There has been a lot of movement at the top of the NFL QB power rankings over the last couple of weeks, but the players who have reigned supreme for most of the year seemed to ring true in Week 17.
The cream of the crop is continuing to rise to the top, and with one more week of the regular season left, who is and isn’t in the upper echelon of NFL QBs has never been clearer.
2023 QB Power Rankings
While we don’t want to be rash in our decisions about how we view these NFL quarterbacks in the macro, a “power ranking” is about the micro. They’re more about the here and now. While perceived talent remains important, performance through the 2023 season weighs heavier.
32) Jaren Hall, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings’ offense looked completely inept on Sunday night while Jaren Hall was in there. It didn’t get much better when they made a switch to Nick Mullens, but anytime you don’t make it to the third quarter of a game due to performance, you’re probably going to come in last on the next week’s rankings list.
31) Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers’ offense got smothered by the Denver Broncos’ defense. Fresh off a week where Easton Stick was able to do some good things against the Buffalo Bills’ defense, it was almost the polar opposite this past Sunday.
30) Trevor Siemian, New York Jets
On a pure rating basis, it was the best game of Trevor Siemian’s season. However, it was tough sledding for him and his offense as the Cleveland Browns jumped on them early and often in the 17-point loss.
The Jets’ offense has been a constant struggle all year long, and Siemian isn’t helping the cause right now, either.
29) Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
After a week where he threw for 312 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Packers, Bryce Young followed that with a less-than-stellar performance in Week 17.
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With a rating of just 53.1 and only 112 passing yards on a 59.4 completion percentage, it’s a game that Young would like to move on from as Carolina enters the final week of the year.
28) Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons
Sunday was a bad outing for the journeyman veteran. Taylor Heinicke finished the afternoon with a completion percentage of 34.5 and threw three interceptions as well. The Bears took it to him, and Heinicke and Co. had no answers whatsoever.
27) Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots
Bailey Zappe threw three interceptions against the Bills on Sunday. It was certainly a frustrating afternoon for a Patriots team that has been used to that feeling all season long.
Zappe has shown glimpses of competency during his opportunities — during this game specifically — but it doesn’t look like a plan New England will roll with into next season.
26) Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
What a whirlwind of a week for Sam Howell it was. From being told he was getting benched, to then being called upon to start following Jacoby Brissett’s hamstring injury he suffered in practice.
As expected, Howell struggled against a good San Francisco 49ers defense.
25) Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
Despite the loss, it wasn’t a bad outing for Aidan O’Connell in Week 17. The Raiders fell to the Indianapolis Colts, but O’Connell threw for 299 passing yards and two touchdowns in the contest.
This is further evidence of just how funny the NFL is. A performance like that isn’t enough to win, but the week prior, O’Connell threw for 62 total passing yards, which was enough to secure a W against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs.
24) Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos
In what was a truly bizarre week in Denver, Jarrett Stidham got his first start of the season and made the most of the opportunity while doing so. The Chargers had no answers for Stidham and the Broncos’ offense, and he rode a steady performance to a nice divisional victory.
23) Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 17 was nothing special for Jake Browning — that goes for both the good and the bad.
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The Bengals lost to the Chiefs in an important matchup, where Browning had a ho-hum kind of day. No turnovers to speak of, but the performance wasn’t enough to put Cincinnati in the winning column, either.
22) Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Will Levis got knocked out of Sunday’s game and was unable to return. The rest of the frustrating game was played with Ryan Tannehill under center.
The rookie has taken his lumps this season, but Levis has shown glimpses of a bright future.
21) Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
Gardner Minshew is so scrappy. He just finds a way to win and get the job done almost weekly at this point.
It may not always look great, but he gives his team a fighting chance. And when you’re a fringe starter teetering on the brink of a true journeyman career, that’s all you can ask for when given a shot to play.
20) Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants
It’s not like it changes the trajectory of the Giants’ season, but one could wonder what the last two months could have looked like had Tyrod Taylor been under center this entire time. The veteran QB has been playing well and keeping the Giants in games that they probably have no business being in, in the first place.
19) Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Sunday was a tough one for Geno Smith and the Seahawks. The defense had no answers for Pittsburgh’s running game, and on offense, they just couldn’t find a way to make enough plays.
Smith has played well at times this season, but overall, he’s middle of the pack across the league and needs to elevate his game heading into the final week of the year.
18) Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mason Rudolph is muddying up the waters in Pittsburgh. His play has been good enough that it seems like the team is not so eager to turn the ball back over to Kenny Pickett at the moment.
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Rudolph has found a way to resurrect his career as well as added life to a pedestrian Steelers offense.
17) Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr and the Saints kept their season alive against the Bucs, who were just one win away from clinching the division. New Orleans put a stop to that in Week 17, and Carr was an important part in doing so.
He finished with a 111.1 passer rating and two touchdown passes on the day to keep the Saints’ playoff hopes alive as they enter the final week of the season.
16) Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals helped ring the Cowboys and their fans a Happy New Year. Murray was able to orchestrate a game-winning drive over the free-falling Eagles on Sunday and have found their way into being a classic eliminated team you don’t want to play against.
15) Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields continues to make things hard for the Bears’ decision-makers. Fields’ play has been encouraging and has people around the team wondering if he’s the man for the future.
Anytime your play is good enough to stop a franchise’s plans dead in their tracks is good enough to move you up our QB power rankings list.
14) Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This week was not a good one for Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. Despite putting up good numbers and the fact that Mayfield has been playing well as of late, with a chance to clinch the NFC South crown, Tampa couldn’t finish the job.
The Buccaneers will now turn their attention to a do-or-die scenario in the final week of the year to get in.
13) Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco has been an awesome story for the Browns, and Week 17 was just another reminder of that.
Cleveland made light work of the Jets on Thursday Night Football. As a result, it looks like Flacco and the Browns have earned themselves some rest in Week 18 if they so choose.
MORE: Can Joe Flacco Win Comeback Player of the Year?
The best move of the year for Cleveland was adding Flacco to the fold when they had nowhere else to turn.
12) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the dismantling of the lowly Panthers in Week 17 without Trevor Lawrence, it’s clear that Jacksonville still very much needs him if they’re going to have sustained success. Lawrence has been a warrior this season and has put it all on the line every week he’s been out there.
11) Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is talented. He’s a true leader and has found ways to win countless games over the last two seasons. However, this last month or so of the season hasn’t been all that great.
Statistically, it was not a bad outing for Hurts; it was pretty on par for his normal tallies. The Eagles were unable to put away the Cardinals, however, and as a result, Philadelphia fell to 1-4 in their last five games and lost control of their divisional destiny to the Cowboys.
10) Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
In what was the biggest drama of the weekend, Jared Goff and the Lions fell short to the Cowboys in what was a highly controversial ending. Despite the moment that everyone was talking about, it wasn’t Goff’s best performance of the year.
He finished the game with two interceptions but still found a way to score a touchdown late to bring them within a failed two-point try from victory. Goff has been good this year.
9) Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Sunday night may have been the best performance of Jordan Love’s young career. He finished the evening with 256 passing yards and four total touchdowns, and was completely unstoppable against Minnesota’s defense.
Love’s performance catapulted him into the top 10 of our latest QB power rankings.
8) C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud was missed during his absence, and his first game back was a solid one. The Texans beat the Titans soundly, and it came off the back of a quality performance from the obvious choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
7) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Nothing to write home about for Josh Allen this week. He finished the afternoon with 169 passing yards and one interception against a good Patriots defense.
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It was enough for the team to win, but it was an uninspiring performance that knocked Allen down a peg in our latest rankings.
6) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
We’ve become accustomed over the years to expect gaudy numbers from Patrick Mahomes, to the point where when he’s efficient and effective, it almost feels like “meh.”
Yet, in Week 17, Mahomes was just that against the Bengals. He was able to make plays and put up solid numbers and a 109.1 passer rating en route to an important victory for KC.
5) Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins ran into a buzzsaw on Sunday. It happens. The Ravens look to be the class of the NFL, and when that ball gets rolling it becomes hard to stop.
Tua threw two interceptions in the contest, and this is one of those games where all people involved will look to burn the tape and move on to the next week.
4) Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
For the first time since Nov. 19, Matthew Stafford had a QB rating not in the 100s. Despite that, the Rams found a way to beat a scrappy Giants team in which he threw 317 passing yards and one touchdown with a 70.6 completion percentage.
Stafford did throw two interceptions in the matchup, but that feels much like a blip on the radar than something that is a concern for a QB who has been playing extremely well.
3) Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Week 17 was a good shake-back week for Brock Purdy. Following the worst performance of his professional career, he found a way to get back on track with a sound win.
Purdy finished with a completion percentage of 78.6 and two touchdown passes, proving that he’s been able to put the past behind and jump back into the top five of our QB power rankings.
2) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
If it wasn’t for two weeks when the Cowboys fell to the Bills and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks, the MVP conversation between Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson would probably be much closer than it is right now.
Dak continues to play the position at an extremely high level. Despite some defensive sputters in some high-leverage scenarios, Prescott has found a way to orchestrate go-ahead drives in consecutive weeks against good opponents.
1) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
With a week left in the season and everything for the Ravens already sewn up, it’s tough to sit here and think that anything can happen between now and then that would dethrone Jackson from this spot — or even the MVP race, for that matter.
Baltimore is the best team in football, and Jackson is playing exactly how this team needs him to. They are a dangerous team heading into the AFC playoffs, and although their defense is elite, Jackson is playing a huge part in that success as well.
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