Week 7 QB Rankings: Grading the Performances of Trevor Lawrence, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Others

October 22, 2024 | 11:24 AM EDT

What are our Week 7 QB rankings as we use our PFN Insights QB+ metric to analyze every performance? Who impressed, and who struggled?

Written By Ben Rolfe

One of the hottest debated topics coming out of games each week is the quarterbacks’ performances. The most highly scrutinized positions are among the hardest to judge with traditional statistics. Therefore, we here at PFN Insights have created a metric to produce QB rankings based on the areas we believe are the most important in analyzing their performance and their contribution to the team.

Our QB+ metric looks at several statistics, including net yards per attempt (nYPA), third-down conversion rate, passing under pressure, and passing from a clean pocket. Additionally, we have quantified performances in clutch situations using statistics from different key scenarios within a game.

By no means is QB+ the perfect metric, and we will continue to develop it over the course of the season and beyond. However, when we analyzed it against the past five years, the results were extremely indicative of what we saw on the field while providing enough nuance away from traditional statistics for measuring quarterback play.

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Week 7 QB Grades

First, you will find a full list of all quarterbacks from Week 7, listed in order of their QB+ grade and score. Below, you will find an analysis of all qualified quarterbacks and the context for their grades.

They will be listed alphabetically by first name rather than by grade or score. This will allow readers to quickly find the QB they are looking for in the writeups.

The following players did not meet the 15-pass-attempt minimum to qualify, but if they had, this would have been their QB+ grade and score.

Jameis Winston | B (66.9)
Tim Boyle | B (66.5)
Tyler Huntley | B- (61.2)
Jalen Hurts | C- (47.7)

Week 7 QB Analysis

Aaron Rodgers, PIT (vs. NYJ)

Grade: C
Score: 50.8

Anyone who hoped the arrival of Davante Adams was going to catapult Rodgers back into the elite may be left concerned after Week 7. Of course, one week is a very small sample size, and Adams has barely learned the playbook at this point. This was Rodgers’ third performance in seven weeks with a QB+ below 50 and was a significant decrease on his Week 6 performance in Buffalo.

As of the end of Sunday, Rodgers was 19th among 25 qualified QBs in passing from a clean pocket. He also was either average or below when passing under pressure, converting on third downs, and in clutch situations. The only thing he ranked inside the top 10 for this week was nYPA.

We have seen flashes of the upside that Rodgers has, but at 2-5, the window to make that upside count is shrinking quickly.

Andy Dalton, CAR (at WAS)

Grade: D+
Score: 41.7

We have now seen two poor performances from Dalton in the last three weeks. He is still playing better than Bryce Young did as the Carolina Panthers’ starter, but it has not been a pretty few weeks. Any excitement around the Panthers’ offense is now vanishing, with just 37 points in the last three weeks.

Dalton was awful when throwing out of a clean pocket this week, ranking in the 25th percentile in our database. He also produced a season-low number in clutch situations and was not great on third downs. He did play fairly well when under pressure, posting a season-high. However, that was still a below-average performance in our database.

Anthony Richardson, IND (vs. MIA)

Grade: C
Score: 51.4

It has been a tough second season for Richardson, who got his second C grade this week but left much to be desired. He impressed relatively in clutch situations but only ended up above average in our database. The rest of his performance was below average to various different degrees.

This was Richardson’s best performance of the season in terms of passing from a clean pocket, but he could still only rank 16th out of 23 quarterbacks after the late afternoon window. That shows where his level is compared to the league right now. This game also had the lowest output of the season in nYPA (5.4) while being the second-lowest in terms of third-down conversions (27.3%).

Baker Mayfield, TB (vs. BAL)

Grade: B
Score: 69.5

Mayfield was completely outshadowed by Jackson in the Week 7 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens. This was Mayfield’s third-best performance of the season and his fourth with a grade of B or above. He excelled converting on third-downs, ranking first among qualified starters this week at 64.3%.

However, he was not in the top 10 this week for any other metric in our system, and that meant his performance was good without being excellent. The concern going forward will be how the losses of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans impact Mayfield and this passing game going forward.

Bo Nix, DEN (at NO)

Grade: C+
Score: 56.9

“Thursday Night Football” saw Nix put together his best performance of the 2024 season in terms of QB+. However, it’s a continuation of a very consistent period of play for the Denver Broncos quarterback, who has now posted a C+ QB+ grade in four of the last five weeks. The only exception to that came in Week 4 when he faced a tough New York Jets defense. Otherwise, we’ve seen Nix settle into a comfortable pattern.

However, there is still plenty of room for improvement. These performances are not hurting the team, but they’re not elevating, either. At some point, Nix will take this consistency and up it a little to lead Denver on a sustained run. But right now, the Broncos are 4-3 without Nix having to play particularly well.

Since the start of the season, we’ve already seen Nix improve in passing from a clean pocket, and he’s been above the 60th percentile of our database for three of the past five weeks.

Similarly, we’ve seen an improvement in third-down conversions, nYPA, and clutch performance. However, all of those areas need further improvement, as he remains just below the 50th percentile in all of them and when throwing under pressure.

Brock Purdy, SF (vs. KC)

Grade: C-
Score: 48.0

This was, by far, Purdy’s worst performance of 2024, with a QB+ grade below a B- for the first time. He posted season-low numbers when throwing under pressure and in a clean pocket. That led to him tying his season-low in third-down conversion rate and just slightly beating his season-low in nYPA. All told, Purdy performed very poorly at a bad time for the 49ers.

This was Purdy’s second-worst performance in his short career, and it will be interesting to see how he bounces back. The San Francisco 49ers need him to be at his very best, as they have slipped to 3-4 after seven weeks. They host the Cowboys next week before their bye week, and then a run of tough games between Weeks 10 and 14.

C.J. Stroud, HOU (at GB)

Grade: D+
Score: 42.4

Week 7 saw Stroud put together his worst performance of the 2024 season. His previous worst had been back in Week 3 against the Vikings, but he just dipped below it against the Packers in Week 7.

Stroud had his worst performance of the season when throwing under pressure and in terms of his nYPA. His 2.6 nYPA ranked 22nd out of 23 eligible quarterbacks after the late-afternoon games, and he was also 22nd in passing under pressure. Even the things he did relatively well in Week 7 were ranked outside the top 10 for the week.

Stroud will hope to bounce back against the Colts next week. He posted a B- against them in a 29-27 win in Week 1. The biggest issue for Stroud this season has been inconsistency, which continued this week.

Daniel Jones, NYG (vs. PHI)

Grade: D+
Score: 40.3

We saw Jones’ worst performance of the 2024 season, as he was benched for Drew Lock in the second half. This was Jones’ third game this season with a QB+ below 50 and his second in as many weeks. The only area he was above average in our database was passing from clean situations, but he still ranked 14th after the late afternoon window.

Jones posted a woeful 2.0 nYPA, which is marginally above the 10th percentile in the database. He also put together his worst performance of the season when throwing under pressure and in terms of third-down conversions. All told, this performance will not offer much hope to Brian Daboll and the New York Giants’ coaching staff.

Deshaun Watson, CLE (vs. CIN)

Grade: C+
Score: 59.4

Watson’s 2024 season appears to be over after the quarterback suffered what appears to be a torn Achilles. Unfortunately, the injury came in what had been Watson’s best game of the season to that point. However, we are still only talking about a C+ with a score of 59.4, so it was not a huge improvement over his previous best.

Watson had been good on third downs, converting 40% of the time, and posted his best output of the season in terms of nYPA. Everything else had been solid without being spectacular, but it matters for little at this point if Watson is out for the rest of the season. We will now see what else the Browns have in their quarterback room.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CLE (vs. CIN)

Grade: D-
Score: 32.0

Thompson-Robinson almost came as close to registering an F as you can without managing to actually hit that mark. For the first time this year, he was named as the QB2 over Jameis Winston, meaning he was pressed into action when Watson got hurt. Unfortunately, he could not do enough to avoid being benched.

At the end of the early slate, DTR had performed the worst of all qualified QBs when passing under pressure and from a clean pocket. He was also in the bottom two in nYPA (3.3) and third-down conversion rate (16.7%). It seems unlikely that DTR will be the one to get the starting role in Week 8.

Drake Maye, NE (vs. JAX)

Grade: B-
Score: 63.8

Maye backed up an impressive first start with another good outing in Week 7. He was above average in our database both in terms of throwing from a clean pocket and when under pressure. He remained slightly below average when converting third downs and in nYPA, but both were an improvement from his first start.

The early signs are promising for Maye. Week 7’s performance was in the upper third of what we’ve seen from NFL quarterbacks in 2024.

There is certainly more to do, but given the concerns around the New England Patriots’ offensive line and the lack of clear-cut top-tier talent around him, this has been a nice start for the rookie QB. Maye topped both Nix and Rattler in the QB+ rankings this week.

Gardner Minshew II, LV (at LAR)

Grade: D-
Score: 38.0

When Aidan O’Connell got hurt, Minshew was thrust back into a starting role. Unfortunately, Minshew could not do anything to make it clear that he deserves more opportunities as a starter. Entering “Sunday Night Football,” Minshew has the second-lowest QB+ of the week, posting awful numbers across the board.

This was Minshew’s worst performance of the season, and it came against one of the worst defenses. He put up season-low numbers when passing under pressure, as well as in terms of nYPA and third-down conversion. His passing numbers from a clean pocket were not quite a season-low, but they were not good. Overall, this was a bad day for Minshew, as the Las Vegas Raiders failed to win a close game.

Geno Smith, SEA (at ATL)

Grade: B-
Score: 64.5

One thing that we have been able to rely on this season has been Smith’s consistency, and that continued in Week 7. He did post his best result of the season, marginally eclipsing his Week 4 and Week 2 performances. He extended the range of his season results a little, but all seven of his games fall in a 10.1 stretch of QB+ scoring.

There is nothing you can point to in particular that Smith excelled at in Week 7, but he just matched or bettered his season average in all statistics. His best result was passing from a clean pocket, which he ranked in the 72nd percentile in our database.

The fact that we are glowingly discussing a B- for Smith indicates where his ceiling as a quarterback lies. This result was nice for the Seattle Seahawks, but Smith’s performance is hardly something that fans will talk about with excitement. However, it helped stop the rot for the Seahawks in 2024, and that is what really counts.

Jared Goff, DET (at MIN)

Grade: B+
Score: 73.7

It is somewhat funny that a B+ and a QB+ score over 70 feels a touch disappointing for Goff, but that is the standard he has set in recent weeks. After posting an A+ in Week 4 and then an A- in Week 6 coming out of their bye, this B+ is actually a second straight downgrade in QB+, which is a trend Goff will want to stop.

His performance was still very good, with a nYPA of 9.9 and performing in the 85th percentile in our database when passing from a clean pocket. The areas that let Goff down were a third-down conversion rate of 37.5% and a below-average return in clutch situations.

These four performances from Goff have all resulted in wins, and posting a B+ against one of the best defenses in the league should be applauded. He faces another tough defensive matchup against the Titans in Week 8.

Joe Burrow, CIN (at CLE)

Grade: C+
Score: 56.4

After improving week-over-week through the first five weeks, Burrow’s performance level in terms of QB+ has dropped off considerably. His C+ grade, with a score of 57, essentially matches his performance from Week 2 of the 2024 season. It was not a bad performance, and he avoided major errors, but it was not vintage Burrow.

What did not help Burrow was producing season-low passing numbers when under pressure and converting on third downs. He was also just mediocre in his nYPA (6.6) and performance in clutch situations.

Where Burrow excelled in Week 7 was when passing from a clean pocket. He posted his best numbers of the season from those clean pockets and was above the 80th percentile in our database. The Cincinnati Bengals will likely need more from Burrow if they are to win in Philadelphia next week.

Jordan Love, GB (vs. HOU)

Grade: B+
Score: 59.4

After an excellent performance last week, Love stepped back to his season average in Week 7. The performance was still his second-best of the 2024 season, but it was a fourth C+ grade and considerably lower than his B+ grade against the Cardinals last week.

The biggest concern for the Green Bay Packers will be that Love struggled under pressure, posting his worst numbers of the season. His nYPA of 5.9 was also a season-low, coming just a week after he set a season-high in the same statistics.

The positive is that despite Love not putting in an elite performance, the team still got the win. There is more to come from the Packers’ QB this season, but if they can win when he is merely average, that is a huge boost.

Josh Allen, BUF (vs. TEN)

Grade: B
Score: 69.2

Week 7 against the Titans was always going to be one of those games where Allen just had to avoid making mistakes, and the team would have a chance to win. That proved to be the case, as Allen was merely average by his high standards, and the Buffalo Bills still won by 24 points.

It is hard to know if this is more telling about Allen’s personal standards or this week’s quarterback play, but Allen was among the best in the league in Week 7 when throwing under pressure and from a clean pocket, but he was just average by his own standards.

This was just a solid performance from Allen, and it was enough to win going away in the end against a low-level AFC team. Allen will face sterner tests this season and may need to up his play in those games.

Justin Herbert, LAC (at ARI)

Grade: B-
Score: 60.3

Despite losing, Justin Herbert put together a solid performance in Week 7. This was his third-best grade of the season and his fifth with a C-grade or above. He was eighth in nYPA (8.6) but was not inside the top 10 this week when it came to third downs or passing from either a clean pocket or when under pressure.

The most interesting element was Herbert’s performances in clutch situations. He did well in time-sensitive moments of the game, but the Chargers’ failure to score any touchdowns and having to rely on five field goals was a failing from his perspective. The Chargers are going to struggle to win games if Herbert cannot play better in the opponent’s half.

Kirk Cousins, ATL (vs. SEA)

Grade: C
Score: 51.1

Week 7 was Kirk Cousins’ worst performance since Week 1 of the season when he was virtually a statue as he eased back from his major injury. Cousins was only marginally better in Week 7 than in Week 1 in what was a forgettable performance from the quarterback.

This was Cousins’ worst performance when throwing from a clean pocket, which really hurt him in comparison to his best QB+ grades this year. Everything else was on the lower end of what he was capable of but within a reasonably acceptable range of average. Cousins struggled in clutch situations, so he will need to bounce back in a rematch with the Buccaneers next week.

There is no reason Cousins cannot do that. His performances this season have bounced all over the map, and he has been one of the more inconsistent QBs to evaluate so far this season. That is only natural in a new system and coming off his injury.

Kyler Murray, ARI (vs. LAC)

Grade: C-
Score: 49.9

Outside of a 44-yard run from Murray early in the fourth quarter, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback did not perform well. He struggled on third downs, ranking 22nd with a 25% conversion rate, and he ranked 24th when passing from a clean pocket. Out of 29 qualified QBs, Murray ranked 20th in nYPA with 5.6 yards. That fell in the 35th percentile of our database.

The one area in which he was above average this week was throwing under pressure, but even then, he was only 10th. This performance was essentially par for the course for Murray this season, with his fifth grade of C or below. After starting with an A and a B- grade to open the season, he has struggled since then.

Lamar Jackson, BAL (at TB)

Grade: A
Score: 80.6

We saw Jackson put together his third A- grade or better performance for the 2024 season. This was his best outing of the entire season and the 38th-best in our database since 2019. He was close to perfect when throwing from a clean pocket and then put together his best throwing performance when under pressure. He was the best in the league in those categories this week, as well as in terms of nYPA (12.0).

Where Jackson had room for improvement was on third down. His 42.9% conversion rate was seventh in the league this week but did not advance his grade in the way we have seen in some recent performances. Jackson continues to look on track to win his second MVP after another superb performance in Week 7.

Marcus Mariota, WAS (vs. CAR)

Grade: B+
Score: 72.8

When Jayden Daniels left the Washington Commanders’ game in Week 7, fans must have feared the worst. However, Mariota did not miss a beat, producing a B+ result that was a top-five performance for the week. His performance strengthens the argument around what a good job Kliff Kingsbury is doing with this offense. However, the Panthers are one of the worst defenses in the NFL, so any excitement should be slightly muted.

This was Mariota’s second-best performance among the games in our database since 2019. Interestingly, his best performance came against the Panthers in 2022 when he played for the Falcons. Mariota was superb when throwing out of a clean pocket, and both his third-down conversion rate of 50% and nYPA of 8.7 were more than commendable.

The Falcons will hope that Daniels does not miss much time, but Mariota proved he can be a short-term fill-in for the team without a major drop-off in production in the right circumstances.

Mason Rudolph, TEN (at BUF)

Grade: C
Score: 53.1

We found out late this week that Mason Rudolph would be stepping in for Will Levis as the starter while the young quarterback dealt with an injury. In his first start this season, Rudolph did nothing to put pressure on Levis when he returns, but he did not really hurt his chances of starting in the short term either.

This performance was certainly on the lower end of what we have seen from Rudolph, ranking 13th of his 17 qualified appearances. He did well in third-down situations, converting 50% of his opportunities, which is close to his highest performance in our database. However, his 5.0 nYPA was on the lower end of his personal scale.

As Rudolph gets more comfortable in the scheme, we should only see his performances improve as he substitutes for Levis.

Matthew Stafford, LAR (vs. LV)

Grade: C
Score: 51.1

This QB+ largely sums up where Stafford is at this point in his career. Sure, he can have big weeks, like he did in Week 3 and Week 1 of the 2024 season, but generally, he has struggled. This is his fourth QB+ of a C or below, which is really where he resides now in terms of regular performances.

Stafford was awful this week when throwing out of a clean pocket, posting a season-low by a considerable amount. He did fine when under pressure, but nothing spectacular. All of his other numbers were within his season norms, and that is the issue here. All of those numbers are below average or well below average in our database, but they are the norm for Stafford in 2024.

Patrick Mahomes, KC (at SF)

Grade: C
Score: 53.1

This is not shaping up to be one of the finest years we have ever seen from Mahomes, and yet the Kansas City Chiefs are 6-0. If that does not terrify every team in the NFL, then I would be surprised. Week 7 was actually Mahomes’ worst performance of the season, with his second QB+ grade below a C, and yet they won with relative ease over one of the best teams in the NFC.

The 49ers’ defense did its job against Mahomes, who put in his worst performances this season when throwing from a clean pocket and under pressure. That resulted in a season-low performance in terms of nYPA and a near-season-low when it came to clutch moments. However, he converted a season-high 53.8% of third downs, including some eye-catching plays, while also adding a fourth-down touchdown run.

Mahomes will likely only get better as the season goes on, and that is a worrying thought for anyone banking against the Chiefs making it three Super Bowls in a row.

Russell Wilson, PIT (vs. NYJ)

Grade: B
Score: 70.6

The Pittsburgh Steelers would not have wished for much better from Russell Wilson in his first start in their colors. Moving to Wilson felt like a brave decision, but he repaid them with the best performance by a Steelers’ QB this season. This was also Wilson’s second-best performance since 2021, with only the 31-28 win for the Broncos over the BEars in 2023 ranking better within that time frame.

As of the end of Sunday Night Football, Wilson was second in terms of passing from a clean pocket, fifth in nYPA, and among the very best in the league this week in clutch situations. He also ranked above average in terms of passing when under pressure and converting on third down.

The big question now will be whether he can continue to back it up going forward. If he can, then the ceiling of this Steelers team just increase relatively significantly.

Sam Darnold, MIN (vs. DET)

Grade: B-
Score: 61.5

Losing to their NFC North rival Lions will frustrate the Minnesota Vikings a lot, especially when you consider that Darnold actually played relatively well. Sure, a B- is not amazing, but it is above-average QB play that helped put his team in a position to win the game. One stop late in the game, and the Vikings walk away with a win.

This was actually Darnold’s best performance of the season when under pressure, and he ranked in the top three in the league this week after the early slate. His numbers were good across the board without being excellent, which is what we have come to expect from Darnold in this role.

All that Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings will ask is that Darnold does not cost them games, and he did not in Week 7. This was just the second game all year where the Vikings’ allowed 20 or more points. Could Darnold have been cleaner? Sure, but it was not a disastrous performance.

Spencer Rattler, NO (vs. DEN)

Grade: D+
Score: 41.8

Rattler’s NFL career has started poorly. The rookie quarterback has posted QB+ grades below 50 for two straight weeks.

The hope was that we could see some improvement in his second start, but that was always going to be tough against a defense as good as the Broncos’. Ultimately, Rattler saw his QB+ grade fall from a C- to a D+.

Rattler struggled this week when under pressure, posting an EPA (expected points added) of -1.1 per dropback. He also saw his third-down conversion rate and nYPA drop in his second start.

Nevertheless, Rattler and the New Orleans Saints can take some optimism from an improvement in throwing from a clean pocket and in clutch situations.

Trevor Lawrence, JAX (vs. NE)

Grade: A-
Score: 75.1

Lawrence continued to break out of his early-season funk, with his second performance grade of B or above in the last three weeks. His top-three QB+ performances this season have come in the last three weeks, suggesting that we could see a sustained reversal in fortunes for him, which could hopefully lead the Jacksonville Jaguars on a winning run.

This 78.2 QB+ was the eighth-highest score of the 2024 season.

In Week 7, Lawrence was superb when throwing from either a clean pocket or under pressure. In both areas of the game, he ranked around the 75th percentile in our database. He also returned his best numbers on third down and his second-best nYPA.

The main area Lawrence could continue to improve is his performance inside the opponent’s half, as Week 7 was his worst performance in that regard.

It’s worth noting that Lawrence’s two best QB+ performances came against bottom-10 defenses. He will need to prove he can sustain this level against better competition, and that starts with the Packers in Week 8.

Data used in the article is courtesy of TruMedia unless stated.