Ranking the AFC North: Quarterbacks

There is usually a lot of talk around the NFL ranking each team's position groups and this offseason is no different. We've seen rankings of the backup quarterbacks, offensive and defensive lines, starting quarterbacks and even the entire teams in the form of a power ranking list. However, our very own Cincy Jungle is taking the time to rank each position group in just the AFC North, where the battle for the North is sure to be tough in 2014, with the eventual winner likely being a favorite to make the Super Bowl.

Scott Bantel at Cincy Jungle asked all of the writers in the AFC North to rank the quarterbacks according to where they felt they deserved to be and it appears to be a pretty unanimous decision overall. With the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger ranked number 1 overall, followed by the Ravens' Joe Flacco in the second spot, Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals third and whoever the Browns can toss behind center in last.

The ranking of Big Ben at the top makes sense even for us Ravens fans. The guy wins games and has been able to settle down behind a better offensive line over the last few seasons. Add in a top 5 running back and one of the best wide receivers in the game in Antonio Brown and you can see why Ben deserves the top spot.

Flacco is kinda the opposite for a lot of his career. He struggles a bit during the regular season to stay consistent and to put up the type of stats that you would like to see out of an #elite quarterback, but then proceeds to destroy teams in the playoffs.

He has recently been the anti-Dalton come playoff time. Where Dalton puts up big numbers throughout the season and wilts in the playoffs, Flacco is the opposite.

During his last two playoff runs (2012, 2014), Flacco had a solid regular season TD/INT ratio percentage of 2.23 and a winning percentage of .630. In the playoffs during those same seasons, his TD/INT percentage jumped to a staggering 17:2 or 8.5% and his winning percentage jumped to .830.

Andy Dalton could rise up the rankings if he were to take his team to the playoffs and win a few games. But sadly for Bengals fans, Dalton is another one of those quarterbacks that does exceptionally well in the regular season with gaudy stats, but then falls apart in the playoffs. That might not matter to some analysts, but it looks like even the writers over at Cincy Jungle seem to know that his postseason performance is keeping Dalton down.

In four seasons, all Dalton has done is compiled 40 wins, gone 4 for 4 in making the playoffs and has done so while playing in the toughest division in football; one which also happens to feature two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks.

...With a solid season, and more importantly, some playoff wins, Dalton can improve his ranking in not just the division, but the NFL.