Sports Commentary: Year of the Quarterback

PAT LONGOBARDI — Sports Writer
The year of the quarterback has given us plenty to marvel about this season. There are five quarterbacks that have proved their worth and have a good chance to win a Vince Lombardi trophy when it is all said and done.
These quarterbacks, in no particular order, are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford.
Each one has added their own spin to the season, getting the best of every player on offense and using that to win. They showed how important and crucial their performances were to their teams. This five had such good seasons that even fantasy owners were riding high with these guys leading their teams. Three of the five went over the 5,000-yard plateau while Brees shattered Dan Marino’s record of 5,084 passing yards set in 1984.
Despite a bad defense, Brady is once again at the top of his game leading the Patriots to the top seed in the AFC with his big season (5,235 yards, 39 TDs, 12 INTs). He also has the emergence of his new favorite target, Rob Gronkowski, who has become an up-and-coming player that has the most yards by a tight end this season.
Brees (5,476 yards, 46 TDs, 14 INTs) has shown on many occasions how dangerous the Saints offense can be, utilizing his long list of receivers from Marques Colston down to the surprise of Darren Sproles. Brees deserves this record because he tries so hard and has a great personality that makes him very hard to root against.
Despite his Super Bowl ring, Manning has always tried to earn respect from Giants fans away from his brother Peyton’s shadow. If this season has not given him a little more respect, then I have to question what people are watching. Manning (4,933 yards, 29 TDs, 16 INTs) is the focal point that led the Giants into the playoffs behind five fourth-quarter comeback wins.
Rodgers has taken over the Packers and has found a steady home that has dominated after their Super Bowl win last year. As another team with a slew of receivers, Rodgers has led the Packers to the top spot in the NFC and is again fighting for a championship.
The Lions have been waiting for some time to have a contender and Stafford (5,038 yards, 41 TDs, 16 INTs) has surely done that this year. He led the Lions into the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. He surely has a future with this team.
These five players have surely headed a dominant season while making their offensive players better as well. They are the top-five quarterbacks in the league and it looks like they will be heading that list for seasons to come. During playoff time, these records go away, but when you are riding as high as this squad, then it will be fun to watch where they go from here.