Ranking the best NFC East quarterbacks of all time

15. Nick Foles, Eagles

Nick Foles? Well, consider that the NFC East has had three different quarterbacks who did not become starters until late in the season win a Super Bowl title (for three different franchises). Compared to Doug Williams and Jeff Hostetler, though, Foles also has played more games in the NFC East (14 career regular season starts for Williams, 25 for Hostetler), has better league-adjusted stats and had a better season (2013, with a 27 TD to 2 INT year) than either of them had outside of their Super Bowl runs. Foles makes this list on his excellent season in 2013, two times coming off the bench to appear in the playoffs and postseason accomplishments.

Key Stats: 32 GS (21-11), 7.5 YPA, led league in YPA in 2013, 4-2 record in playoffs with Eagles

14. Neil Lomax, Cardinals

Neil Lomax toiled on some mediocre Cardinals teams for eight years, but he was an above-average quarterback for most of that time and had his career end prematurely at age 29 by a hip injury. He made two Pro Bowls and finished third in passing touchdowns in both of those seasons. His only playoff appearance came in the strike-shortened 1982 season, when he threw for 385 yards in a loss to the Packers.

Key Stats: 101 GS (47-52-2), 7.2 YPA, 136 career passing touchdowns, led the NFL in passing yards in 1987

13. Randall Cunningham, Eagles

Cunningham’s placement on this list may be controversial, with some thinking the “Ultimate Weapon” should be higher. If we look just at his Eagles career, Cunningham’s efficiency numbers are kind of underwhelming. He makes it here because of his rushing ability, but he also led the league in sacks in all but one season where he was the main starter in Philadelphia. The result was a quarterback who was below the league average in net yards per pass in every season as an Eagle. The 1990 season, during which he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards while averaging 7.5 yards per pass, was his best (before the 1998 season with the Vikings).

Key Stats: 110 GS (64-45-1), 6.8 YPA, 4,482 career rushing yards in Philadelphia. 1-4 record in postseason with Eagles.

12. Mark Rypien, Redskins

Mark Rypien’s star burned brightly and then burned out by age 31. In 1991, he had one of the best seasons of the last thirty years and was selected second-team All-Pro, as Washington won their third title in nine years. He took control of the Washington offense for the 1989 season and was an ideal fit for the vertical passing game. He went 42-20 as a starting quarterback with Joe Gibbs as head coach and only 5-11 for the rest of his career.

Key Stats: 72 GS (45-27), 7.2 YPA, Super Bowl MVP after 1991 season, 5-2 in playoffs

11. Ron Jaworski, Eagles

Ron Jaworski begins our run of NFC East quarterbacks turned broadcasters. From 1978 to 1981, Jaworski was a very good quarterback for the Eagles. He had a stellar 27 TD to 12 INT ratio in 1980 as the Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl. From 1982 onward, Jaworski threw nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns, and the Eagles had a 22-36-1 record in games he started.

Key Stats: 137 GS (69-67-1), 6.9 YPA, 175 TD passes with Eagles, 1980 Pro Bowler

10. Billy Kilmer, Redskins

Billy Kilmer had one of the most unique careers in NFL history. He began as an all-purpose back who ran for nearly 1,000 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons in San Francisco. He then got an opportunity to play quarterback for the expansion Saints. In 1971, George Allen brought him in at age 32, he supplanted Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen as a starter and became the face of the “Over the Hill Gang.” Washington went to the postseason five times in the 1970s with Kilmer as the starter, though the only year they won a playoff game was after the 1972 season when they advanced to and lost in the Super Bowl against the undefeated Dolphins.

Key Stats: 74 GS (50-23-1), 6.9 YPA, Pro Bowler in 1972 when he led the NFL in touchdown passes with 19

9. Jim Hart, Cardinals

Jim Hart was the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Cardinals for 15 seasons, stretching from the 1960s to the early 1980s. His peak was in the mid-’70s, when the Cardinals won 10-plus games three different times, made the playoffs twice and he led the league in fourth-quarter comebacks in consecutive seasons.

Key Stats: 180 GS (87-88-5), 6.8 YPA, four straight Pro Bowls from 1974 to 1977

8. Danny White, Cowboys

Danny White served as the Cowboys’ punter while waiting for his turn behind Roger Staubach. When he got the opportunity, the Cowboys continued their dynasty run, except they could not get over the hurdle and reach a Super Bowl with White at quarterback. The Cowboys went to the NFC Championship Game from 1980 to 1982 but lost all of them, including the famous game featuring Joe Montana to Dwight Clark for “The Catch.”

Key Stats: 92 GS (62-30), 7.4 YPA, 5-5 in postseason with Dallas including three NFC Championship Games

7. Phil Simms, Giants

Phil Simms’ career is a testament to perseverance. He battled injuries early in his career, missed the entire 1982 season with a knee injury, and then was benched for Scott Brunner by new head coach Bill Parcells for the 1983 season. When he got a chance to play in '83, he broke his thumb. Simms re-established himself as the starter in 1984, and two years later had a masterful season as the Giants won their first Super Bowl title. He finished top-five in passer rating three different times between 1987 and 1993.

Key Stats: 159 GS (95-64), 7.2 YPA, 22 of 25 for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns to win SB MVP after 1986 season

6. Joe Theismann, Redskins

Somewhat recently, I defended Joe Theismann when Peter King questioned his career standing. Here’s another note as we debate where Theismann stands: he is the last NFC East player to win the AP NFL MVP award. That has to be worth something.

Key Stats: 124 GS (77-47), 7.0 YPA, 1983 NFL MVP

5. Eli Manning, Giants

Based only on his regular season stats, Manning would be a little lower on this list, but his postseason performances and the Giants winning twice over the Patriots push him up a bit. The last few years have somewhat tainted the view of Manning, but from the end of the 2007 season through the 2012 season, he was a very good quarterback. In 2011, he led the NFL in comeback wins in the regular season while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt, and then continued that run in the postseason.

Key Stats: 230 GS (116-114 record), 7.0 YPA, 8-4 playoff record, 2 Super Bowl titles and SB MVP awards

4. Tony Romo, Cowboys

Tony Romo’s career is one of those that will be debated for a while. He received plenty of criticism, and without his playoff results, you can make a pretty good argument that he is among the best NFC East quarterbacks ever. His yards per attempt blows everyone out of the water. He threw more than 30 touchdowns four different seasons and averaged nearly two TD passes per start. Nearly half of the Cowboys’ wins over his last four years as a starter were the result of a fourth quarter game-winning drive. He slots here because he never reached an NFC Championship Game. He has also shown himself to be an excellent announcer, and maybe people will realize that is just an extension of what he did as a player.

Key Stats: 127 GS (78-49 record), 248 TD passes, 7.9 YPA, 2-4 playoff record

3. Donovan McNabb, Eagles

Yes, Donovan McNabb never won a Super Bowl ring, but he did just about everything else. In eleven seasons in Philadelphia, the Eagles reached the conference championship game five times. A dual threat running and passing, he largely did it with mediocre offensive units in the first half of his tenure, and put up elite numbers with Terrell Owens in 2004. He might have been having his best statistical season before a knee injury in 2006. Even his short stint in Washington cannot knock him down this list.

Key Stats: 155 GS (97-57-1 record), 6.9 YPA, 3,400 rushing yards, 5 conference championship game and one Super Bowl appearance

2. Troy Aikman, Cowboys

When the Dallas Cowboys were at their best, Aikman did not need to throw the ball a ton, and Emmitt Smith racked up the rushing touchdowns. But from 1991 to 1995, Aikman made the Pro Bowl every year and was among the league leaders in efficiency. He was top-six in passer rating for five straight years and routinely among the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. He was named Super Bowl MVP in the first victory, and won three titles in four seasons.

Key Stats: 165 GS (94-71 record), 7.0 YPA, 11-4 in playoffs, 3 Super Bowl titles, 1992 SB MVP

1. Roger Staubach, Cowboys

Staubach missed out on starting earlier because of his Naval service and then sat behind Craig Morton, but he was arguably the best quarterback of the 1970s. Dallas went 10-0 in 1971 once Staubach took over, then won their first title. A separated shoulder kept him sidelined most of the following season behind Morton, but from 1973 to 1979, Staubach was the man. He led the NFL in passer rating four different times in the 1970s, and Dallas went to four Super Bowls, winning two, under him.

Key Stats: 114 GS (85-29 record), 7.7 YPA, 11-6 in playoffs, 2 Super Bowl titles, 1971 SB MVP