With a backup LT, Cole could be in for another big day.


Jamaal Brown, the Saints starting left tackle, has been ruled out for the game this Sunday. In his absence, Jermon Bushrod will assume the responsibility of, at least attempting, to block Trent Cole, one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL today.

With the Saints being the passing team that they are, the left tackle position becomes that much more important. Jamaal Brown is a very good left tackle, but Bushrod is a young guy who has been inactive for over half of his NFL career. This becomes an obvious weak spot along the line for New Orleans.

While the Saints will do their best to give Bushrod the help he will surely need against Cole, they will have few men to spare as their wide open passing attack limits the amount of blockers they can keep for any one play. They know that Bushrod is not ready to block someone like Cole one-on-one, so that matchup alone may cause them to get away from their gameplan.

In order for this to work to the Eagles advantage, they will have to get pressure from the other side of the line as well. Victor Abiamiri is questionable this week, and Juqua Parker, while a good defensive end, is not great at getting pressure on the quarterback. Enter Jason Babin and the Eagles just might have something rolling.

The other aspect to all of this working against the Saints is the fact that the Eagles know they are going to try and pass as much as possible. They may or may not have Pierre Thomas, which would be a huge help to their run game, but they know that their best player is the guy slinging the ball around.

This means that Cole and whomever will be starting opposite him at left end will be able to pin their ears back and come after Brees on nearly every play. Even if the Saints do try and run the ball at the ends because they know they're going to be flying around the corner, the Eagles have faith in their outside linebackers and safeties to step up and make a play.

So given the injury to Brown, and the Saints affinity for passing the ball, Cole should be able to have a big day against the Saints. It's certainly not out of the question for him to come up with a couple sacks. Given Brees quick release, it likely won't be anything record-breaking, but it could certainly be enough to ensure an Eagles victory.

Also, if Sean McDermott does his homework, the defense should continue their blitzing ways this week. Brees is good against the blitz, but hurrying him by even a half second could create some opportunites for interceptions for Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. The Saints have those good receivers, but Brown and Samuel shouldn't have any trouble with them even one-on-one.

Or honestly, neither should Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs.

So those of you in IDP fantasy leagues, or just an observer looking for a difference-maker in this game, keep your eye on Trent Cole.
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The Saints begin and end with quarterback Drew Brees.


Getting a win in Week 1 is vital, but getting a win in Week 2 can start a roll that can last deep into the season. Every season at least one team does it, and both of these teams are prime candidates to get on such a roll.

The Saints come into Philadelphia toting possibly the most explosive offense in the entire NFL, against the Eagles who boast one of the most suffocating defenses in the league over the past 10 year. Even without the late, great Jim Johnson, the Eagles defense proved they could dominate last week against the Panthers.

Both teams have a shot at this game, but here at 2M2MG, we're Eagles homers. So let's look at the keys to the game for the Birds, shall we?


Health of Donovan McNabb

While I believe the Eagles could beat the Saints with or without McNabb, having him makes the task much easier.

There's not much debate regarding McNabb's status as an elite, top five quarterback, so it's obvious that the Eagles are a much better team with him. On the other side of that, Kevin Kolb, who would start in his absense, is unproven and in fact has done nothing but show that he is incapable rather than making a push for McNabb's job.

Just having McNabb on the field adds a new aspect to the offense that the Saints defense must worry about, which in itself makes him a vital piece of the game. Broken rib or not, he gives this offense the best opportunity to score points.


Disrupt Drew Brees' Timing

If the Eagles defense is going to stop the Saints high-powered offense, they're going to have to disrupt Brees' timing. How do they do that? They do it by blitzing, blitzing, and when all else fails, just blitz some more.

It does, however, have to be precise and well-planned blitzing or Brees will pick the defense apart. By this I mean blitzing a corner from Brees' blindside, stunting along the line, and just simply blitzing effectively. If the blitzers are getting stone-walled, then Brees will have an easy day.

If Brees has an easy day, the Eagles will lose.


Control the Clock -- Keep Brees & Co. On the Sideline

This is the simplest key to achieve, as it should be easy for Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy to run behind Leonard Weaver and this athletic offensive line. The Saints defense is below average and should struggle mightily against the run if the Eagles will committ to it.

This will be a key for every team facing off against the Saints this season, as the defense is obviously nothing to be worried about, but the offense can win games all by itself. Teams will certainly rather have their offense playing the same squad that gave up 27 points to the Detroit Lions rather than the quarterback those nearly beat Dan Marino's passing yards record last season.

Reid should have Eldra Buckley active this week, as a power back would certainly go a long way in wearing down this defense even further.
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Find out why Brady is not No. 1 on this list.


Unlike the rest of the positions, on offense and defense, the position of quarterback has stayed relatively the same since the NFL's inception.

While it's gotten harder to read defenses because they've become increasingly complicated as the years go by, they are still expected to be the leader of their team and always put them in a position to win.

They are the glory-hogs of the NFL. A quarterback is usually the face of your franchise, and your money-maker. It's hard to win without one, and having a good one just makes winning that much easier.

In order to be a franchise quarterback, that player must be able to gain the trust, respect, and confidence of his team. He must have the stats, of course, to back up his play, and winning a Super Bowl or two doesn't exactly hurt either.

While I expect this to be by far the most controversial list, and perhaps the one with the most interchangeable parts, I feel confident that based on the criteria mentioned above that these men are the top five quarterbacks in the NFL today.



5. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

48 games started, 33-15, 890-1428, 62.3%, 10,697 yards, 78 TDs-36 INTs, 92.9 QB Rating, 1-time Pro Bowler

Of all the Pro Bowl snubs I've encountered, this may be the absolute worst.

34 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions, and this kid can't even receive a nod to the Pro Bowl? It's outrageous to think that anyone was more deserving.

While Rivers originally entered the NFL with the label of "immature," he has since been able to rip that sticker right off his chest.

Playing in the AFC Championship game with a torn ACL was one of the single greatest acts of selflessness and toughness that I think I have ever seen on the football field. He knew that he was counted on to lead his team, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

On top of the obvious toughness he throws one of the prettiest balls in the entire league. He can throw long, he can throw short, he can hit the intermediate route, he can put the ball on a rope, or he can give it just the right arc to land safely in his receivers hands.

He's an unreal talent, and I'd be extremely shocked if he doesn't win San Diego a Super Bowl before he's done.



4. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

106 games started, 55-51, 2,334-3,650, 63.9%, 26,258 yards, 168 TDs-99 INTs, 89.4 QB Rating, 3-time Pro Bowler and 1-time All-Pro

The first thing most are thinking seeing Brees at No. 4 is, why so low?

First off, what has he won? Yes, he had a couple winning seasons in San Diego, but he didn't get them anywhere. He's also never won more than 10 games in New Orleans, and only has one winning season in the three years he's been there.

While that's not all his fault, he does bare some of the responsibility.

For all the yards and the touchdowns, he throws far too many interceptions. In fact, since taking over as a starter in 2002, he averages 14 interceptions per year. A number that would be much higher were it not for 2004, a year in which he only threw seven interceptions.

2004 is also the only time in his career where he has not thrown double-digits interceptions.

Brees is a great talent, and could one day even hold the NFL's record for passing yards. The man is an absolute machine and maybe the most accurate quarterback in the league.

However, his lack of playoff success keeps him out of the top three.



3. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles)

128 games started, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303, 59%, 29,320 yards, 194 TDs-90 INTs, 85.9 QB Rating, 5-time Pro Bowler

McNabb is, not may be, the most overly scrutinized quarterback in the NFL today, and perhaps in the history of this great league.

While he's not a touchdown machine, and probably not the most accurate of quarterbacks, he is the least intercepted of any quarterback in the history of the NFL.

Not only that, but he was also the first quarterback to throw over 30 touchdowns, and less than 10 interceptions (31 touchdowns to eight interceptions, to be exact). Add on the fact that he's one of only six quarterbacks in league history to have over 25,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards, and you've got a special guy.

At the moment, McNabb sits at 29,320 passing yards, and 3,109 rushing yards. This year, or next year at the very latest, he will become only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 30,000 yards, and rush for over 3,500 joining Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young, and the late Steve McNair.

He has led his team to five NFC Championship games, winning one of them, and coming within three points of preventing the New England Patriots from becoming a dynasty.

Say what you will about Donovan McNabb, but the man not only has the stats of Hall-of-Famer, he has the wins of a Hall-of-Famer.

For those who will say he's injured too often, I reference you to Steve Young who only ever played three complete seasons. He also had a career record a 94-49. Similar, wouldn't you say?



2. Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

111 games started, 87-24, 2,301-3,653, 63%, 26,446 yards, 197 TDs-86 INTs, 92.9 QB Rating, 4-time Pro Bowler and 1-time All-Pro

Tom Brady has the rings and his stats are good enough, so why only second?

Brady, while a great quarterback, benefits from playing in a great system. Matt Cassel gave that away when he stepped in and performed the way that he did.

However, that being said, Brady runs that system like no one else could. Well, besides our No. 1 guy (guess who that might be).

He is cool under pressure, he has a very accurate ball, and really knows when to put the extra zip needed on the ball, or when to throw a nice lob. He's great at reading defenses and anticipating where his guys are going to be, which gives him an edge.

Like McNabb, Brady has had very little around him for his entire career. That is, up until 2007, and we all saw what happened then.

He's a great quarterback, probably in the top 10 of all time, but the guy ahead of him definitely is as well.



1. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)

176 games started, 117-59, 3,839-5,960, 64.4%, 45,628 yards, 333 TDs-165 INTs, 94.7 QB Rating, 9-time Pro Bowler and 4-time All-Pro

Not only does Manning have an incredible arm, intelligence, and even good pocket mobility, but he also is one of the toughest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

Since coming a league and becoming a started in 1998, he has not missed a single game. 176 straight starts for Manning.

How can he stay so healthy? He doesn't take hits when he doesn't have to. Many times you will see quarterbacks holding onto the ball too long, and while they make the throw, they will take a nasty hit at the end.

Manning doesn't do that.

He's very good at getting the ball out of his hands quickly; Mainly because he has already dissected the defense and knows exactly what is going on.

Manning also doubles as the team's offensive coordinator. Even while Tom Moore was there, all he did was call in concepts. From there, Manning would diagnose the defense, and call a play.

All of those times you think he's calling an audible, he's really only just then calling the play.

Were Manning in a system like Brady has, he probably would have three or four rings by now, if not five or six already, he could be that dominating.

Since his rookie year, he's never thrown less than 3,700 yards or less than 26 touchdowns. He's up and down everything that you could possibly want in a quarterback, and now that he's got that ring, there's no doubt.
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I was recently discussing this very same issue on Voice America's "G. Cobb in the House" with Micah Warren as G. Cobb was unavailable for the show.

Listen Here.

On the show, Micah and I went around the NFL debating and discussing how McNabb matched up against every starting quarterback in the league. What we found was that he's still an elite quarterback, but where does he fall?

If you would like to hear a debate for every quarterback, the audio is provided. Instead, I will pick out five quarterbacks that I believe someone may be able to make an argument for as a better quarterback than McNabb, and some who will always have an argument on their behalf, even an undeserved one.

*(GS, W/L, Comp/Att Completion Percentage, Passing Yards, TD, INT, QB Rating)*

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Peyton Manning: 176 GS, 117-59, 3,839-5,960 64.4%, 45,628, 333 TD, 165 INT, 94.7

Matching up against Manning, McNabb loses significantly in every major category except interceptions. Before you assume that Peyton wins that stat anyway because of the touchdown difference, take into consideration a different stat: INT percentage. Looking at that, McNabb's is 2.1 while Manning's is 2.8.

A small victory for McNabb and not a huge loss for Manning considering that McNabb holds the NFL record for his INT percentage, which until this past year, was under two.

Arguing in McNabb's favor, the obvious counter to all the inflated stats for Manning is the fact that he's always had more talent around him than McNabb, or any other quarterback for that matter.

Marvin Harrison is Hall of Fame bound, Reggie Wayne is one of the best playing right now, Brandon Stokley and Anthony Gonzalez had/have been fantastic slot receivers and Dallas Clark is one of the better tight ends in the league.

Aside from McNabb's one season with T.O., he has never had a real No. 1 receiving threat. Even with all of that, Manning has been the more consistent of the two quarterbacks, he has the better numbers, and perhaps more importantly, he's got the ring.

Another question I ask myself is (removing age as a factor), "Would I trade McNabb for this quarterback?"

I love McNabb as a quarterback, but...

Advantage: Manning

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Philip Rivers: 48 GS, 33-15, 890-1,428 62.3%, 10,697, 78 TD, 36 INT, 92.9

Philip Rivers will win a Super Bowl for the Chargers before his time in San Diego is over, he's that good. He was always looked at as a spoiled kid playing quarterback because of his verbal altercations with fans and players alike, but ever since he played in the postseason with his ACL torn, he has earned respect from everyone in the league.

The man cares about one thing, and that's winning.

But we all know that Rivers is a good quarterback, the question is, "Is he better than Donovan McNabb?" The answer? Well, I just can't bring myself to say that he's better than McNabb. I know it's hard to guess how well a quarterback will play, but up to date he has done less than McNabb but with more talent.

Rivers has had a lot of talent around him in L.T., Antonio Gates, Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, and Darren Sproles just to name a few. Even with that talent, he has yet to get the Chargers to a Super Bowl.

It took McNabb six years, and Rivers is heading into his sixth season, so we'll see.

But as it stands, McNabb is the better quarterback.

Advantage: McNabb

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Drew Brees: 106 GS, 55-51, 2,334-3,650 64%, 26,258, 168 TD, 99 INT, 89.4

For me, this is extremely close. Drew Brees is a very talented quarterback, there's no doubt about that. This is a guy who I could not fight against for very long in talking McNabb vs. Brees because there is such a good argument that could be made.

Brees may have had the luxury of better receivers during his time in the NFL, whether it be with the Chargers or the Saints, but the receivers he had were not that much better overall than what McNabb has had to work with.

An argument could be made that Marques Colston is a No. 1 receiver and that Lance Moore is highly underrated, but to me it appears as though Brees makes them look better than they are, rather than the other way around.

He has pinpoint accuracy and a very good arm, also the ability to lead a team. However Brees has not found a way to win. He's barely over .500 for his career and has only been as far as one NFC Championship game with the Saints in his first year.

Given Brees' pedestrian numbers as far as the win-loss part of it goes, I believe McNabb has to get the nod because of what he has been able to do and what he has been able to achieve in his career.

Quite simply, he's done more than Brees.

Advantage: McNabb

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Tom Brady: 111 GS, 87-24, 2,301-3,653 63%, 26,446, 197 TD, 86 INT, 92.9

Not even the homerism that I try so hard to fight will allow me to put McNabb over Brady in this case. Brady and McNabb have really been in the same boat for their entire careers as far as the talent surrounding them.

Brady, outside of his one year with Moss, has never had a real No. 1 receiver, but I will say that he has just a bit more than what McNabb has had. For instance, who wouldn't take Troy Brown and David Patten over James Thrash and Todd Pinkston?

Even with the lack of talent surrounding him for most of his career, Brady has found a way to win. Three Super Bowl rings tells the tale as opposed to McNabb's zero. The other X-factor may be the coaching that Brady has had in New England.

Andy Reid is a great coach, the best in franchise history and one of the best in NFL history. If he wins a Super Bowl, he'll be compared to John Madden. Unfortunately, it's always appeared that the McNabb-Reid duo has always been one half-notch behind the Brady-Belichik duo.

I guess that's all it takes.

Advantage: Brady

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Jay Cutler: 37 GS, 17-20, 762-1,220 62.5%, 9,024, 54 TD, 37 INT, 87.1

This may not be fair considering Cutler's short time in the NFL. But even during his short time he has shown that he has the arm and the leadership to make a difference for his team.

This comparison is looking more at potential than anything else, but I believe it's a valid one because it would look like Cutler is about to unleash that potential all over the NFC North and the entire NFL.

No, Cutler has not accomplished what McNabb has accomplished, but give him time. He is a top-five quarterback in this league and will be for at least the next eight-ten years or so.

Advantage: McNabb

These next few quarterbacks are guys who will sometimes be compared to McNabb, or placed above McNabb. Honestly, it leaves me dumbfounded when I see it.

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Kurt Warner: 101 GS, 57-44, 2,327-3,557 65.4%, 28,591, 182 TD, 114, 93.8

For all the talk that McNabb is injury prone, Warner is much worse. Since 1998, he has only finished three seasons. In addition, he has seen two seasons of only seven games, and one season of only two games.

Warner also has a very simple key to success: great receivers.

The only times he's been successful is when he has not one, but two great receivers. In St. Louis he had Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, and now in Arizona he has Larry Fitzgerald, arguably the best receiver in the game, and Anquan Boldin, who isn't too shabby.

In fact, between his years without great receivers, and even during some years where he did have the receivers (2002-2006) he amassed 27 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. That's not one season, that's five.

Yes, Warner has a Super Bowl ring. But who really believes that was all Warner and not the help of an all-around great team?

The numbers speak for themselves. Hall of Fame, top-of-the-line quarterbacks can go through funks and hit ruts. McNabb had a two-game rut this year, it happens. But a five year slump is not a slump at all. It's the mark of a quarterback who can play only when he has a great supporting cast.

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Eli Manning: 71 GS, 42-29, 1,276-2,284 56%, 14,623, 98 TD, 78 INT, 76.1

Even after looking at the numbers, there are some who will yell and scream that Eli even holds a candle to McNabb. The reality is that he is nowhere close. The numbers speak for themselves.

Yes, he has a Super Bowl ring. But, just like Warner, does anyone believe that they would not have won that Super Bowl without Eli? If Eli went down and gave way to David Carr, they would still have won that Super Bowl because of their offensive and defensive lines.

I hear the questions. "Well then, what about his game-winning touchdown pass?" What about it? Plax was wide open. David Carr could have made that throw. I could have made that throw. Your lovely little old grandmother could have made that throw.

Plax did a great job on that play, the offensive and defensive lines were some of the best in the last decade, and that's why they won that Super Bowl. Eli was just another player on that team.

Had they not won that Super Bowl, this would not even be a discussion.

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Tony Romo: 39 GS, 27-12, 831-1,307 63.6%, 10,562, 81 TD, 46 INT, 94.7

In all honesty, Romo may be the most talented quarterback on this list. Yes, even above Warner. Warner is a very good quarterback, but Romo seems to show these flashes of brilliance that would fool people into thinking he's a great quarterback when in reality, he's average at best when the game is on the line.

I'll always remember Brian Dawkins' quote about players who only show flashes of talent, "It just means they're not working hard enough."

I don't know if this is the case with Romo, but he does seem to hyped into the stardom that goes along with being an NFL quarterback, rather than actually enjoying being an NFL quarterback.

Someone get Carrie Underwood on the phone, maybe she's looking to sling some dirt.

One last comparison:

Donovan McNabb: 128 GS, 82-45-1, 2,534-4,303 59%, 29,320, 194 TD, 90 INT, 85.9

vs.

Kevin Kolb: 0 GS, 0-0, 17-34 50%, 144, 0 TD, 4 INT, 21.8

Advantage: Kevin Kolb

Just Kidding, Philly.

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