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For some people, the offseason is a time to soak up the sun and work on their short game. But in my office, it's a time to pore over the previous season's film. Since the Seattle Seahawks steamrolled the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, I've gone over every throw from every quarterback in the NFL to properly evaluate the best 32 on my QB Big Board. Despite a bad performance in that Super Bowl, Peyton Manning remains No. 1 on my board. But there is a lot of movement elsewhere. Here's my preseason look at the top 32 quarterbacks in the NFL: Note: There are no rookies on this list, as none have won starting jobs yet. The previous ranking referred to in each entry is from last season's final ranks in December. This list will update throughout the season, or before if starting jobs change.
Jaworski's QB Rankings1. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Previous: 1 People are going to question Manning's performance in Super Bowl XLVIII, but the Seattle defense muddied the pocket, took away his quick throws and hit him repeatedly. That defense can make any quarterback look average. As my colleague Jeff Legwold detailed last week, Manning has watched the film meticulously and made adjustments. If Denver plays Seattle again, he'll be ready. But singling out that game loses sight of the bigger picture for two reasons: Manning had the greatest season for a quarterback in NFL history in 2013, and he's fundamentally changed the way that quarterback is played in the NFL. I played quarterback in the NFL for 17 years and have been a commentator for 24, and after my film study, I couldn't even figure out some of the pre-snap checks he was making. Everyone is chasing Peyton right now.
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