Drew Bress
Many NFL games are decided in the fourth quarter, and the difference between a win and a loss can come down to a clutch performer.
The importance of having a quarterback who can respond under pressure is easily seen from last year's results as the two signal callers with the best fourth-quarter passer ratings led their clubs to Super Bowl XLIV.
In fact, all five of the leaders in the category guided their teams to the playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING finished the regular season with an NFL-best 116.0 passer rating in the fourth quarter, while New Orleans Saints quarterback DREW BREES ranked second with a 113.4 mark.
"We had plenty of games last year when we went down at some point in the game, either early or in the fourth quarter," says Brees, who was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV. "But we just continued to believe in ourselves and found a way to win."
Here's the top-rated passers in the fourth quarter of the 2009 season
BEST FOURTH-QUARTER PASSING RATING
| Player | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL | |||||||
| Peyton Manning | 79 | 109 | 72.5 | 939 | 7 | 1 | 116.0 |
| Drew Brees | 91 | 126 | 72.2 | 1,066 | 6 | 0 | 113.4 |
| Brett Favre | 89 | 126 | 70.6 | 1,081 | 8 | 2 | 111.2 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 63 | 104 | 60.6 | 787 | 9 | 2 | 104.9 |
| Tony Romo | 89 | 142 | 62.7 | 1,232 | 8 | 2 | 103.4 |
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