has top level QB talent. This is the seventh year of his career though and he's yet to get past the first round of the playoffs. Though it may not be his fault entirely, it's time for Palmer to start making dents outside of Fantasy Football.

04. 2001 Michael Vick, Quarterback Virginia Tech - Atlanta Falcons: Before he went to prison in 2007, Vick's career was already under scrutiny and was seemingly on the decline. That being said, outside of Eli Manning, Vick went deeper in the playoffs than all of the other QB's taken in the first round this decade, and won more playoff games than all of them combined (then again so has every Quarterback who's ever won a playoff game). In 04 Vick came a win away from the Super Bowl, and holds the record for most yards rushing in a single season for a QB. Overall Vick's career in Atlanta has to be considered above average, and given the 07 and 08 seasons to develop, it's not absurd to suggest that Vick may have developed even further as a QB. At this point in time though, it's hard to see Vick ever returning to the explosive player he was from 2002 to 2006, but NFL history will one day write that there was a time period where Michael Vick was the most feared player in the NFL.

03. 2008 Jake Long, Offensive Tackle Michigan - Miami Dolphins: It's been barely over a season but Long has already made his impact. He's a solid Left Tackle, and in 08 he helped the Dolphins establish a solid running game, and helped Chad Pennington finish as runner up in MVP balloting. A lot of GM's will say that the left tackle is the most important position in football (right tackle if your QB is a lefty) and one season into his career, Long has already established himself as a top shelf left tackle, making the Pro Bowl in his rookie year. If he stays healthy, Long will likely find himself in a lot of Pro Bowls, as he follows in the footsteps of Orlando Pace as OT's taken #1 overall.

02. 2006 Mario Williams, Defensive End NC State - Houston Texans: When the Texans announced before the draft that they were going to take DE Mario Williams #1 overall in a draft that included Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and A.J Hawk, the average football fan let out a resounding "do the Texans ever want to get good?" As the season started the drafting of Williams looked even worse as Dominick Davis got hurt before the season started, David Carr... well he is the #8 player on this list so I guess that's all I need to say, and the Williams started the season slow, never really picking up his pace. That same season Reggie Bush helped the Saints to the NFC Championship game, Vince Young won Rookie of the Year, and Matt Leinart showed signs of brilliance. Since then, Bush, Young, Leinart, and Hawk have played average to below average football at the pro level, while Williams has picked up 26 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and over 100 tackles. He's been a Pro Bowler, a first team All-Pro, and has helped the Texans defense develop into one of the most respectable defensive units in the league.

01. 2004 Eli Manning, Quarterback Ole Miss - San Diego Chargers: Where do we begin? We all know about the trade to the Giants. We all know about the Super Bowl MVP where he outperformed Tom Brady; We know about "the Catch pt 2" We know about "the touchdown." But anyone who has watched the NFL since 2005 knows there is a lot more to Eli than those two plays. It seems like week in and week out, Eli does what he has to do just win games. He's become the unsung king of the two minute drill, and without a doubt he's evolved from punchline to elite QB. In 2004 it looked like the Chargers were going to get the better end of the deal... at least until Nate Kaeding played the Jets, but in 2005 when the Chargers drafted Shawne Merriman with a pick from the Giants, and in 2006 when Merriman and Philip Rivers who the Chargers got in the Eli trade, lead the Chargers to a 14-2 record, it looked like a "lights out" trade for the Chargers (awful pun... I hope you cringed). Since Ellis Hobbs and company did lights out in the 2006 AFC Division playoffs in San Diego, the trade has turned face. Merriman has thus far fallen off, Nate Kaeding, though good, is still just a kicker, and it's hard to argue Rivers case versus Eli (sounds like a great post to come).

Needless to say, Eli has handled the pressure of New York better than anyone ever has. Eli has kept a cool head, never missed the playoffs, and has yet to miss a start since taking over from Kurt Warner in 04. All things considered it's hard to imagine Philip Rivers keeping as cool of a head as Eli in the city that has made a living hell out of the lives of Alex Rodriguez, Brett Favre, Wayne Gretzky, and Patrick Ewing.

So there you have it. 10 years of number one picks, and Eli Manning pans out (thus far) as the best. How many of these guys will be enshrined in Canton? Will any of them? Usually it's between two to three players, which seems about right for this decade.