NFL QB Power Rankings: Getting Set

Overtime Heroics Editorial

265 days ago

THE NFL IS FINALLY BACK! Now that the NFL is back and week one is in the past, we can now critique every quarterback. In our weekly QB power rankings, we look at each quarterback’s performance, analyzing the stats but also taking anecdotal notes. We have reviewed:

Completion Percentage
Number of throws
Yards
Touchdowns
Long Drives (40+ yards)
Long completions (20+ yards)
Interceptions and fumbles
Running Yards

Statistics are crucial, but they tell only some of the story. Late drives, scrambling in the pocket to buy time, or a timely third-down completion tight coverage to extend a drive are some anecdotal notes worthy of impacting QB power rankings.

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Don’t forget to check back to see Week Two QB Power Rankings on Tuesday.

Week One Power Rankings

This Week	Last Week	NFL QB Power Rankings – September 16, 2022
32	—	Jacoby Brissett. Brissett was entirely bailed out by the proficient backfield. Chubb and Hunt both combined for 187 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Brissett had a quarterback rating of 38.1, had a completion rating of 52.9, and 147 yards, and 1 touchdown. His longest pass of the game was 24 yards. Brissett was simply a filler in this game until a Mr. Watson returns; but for this game the backfield sealed it for them. In short, I was unimpressed by his lackluster “performance”
31	—	Trey Lance. Lance underperformed in his full-time starter debut. Lance was promised to be the savior to the 49ers offense, better than Jimmy Garoppolo. His quarterback rating was 43.1, completion rating was 46.4, 164 passing yards, longest pass being 44 yards and 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The entire 49ers choked against the Bears stout defense, without Mack they still shut out Lance. I rank Lance higher than Brissett in these QB power rankings because he has the excuse of basically being a rookie.
30	—	Matthew Stafford. The reigning Super bowl champions flopped against the new-favorite Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. The 34-year-old struggled, his offensive line let him down allowing 7 SACKS, so his passing stats took a hit. His favorite wide out Cooper Kupp helped him greatly, putting up 13 receptions, 128 yards, and 1 touchdown. Stafford however didn’t quite put up those glamours stats. He passed for 240 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, 23.6 quarterback rating, longest being 28 yards, and 70.7 completion percentage. This was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen out Matthew Stafford’s career, it’s not entirely his fault, but the stats don’t lie.
29	—	Justin Fields. The Chicago savior did somewhat well in his first game. He struggled due to his offensive line (much like Stafford) and because of the poor conditions. He still has his issues, he had a 47.1 completion percentage, quarterback rating of 42.1, 1 interception. But he showed flashes of brilliance, 121 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, with the longest pass being 51 yards. I’m ranking Fields ahead of Stafford, because he doesn’t have the luxury of having a top-flight wide receiver like Kupp. Fields is on the right track, he’s going to climb these QB power rankings, and he’s going to be a stud.
28	—	Dak Prescott. Oh, the tremulous Dallas Cowboys, they always have such hype and promise, and never deliver. The only young, and promising thing this last Sunday night, was Micah Parsons who had 2 sacks. Dak Prescott got hurt in the 4th quarter when tackled by Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Per ESPN- “Prescott underwent surgery on his fractured right thumb Monday and is in line for a 6–8-week recovery timetable”- But his stats during the (almost) full game still stand true. He had 134 yards, 1 interception, 15.3 quarterback ranking, 48.3 completion percentage, and his longest pass of the day being 22 yards. Take these results with a grain of salt since you can blame the offensive line for not having Tyron Smith, or new signing Jason Peters, or the receiving game for losing Amari Cooper. Either way, Prescott did not have a good performance, and is now out for a while. The Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs are getting slimmer and slimmer.
27	—	Matt Ryan. Ryan had himself a pretty decent day, throwing for 352 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. The Colts have a run heavy offense, given that they have one of, if not thee, best back in the league in Jonathan Taylor. But this game however, they became more of a pass-first offense. Ryan attempted 50 passes longest pass being 28 yards, had a completion percentage of 64, and quarterback rating of 48.2. Ryan doesn’t have the deepest wideout core, but Michael Pittman is looking like a break out star.
26	—	Marcus Mariota. The Titans thought they knew that name, that arm, that talent would be the franchise-saving quarterback since Steve McNair. Mariota signed with the Falcons to get another fresh start, and so far, he’s taking advantage of it. He didn’t throw for any touchdowns, no interceptions, passing yards was solid at 215, 60.6 completion percentage, longest pass of the day was from 31 yards. He ran the ball well, that’s what kept the game close. They ultimately lost, but his running kept it within arm’s reach. He ran for 72 yards on 12 attempts, and 1 touchdown.
25	—	Mitchell Trubisky. The Steelers upset the runner-up Bengals in the season opener. The defense absolutely carried the load, forcing 5 turnovers. So, Mitch Trubisky had plenty of opportunities to control the offense at his pace. He tossed 194 yards, 1 touchdown, 55.3 completion percentage, quarterback rating of 48, his longest pass of the day was from 32 yards out. He led the Steelers on the game-winning drive in overtime. Time will tell if he is the answer for the Steelers, or just a fill-in until Kenny Pickett evolves.
24	—	Kyler Murray. The Cardinals took and absolute beating from the Chiefs, losing 21-44. Kyler tried his best, but facing one of the best teams, and quarterback in the league will get to you. Kyler threw for 193 yards, 2 touchdowns, quarterback rating was 52.9, and his completion percentage was at 64.7. His longest pass, however, was 26 yards. The defense just couldn’t keep with Patrick Mahomes which led to them losing 21-44. His mobility is better than most in the league, but that can only take you so far. He was limited to 29 yards on the ground on 5 attempts. Kyler was simply outmatched.
23	—	Daniel Jones. The Giants leaned on the running game, now that Saquon Barkley is back and healthy. So that means that Daniel Jones got to sit back, and simply watch him go to work. Jones threw for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, longest pass being 65 yards. His completion percentage was high at 81.0, and his quarterback rating was 25.8. This honestly seems like one of the lazier performances I’ve seen, much like Jacoby Brissett, he relied on the ground game. He only attempted 21 passes, compared to Barkley’s 18 carries. Jones leans on more talented players, not his own arm. Still, Jones proved he can be efficient if push comes to shove.
22	—	Jared Goff. Goff outperformed his week 1 expectations by throwing for 215 yards, 2 touchdowns, 49.7 quarterback rating, 56.8 completion percentage, 1 interception, and longest pass of the game being 29 yards. The Lions came up just short against the Eagles losing 35-38 at home. So far, the team of the most recent “Hard Knocks” season is performing well. Goff is showing some flashes of his potential, but only some, not all.
21	—	Mac Jones. The young Patriot quarterback didn’t do quite as well as promised against the Dolphins. Again, he has a back injury, but before the injury, let’s look at the numbers. He threw for 213 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 70 completion percentage. But a 13.2 QBR. The Patriots lost 7-20, the Patriots didn’t have much, if any, to take away positive from this game.
20	—	Joe Flacco. I couldn’t in good conscience rank Flacco any higher than 20. He had on paper, a great day. 300 yards (with not much help at the receiver, or lineman spot) 1 touchdown, 1 interception. He had a completion percentage of 62.7, but his quarterback rating was 15.4. His longest pass of the day was from 24 yards out. This revenge game against the Ravens, from the former Ravens quarterback couldn’t get it done, they lost 9-24. The Jets turned to Michael Carter, and Breece Hall to balance out the backfield. Don’t expect this sort of production for Joe every week, this had a “revenge game” feel to it.
19	—	Geno Smith. Out of all quarterbacks this season, I didn’t expect GENO SMITH to be ranked this highly. He played great, especially against a stout Denver front 7. He utilized a passing attack to big players, between wide receiver DK Metcalf, and Colby Parkinson. Geno passed 195 yards, 2 touchdowns, quarterback rating of 69.1, longest pass being 38 yards, and a completion rating of 82.1. The Seahawks scored a major upset against the Broncos and boosting Geno’s debut on the QB power rankings.
18	—	Baker Mayfield. Coming back to play your former team is always going to be an interesting watch. It always gives the player extra motivation to go harder, to train harder, and to show “Why did you get rid of me?” Baker had 235 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 37.2 quarterback rating, completion percentage of 59.3, and his longest pass was from 75 yards out! Browns fans wanted him out of Cleveland, they didn’t like his style, so they moved on. Mayfield also punched it into the end zone on the ground as well. So, Baker is onto a different team and different offense, let’s see if he can adapt fully in the coming weeks.
17	—	Jalen Hurts. Hurts seems more like a runner, and not like a passer. Or that’s what Twitter will tell you. This week however, that was sort-of true. Hurts had 243 passing yards, quarterback rating of 64.3, longest pass being 54 yards, and 56.3 completion percentage. On the ground, he had 17 attempts, 90 yards, 1 touchdown. Hurts can now boost his passing numbers with new added receiver A.J. Brown. He has a chance to silence critics (like myself at times), who think he’s a bust.
16	—	Russell Wilson. Wilsons’s Return to Seattle was the biggest showdown of the week. Will he outperform and show the team why he shouldn’t have been traded? Or will the latter happen and shake up the division? Wilson showed his mobility and spurts of brilliance throughout the Monday night thriller. Passing for 340 yards, 1 touchdown, had a completion percentage of 69.1, longest pass being from 67 yards out, and had a quarterback rating of 52.7 He didn’t have the rushing stats, but the “moving around the pocket” ability kept them on their toes. They ultimately lost 16-17 by a missed by Brandon McManus 64-yard field goal. With the great talent they have at the pass catcher spot, Sutton, Jeudy, and the Broncos will recover; and Wilson will be an MVP candidate and top five in these QB power rankings.
15	—	Davis Mills. With Deshaun Watson gone, the Texans were scrambling for a signal caller to lead their team. So, they selected Stanford product Davis Mills in the third round. So far, he’s fit the bill, certainly with the lackluster weapons around him. He threw for 240 yards, 2 touchdowns, longest pass was 42 yards out, his quarterback rating was 46.3, and his completion percentage was 62.2. He can most certainly improve, the Texans NEED to give him more of an offense, then he can really begin to blossom.
14	—	Ryan Tannehill. Much like Daniel Jones, Tannehill has the advantage of having an elite run game. This game was different though, Tannehill threw for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns, 65.3 quarterback rating of 65.3, completion percentage of 60.6, and his longest pass was 31 yards. Since defenses are going to plug the run heavily against Derrick Henry, the Titans must find a WR1 for him to succeed and move up in these QB power rankings.
13	—	Jameis Winston. Winston has always aired-it-out most years of his career. In his first 3 seasons he threw for over 3500 yards. So this season, he’s gotten off to a quick start. He threw 269 yards, his quarterback rating 53.3, his completion percentage was 67.7, and his longest pass was from 40 yards out. He did have the upper hand of having Michael Thomas back, which significantly boosted his numbers. We’ll see if he can keep this connection with Thomas or if it was a one-game event.
12	—	Tua Tagovailoa. Tua has improved his accuracy and he got better wide outs. The receiver he got was one of the best in the NFL, Tyreek Hill. With second-year wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and star free agent addition Tyreek Hill, Tua passed for 270 yards, 1 touchdown, 69.7 completion percentage, quarterback rating 78.2, and his longest pass was 42 yards. This is why you give young QB’s weapons on offense–he can easily become a top-end passer.
11	—	Derek Carr. With all the new additions on this Raiders offense this offseason, you’d think Carr would be a top 3 QB with names like Davante Adams, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs. This first game was somewhat of a letdown. Carr threw for 295 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 26.9 quarterback rating, 59.5 completion percentage, with the longest pass being a 41-yard fling. This offense has the rest of the year to figure work out their differences, but they have one solid piece: Davante Adams. He absolutely crushed the opposing secondary by catching 10 passes, for 141 yards and 1 touchdown. Wait until Carr works out the kinks–he has an opportunity to put up MVP-type numbers and move up these QB power rankings.
10	—	Trevor Lawrence. Well, the Jaguars have hopefully have their prayers answered. Lawrence, who is trying to improve on last year’s mistakes, did quite well. Making a good impression in his debut in his second year, he threw for 275 yards, 1 touchdown, his quarterback rating of 48.4, and is completion percentage is 57.1. His longest pass is from 49 yards. With both James Robinson and Travis Etienne Jr. both back in and healthy at running back, Lawrence was successful. If everyone can remain healthy, the Jags team, MIGHT be able to sneak into a wild card slot.
9	—	Lamar Jackson. Despite not having a long-term contract, Lamar and the Ravens destroyed the Jets 24-9. Jackson had 213 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 68.2 quarterback rating, 56.7, 1 interception, and his longest pass being from 55 yards out. And we know about what he can do with his legs, but the Jets somewhat contained him. He attempted 6 rushes for 17 yards. Some might say this was a cake of a matchup. That may be true, but still, Lamar torched them, earning his top-ten spot in the QB power rankings.
8	—	Carson Wentz. Wentz was traded to Washington from Indianapolis this offseason for 3 draft picks. Many criticized the move, most notably because fans who wanted a more established name, like a Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers (not a quarterback with an injury riddled history). Wentz, however, has proved his original talent. He threw for 313 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, a longest pass was from 49 yards out, 65.9 completion percentage, and his quarterback rating was 46.2. With his main star receiver Terry McLaurin, Wentz hopes to maintain this success.
7	—	Joe Burrow. Even with his best-in-the-league wide receiver trio, “Burreaux” couldn’t outlast the Steeler defense. He was sacked 7 times. Yes, 7 times. The Steelers absolutely killed Burrow in the pocket. He threw 4 interceptions, his quarterback rating was 42.1, completion percentage 62.3. The bright side is that he threw for 338 yards, and 2 touchdowns. I don’t blame this loss on Burrow, I blame this loss on the Bengals and coach Zac Taylor.
6	—	Kirk Cousins. Captain Kirk did very well in the season opener. He had 277 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, a 71.9 percent completion percentage, 80.7 quarterback rating, and his longest pass being 64 yards. He used one man and one man only–Justin Jefferson. Why wouldn’t he? He is one of the best receivers in the league, a one-man show. Cousins used him to exploit the Packers secondary, which led to Jefferson having quite the performance: 9 catches, 184 yards, and 2 touchdowns. If Cousins, Jefferson, and Thielen (if he can get included) can continue this production, they’re all going to be doing the griddy right into the post-season.
5	—	Justin Herbert. Justin Herbert has turned this Charger offense and evolved it into a Super Bowl contender. With the core of Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen, the offense is explosive as it has ever been. This last week, Herbert threw for 279 yards, 3 touchdowns, a longest pass of 42 yards with a 76.5 completion percentage. He had a quarterback rating of 84.8 Justin Herbert was excellent in week one versus the Raiders, but definitely lost the duel with Mahommes on Thursday Night Football.
4	—	Tom Brady. Brady didn’t have an especially great or bad performance. He just had a forgettable one. He leaned on Fournette and the defense. The Bucs won because the Cowboys didn’t. Brady had 212 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, a quarterback rating of 53.4, completion percentage of 66.7. His longest pass was from 48 yards. Like Rodgers, Brady will pick it up. Just wait.
3	—	Aaron Rodgers. The free agent departure of Davante Adams led to him to joining the silver-and-black Raiders. Many Packer fans and analysts questioned whether the Adams departure was going to impact the team. It did and it will. Rodgers made some mistakes but his linemen did him no favors allowing him to be sacked 4 times. He threw for 195 yards, 1 interception, 64.7 completion percentage with his longest pass being 23 yards. His quarterback rating was 16.1, among the bottom 5 in week 1. They lost to the Vikings 7-23. But Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers. If we see this again, he’ll surely be plummeting down the QB power rankings. Let’s give him a one-time pass.
2	—	Josh Allen. This season’s main MVP candidate had a good, and a “bad” game, leading some to move Allen down on their QB power rankings. He had a touchdown but threw 2 interceptions (albeit, one of them bounced off of Davis’s hands) early on. But then he ramped it up even more, throwing 3 touchdowns and 297 yards in the air. He had an 83.9 completion percentage, 91.2 rating, and his longest pass was 53 yards. Allen used Diggs and Gabe Davis to his disposal to blast the Rams. Allen is locked and loaded this season.
1	—	Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were rolling from the start, with a cakewalk win against Arizona. The Texas Tech alumni plenty of chances to score. Score he did, 5 touchdowns, 360 passing yards (longest pass was 35 yards) 76.9 completion percentage, and quarterback rating was an astounding 94.1. The Chiefs smoked the Cardinals 44-21, and Mahomes proved he can do it with, or without Tyreek Hill. And he followed that up with a still impressive win against the Chargers and they’re highly capable and also elite passer Justin Herbert, as a result, Mahomes earns the top spot in the QB power rankings.