In the NFL, the fate of a team tracks the fate of its quarterback. If the quarterback is playing well, the team’s record will generally reflect it. And, if the quarterback is playing poorly, the team will almost always suffer.
Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Alex Smith and Ben Roethlisberger are the six top-ranked quarterbacks in the league. New England, Kansas City and Pittsburgh have all won their respective divisions and are assured of a spot in the playoffs.
The Saints are in, but are battling the Carolina Panthers for the division title, and the Los Angeles Chargers are still in the playoff hunt entering the final week of the season.