"From a fan's seat, NFL passing plays look pretty simple.

The quarterback gets the ball, he looks for an open receiver, then throws.

No problem.

Of course, if it were that simple, there would be many more "franchise quarterbacks" playing -- and playing for a lot less money.

The truth is much more complicated.

Trent Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback who won a Super Bowl ring during his 14-year career and now is an NFL analyst for ESPN, helped explain why playing quarterback in the NFL at an elite level is as much about brain power as arm strength.

The following scenario is an example of the decisions New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees might have to make on just one play in an NFC divisional playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals today at the Superdome. "