This is the reaction I had when I looked at Chris Simms’s Top 40 Quarterback Countdown. Some of these were easy to guess, but some just made me roll on the floor laughing at how ridiculous some of these claims were. Here is his list so you can see what I am talking about;
So I thought I’d go through my top ten problems with this ranking and give my thoughts on it to show you how I feel with each one. Let’s get started!
#10 – Taysom Hill at #36
So you are telling me that the third string quarterback of the Saints is better than the first string quarterbacks of the Redskins and the Bears. Give me a break. Taysom Hill is a gadget player quarterback who is used mostly for the oddest jobs on the Saints. To say he’s better than Haskins or Trubisky is a bit troubling.
#9 – Andy Dalton at #27
Andy Dalton was a starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals last year, but now he is the back up quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. So, putting him above a multitude of starters when he might not even start this season is a bit stupid on Chris’s part. Putting him up above the likes of Gardner Minshew, Teddy Bridgewater, and Ryan Fitzpatrick just doesn’t make sense. He should be lower on the list in my honest opinion.
#8 – Jared Goff at #24
I’ve never been a Jared Goff guy even when they went on their Super Bowl run. So this might be a little biased given I don’t think he’s all that. We saw what happened after their run in 2018, and man did Goff look bad. You could argue offensive line, but Goff looked bad. Putting him this high is just a ridiculous notion.
#7 – Josh Allen at #18
So we’re just gonna ignore the fact that Josh Allen grew as a quarterback and got the Bills to the Wild Card against the Texans? Why place him at 18? the guy should be higher on the list especially now since he has Stefon Diggs in his arsenal of weapons. Saying he is below the Top 15 is just a blasphemous ideology to say. It honestly boggles my mind.
#6 – Drew Brees at #16
If this is strictly because of his age, then this is dumb. Drew Brees has a great system, a great coach, and a great supporting cast around him with Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jared Cook. Having him below the Top 15 (like Josh Allen) should be considered a crime to all those that enjoy quarterbacks in the NFL.
#5 – Kirk Cousins at #13
Cousins is a good quarterback, but is he better than the likes of Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger? The answer is an extreme no. He has all the tools it takes for a quarterback to succeed, but the moment hasn’t arrived yet. He shouldn’t be above 15, and honestly 15 is probably where I would put him. He needs to prove that though, and until that happens I can’t put him any higher and above the names of these greats!
#4 – Ryan Tannehill at #11
Come on Chris. Are you serious? Yes Tannehill had a resurgence with the Tennessee Titans, but putting him at 11? Come on man. We all knew that Derrick Henry did the greater amount of damage for this team. I was very skeptical when the team gave him the contract they did. I really believe Tannehill has a spiral down effect for 2020, and the team realizes that Derrick Henry is the team, not him. I hope you do as well Chris because putting him at 11 makes me seem like you’re a little off your rocker.
#3 – Cam Newton at #10
You are going to say that Cam Newton is in the Top 10 when the man just got signed to the Patriots yesterday… Chris wrote this before he even signed with them. So before today, he had Newton in the Top 10 as a free agent. Send your resignation Chris because what in the hell were you thinking? There is no telling if he’s the same guy he once was before when they made their Super Bowl run. Putting him this high above others is just one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard when talking about the 2020 season.
#2 Matt Stafford at #9
Matt Stafford has been the shining light for the Detroit Lions for some time now. Last season a back injury derailed his ability to continue throughout 2019. Now we come into the 2020 season, and something about it just doesn’t seem for me to believe he should be this high. He should be near the Top 15, but not in it. So putting him at nine is a problem for me yes.
#1 – Deshaun Watson at #4
This is a hard one for me because I really like this kid and his athletic ability. However, losing DeAndre Hopkins will certainly affect his performance. Whether it is Cooks, Fuller, or Cobb, they won’t be able to give the performance to give Watson the strength he needs to carry the Texans anymore, but we will just have to wait and see. However, if you are telling me based off this list Chris that Watson is going to do better than the likes of Lamar Jackson, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, or Dak Prescott, you are sadly mistaken.
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