Who are we kidding, if you aren’t a fan of any of these four teams, odds are you would LOVE to have one of these QBs commanding your team’s huddle. Regardless of how you feel about them as human beings, you cannot deny the confidence and swagger all of these guys carry. Three of the four are Super Bowl Champions, all four have gone to their respective conference championship games more than once, and all four have talent oozing out of them. So the debate begins: Who would you rather have on your team? Who is the QB you would like to command your huddle with 2 minutes left in a game down by 4?

Ben Roethlisberger: The Fighter

There may be no other nickname more defining than that of “Big Ben”. Watching defenders attempt to tackle the giant QB is like watching a 5-year-old boy try to take down his dad. His footwork isn’t fancy, this throwing motion isn’t perfect, and his timing definitely isn’t precise. The guy is a wild card and yet game after game he continues to keep plays alive and put up incredible numbers. The man is a winner proven by his three Super Bowl appearances and two championships. There may also be no other wide receiver craftsman better than him. He is responsible for making Nate Washington, Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown into big names. In fact, he is the sole reason why the Steelers have gone from a tradition of running the ball 35 times a game to throwing the ball 35 times a game. His resilience, heart and determination give reason for his teammates to be confident in him. How many times has the guy played on one leg? He’s always hurt and yet he continually plays and wins through the pain.

Over the 2016 season, Pittsburgh has the longest and current winning streak of nine straight games. Thanks to a healthy offensive line and running back (Le’veon Bell), Big Ben finally has a team that can support him in the playoffs. The fact that Roethlisberger now has a clean pocket to throw in and possibly the best running back in the game behind him, there is reason to fear this offense. During the regular season, Ben has been clutch when closing out either the 1st or 2nd half. Within the last 2 minutes of either half, he has thrown for 7 TDs and 2 Ints with a completion percentage of 69%. He also shows no panic. A perfect example of that would be the game on Sunday against the Chiefs. With 2 minutes left and the Chiefs left without a timeout, the Steelers only needed a first down to close out the game on 3rd and 2. Opting to pass, Ben drops back, doesn’t panic, stays patient, keeps the play alive, and throws to Brown for a first down. Please watch his closeout throw at the end of the highlight video posted below:

This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. Check out the exact same situation with the exact same result against the 2010 Jets:

Matt Ryan: The Hottest

The combination of Kyle Shanahan and Matt Ryan has created one of the deadliest offenses in NFL history. This isn’t an over exaggeration; they finished 8th all-time in scoring for an NFL offense. To put things in perspective, remember the great Rams’ offense during their Super Bowl run in 1999? Well, this Falcons offense is more explosive than they were. In fact, Matt Ryan had the best season of his career right after the absolute worst season of his career. That’s a mini comeback in itself. In 2016 Matt Ryan had a 117.1 QB Rating which is ranked 5th all time, threw for 38 TDs and a completion percentage of 69.9%.

Matt Ryan, like Big Ben, has been lethal during the 2016 campaign due to the talent that surrounds him. However, No one has been more on fire this year than Ryan has. His command in the huddle, distribution of the ball, football IQ, relationship with Shanahan, and willingness to take risks is where the real danger comes from. During Sunday’s game against Seattle, Julio Jones (possibly the best receiver in the game) missed most of the game due to injury and yet the Falcons scored 29 points without him. The team is loaded with talent such as Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Austin Hooper and others. This team was built to score at will and do it at such a fast pace it tires out both your offense and defense. Matt Ryan is dangerous due to the talent that surrounds him along with his intelligence, talents, and experience. He is no stranger to clutch moments. The courageous gunner has ice in his veins which is why he carries the awful, but understanding nickname “Matty Ice.”

Check out a couple of his clutch moments below:

Fun Fact: Matt Ryan’s first career pass was a TD

Aaron Rodgers: The Talent

If last Sunday’s matchup between the Cowboys and Packers wasn’t enough evidence of Aaron Rodgers’ greatness, your standards are beyond impassable. He has been on an incredible streak winning his last 8 games after his team was left for dead when they were 4–6 to start the season. Perhaps his greatest clutch moment wasn’t necessarily in an individual game, but over the span of an entire season. He lead a season comeback causing his team to become red-hot entering the postseason.

Aaron Rodgers may be the most talented QB to ever walk on an NFL field. His laser-rocket arm and ability to throw accurately regardless of where he is on the field makes him the most frightening weapon in the NFL. The man has a wide receiver as his primary running back and yet he consistently makes great plays without turning the ball over despite the absence of a solid running game. This season, Rodgers threw for 318 consecutive passes without an interception which was 17 passes less than the NFL record.

His attitude is cocky and arrogant, yet calm, cool and collected. The man has no fear and shows no signs of caring what other people think. His stubbornness equates to his greatness. The man never believes in the idea of losing; just ask the Lions, Cardinals and Giants. The man threw for a game-winning Hail Mary, game-tying Hail Mary, and a Hail Mary as the first half clock expired all within the last 2 season. The QB from Cal Berkeley is dangerous. His athleticism, football IQ, talent, experience and attitude give all of Green Bay a reason to R-E-L-A-X.

Tom Brady: Consistently Great

Need I say more? The little kid who grew up worshiping Joe Montana grew up to be, perhaps, even greater than his idol. Tom Brady is a four time NFL Super Bowl Champion. As a 15 year starter, Tom Brady has gone to the AFC Championship game 11 times, winning 6. He’s participated in 32 playoff games which amounts to 2 entire NFL seasons. He’s missed the playoffs only once as a full-time starter. He is currently 3rd all-all time in game-winning drives. The man has won with the likes of Antowain Smith, Kevin Faulk, David Patton, Jermaine Wiggins, Troy Brown, Jabar Gaffney, Reche Caldwell, Deion Branch, David Givens, Daniel Graham, Benjamin Watson, Brandon Lafell, Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, etc… The list goes on and on and on. Last season in the AFC Championship game, Tom Brady had a decimated offensive line and faced one of the greatest all-time NFL defenses. With less than 2 minutes left and being down by 8, he still marched down the field, converted two 4th down plays and scored a TD. He lost the game, but I encourage you to watch the last 2 minutes of that game and you’ll be in awe by Tom Brady.

Here’s another video if you need a game-winning drive to ease your mind:

Conclusion

I could cop out and say, “Hey anything could happen. I’d be really happy with any of them,” but we all know that’s a lie. When it comes down to it, you shouldn’t have the mentality of “who would I want on my team.” You should think the opposite: “Who scare the living daylights out of me when my team faces them?”

For me, the answer is quite simple: Tom Brady

Written by AthletiQA Contributor, Ryan Goff