Quarterbacking took some hits this week. A wave of injuries to the league’s passers will leave future QB power rankings looking quite thin.
Even with 32 starters healthy, the sport struggles to provide competent QB play from top to bottom. While some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL continue to prove it, even the best have off days. Week 9 was one to forget for a few stud quarterbacks, but a promising outing for rising stars. Where do they rank after a half-season?
2023 QB Power Rankings
While we don’t want to be rash in our decisions about how we view these 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 so far in 2023 will be weighed heavier.
32) P.J. Walker, Cleveland Browns
It’s hard to deny P.J. Walker’s standing in the QB power rankings. The journeyman backup gave the ball away multiple times against the Seahawks, and Seattle had a few more opportunities they failed to capitalize on.
MORE: Week 9 Power Rankings
Once again, he completed fewer than half of his attempts. In reality, all Walker needs to do is take care of the football and not put the Browns’ talented defense in a tough field position. But of his three turnovers, two led to Seattle touchdowns.
31) Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears
We can’t just let a fun story be a fun story.
It wasn’t a surprise to anyone around the Bears to see Tyson Bagent play well during last Sunday’s win over the Raiders. One Bears’ player predicted in training camp that Bagent would turn out to be “the next Brock Purdy”. Bagent’s second NFL start comes tonight vs. the Chargers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2023
Firstly, we don’t even know if Brock Purdy is any good. He was outstanding to begin his NFL career as the NFL Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant, but his three-game skid in 2023 has been a hard regression in turnover luck and unsustainable efficiency.
After Tyson Bagent’s deep ball to Darnell Mooney to start the game, it was clear the young rookie wasn’t wholly prepared for what the Chargers defense was bringing at him.
30) Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
Desmond Ridder’s struggles continue. He lost another fumble against the Titans before being evaluated for a concussion and seemingly benched for Taylor Heinicke, who had a more explosive day through the air.
Additionally, Ridder attempted 12 passes and was sacked five times. Meanwhile, Heinicke attempted 21 and was sacked only once. The question now is, who gets the start against Minnesota next week, in a must-win game?
29) Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers got their first win of the season against the Houston Texans on Sunday, and it’s fair to say that Young had the better game. The young (no pun intended) quarterback still struggles with pressure, something that falls on his shoulders along with the burden of his underperforming offensive line.
Young played his best game of the season, making big-time throws while consistently facing pressure. He and the offense still must learn to protect him, but he’s proving that he’s not scared.
28) Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants
It’s hard to accurately articulate how awful the New York Giants offense was on Sunday. It resembled Bill Belcichick’s game plan against the Bills when the weather was horrific. They threw the ball 14 times compared to 52 runs. They completed only six of their 14 attempts, were sacked four times, and finished with negative net passing yards.
27) Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Things have spiraled for Jordan Love over the past few weeks. He managed only a 17 QBR against the Minnesota Vikings, a defense that continues to show improvement by the week. Love continues to struggle with his accuracy, particularly as he’s asked to push the ball downfield.
26) Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Zach Wilson was bad against the Giants. New York’s pressure continuously got him off-platform and out of rhythm, and that has been a recipe for disaster for Wilson as a pro — despite being a strength at BYU.
But when the Jets needed him most, Wilson made plays. After failing to gain multiple first downs on a drive until his 16th and 17th of the day, he led a game-tying drive. The Jets would win on an overtime field goal.
25) Joshua Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals
Joshua Dobbs and the Arizona offense haven’t been as efficient since beating Dallas. Although he played relatively well considering the defense he faced on Sunday, he’s like an offensive tackle in pass protection. A few poor decisions can change the entire outlook of his performance.
His interception on the left sideline was a horrific decision, and the Cardinals’ offense was unable to find any space to operate downfield.
24) Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
Gardner Minshew is an enigma. His lack of physical upside would suggest he’s unable to make big plays, yet he’ll rattle off massive performances when you least expect it. He’s a tough player who will battle, but he’s also not particularly careful with the ball when that’s probably the one thing he needs to do in Shane Steichen’s offense.
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Sometimes he’ll have a game like he did against New Orleans, where he completed just two passes more than 15 yards downfield. His passing chart was mostly just a straight line across the five-yard marker.
23) Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett wasn’t having the best day at the office in poor weather conditions against the Jaguars, and his day got worse when Adam Gotsis drove him into the turf right before halftime, leading to a rib injury for the young quarterback that knocked him out of the game.
22) Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Sam Howell might be the most entertaining quarterback in the NFL to watch below the top tier of passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Howell is a true gunslinger in every sense of the word, spinning the rock with ease while also taking way too many sacks in the name of playmaking.
There is a franchise quarterback in there. His highs are incredibly high. But until he learns how to properly balance aggression and recklessness, he’ll suffer from massive lows. Either way, it’ll be a show.
21) Mac Jones, New England Patriots
It’s safe to say that the Patriots had a very particular game plan in place against the Dolphins, and Mac Jones almost perfectly stuck to it. The only problem is the one time he tried throwing to his left, Jalen Ramsey was there to take the ball away.
Although the Patriots’ passing attack struggled to find explosiveness, Jones was decently efficient against the “bend, but don’t break” Vic Fangio defense.
20) Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Broncos fans are likely singing Russell Wilson’s praises today, but his passing chart from the Chiefs game is one of the more hilarious things you’ll see all week.
What pic.twitter.com/gRvnh2bxF6
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 30, 2023
From the outside, it certainly doesn’t help that whenever Wilson comes jogging off the field, Sean Payton seems to be furiously incredulous. Going from Drew Brees to Wilson must be a shock for Payton, but it’s clear that he does not trust him to operate traditionally.
19) Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Will Levis was great in his first outing as a pro. Three of his four touchdown passes were all completed over 35 yards downfield. Outside of those throws, he was decisive and tough in the pocket, a welcome sight for a quarterback who struggled with those things in college.
We won’t know the extent of Levis’ abilities until we see more of a concerted effort to work over the intermediate areas of the field. However, the early returns are impressive.
18) Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Jimmy Garoppolo is struggling. The Raiders’ passing attack couldn’t get anything going against the Lions on Monday, Garoppolo’s first game back since his concussion.
Davante Adams looks distraught on the field after seeing missed opportunities lobbed his way. He had some big misses to the All-Pro wide receiver, and his first interception was a horrific pre-determined decision.
17) Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Things have gone from bad to worse for Brock Purdy since first tasting failure three weeks ago. He curiously started against the Bengals only six days after suffering a concussion, and his performance suggests that maybe Sam Darnold could have been a better option on Sunday.
MORE: Best Offense Rankings 2023
Purdy is still making big-time throws with relative consistency. And he’s never been shy about testing tight windows. At times, he has lost linebackers and safeties who have simply dropped interceptions. Those players are not dropping those passes anymore.
16) Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield has been better than many expected in 2023, but the issues with Tampa Bay’s early-down passing attack fall on him as much as anything else.
Mayfield had a pretty average day against the Bills defense on Thursday. While Buffalo’s defense may be good by reputation, they haven’t been since the losses of Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, and DaQuan Jones.
15) C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
The Texans’ rookie QB didn’t play particularly well or badly against the Panthers. The best way to describe it was that the Houston passing attack looked uninspired. Draw a small circle with the bottom starting at running back depth, and that was C.J. Stroud’s passing chart against Carolina.
This is a QB who has wowed us with anticipatory gems all season to the intermediate areas of the field. Why, all of a sudden, against an underwhelming Carolina defense, did that change?
14) Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is in his own world on the football field — that’s not a good thing. In one game, he’ll act like he has 17 downs when he takes a snap on first down. Other times, like against the Colts, he’ll average 11.4 air yards. Only Taylor Heinicke and Brock Purdy completed passes further downfield on average in Week 8.
Rashid Shaheed certainly helps this cause, as does not having to throw it 50+ times per game. But Carr had a good day at the office on Sunday and is a big reason why the Saints beat the Colts.
13) Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is one of the toughest players in the NFL. He continuously plays through several injuries, and despite having the tar kicked out of them by Dallas, he remained on the field for a while longer with a thumb injury.
The Dallas defense certainly had the better of Stafford on Sunday. Those performances happen from time to time. The Cowboys have thoroughly decimated teams in their time with Mike McCarthy.
12) Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith hasn’t been nearly as efficient in 2023, but he’s still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. Despite being fifth in dropback success rate, he ranks just 17th in EPA per play. Additionally, like against Cleveland, he has been turning the ball over more often in 2023.
Still, his 52.5 QBR for Week 8 is slightly above average, and doing that against the Cleveland defense is a feat in and of itself.
11) Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert hadn’t been himself the last few weeks since injuring his non-throwing thumb. Yet, the Chicago defense proved to be a get-right game for the howitzer-armed passer. He finished with one of the best days of the entire weekend, although doing so against the 31st-ranked passing defense isn’t particularly impressive.
10) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence, save for one of the worst passing attempts of his young career, played very well against a tough Steelers defense in horrific weather.
The Jaguars offense is limited. Lawrence is forced to get through one or maybe two reads before having to take off and use his legs, and there is a distinct lack of downfield options. At least his pocket navigation remains sublime.
9) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Speaking of sublime pocket navigation, Joe Shiesty seems to be back. Not only was he surgical against what is supposed to be one of the best defenses in the NFL, but he also showed that his calf is looking much closer to 100%.
MORE: Best Defense Rankings 2023
He was dangerous on the ground, rushing the ball six times for 43 yards and looking spry along the way. Only Kirk Cousins finished with a higher QBR for the week.
8) Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff has been wonderful in 2023, but his inability to create when things break down in front of him was on full display on Monday Night Football. His pick-six was directly related to his stiffness as an athlete. When he’s forced to flee, he can’t consistently generate the velocity necessary to make plays.
But because he is a whipsmart veteran and the Lions have really leaned into having a dominant offensive line, he’s able to produce at an incredibly high level. When playing in rhythm and attacking the middle of the field, few are better.
7) Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
It’s a sad day. Kirk Cousins has, quite frankly, been stupendous for most of 2023, but we won’t be seeing him in a Vikings uniform again this season, and he may never don the purple ever again.
Cousins deserves flowers for how he’s performed. Although the Vikings offense has some weapons and a good offensive line when healthy, it was his play after Justin Jefferson’s injury that was so impressive. Hopefully, Cousins can return to 100% by next season.
6) Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Honestly, it feels like anyone with opposable thumbs could have success with A.J. Brown on the outside. But to maximize Brown to his full potential, ball placement has to be perfect, and Hurts was close to it at times Sunday.
The Commanders’ defense certainly helps by confusing coverages and allowing receivers to streak down the field unabated as if they took control of a secondary player and their controller died.
5) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
For arguably the first time this season, the Cowboys offense seemed to have legitimate answers to stress the opposition’s defense. Dak Prescott, in turn, had an incredibly efficient game against the young Rams defense.
But the game started ugly. The offensive line struggled early, and Prescott was forced to use his legs as a weapon for the second consecutive game, something he’s done only sparingly since breaking his ankle.
4) Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Now that the video game numbers are slowly going away and Tua is producing like a mortal again, he is forced to compete with those more physically gifted than him who are also producing at efficiency levels close to or better than him.
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Tagovailoa’s accuracy and anticipation are weapons that others don’t have, but the two quarterbacks above him on this list currently offer more independently. They can put the team on their backs in ways Tagovailoa cannot. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a distributor like him, but unless the video game efficiency returns, it’s hard to place him above the genetic freaks.
3) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known for their ability to keep plays in front of them defensively. It wasn’t too surprising to see Josh Allen only attempt two passes 20+ yards downfield against them on Thursday Night Football.
Although Purdy somehow still has the highest success rate and EPA in the NFL, Allen is second in both categories, and his CPOE is higher than Tagovailoa’s. Because Allen is practically the modern-day Brett Favre, there will always be some peaks and valleys to his game. But at his best, only Patrick Mahomes is a more indefensible entity.
2) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson sure does make a case for being the most dangerous. Watching Jackson layer passes between the second and third levels of a defense will never get old. It makes the barks from casual fans about his inabilities as a passer even more laughable.
Jackson has been unbelievable in the dropback game, which is a testament to the addition of Todd Monken and the upgrades Baltimore made at wide receiver this season.
1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes was uncharacteristically bad against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. His 42.6 QBR was by far the worst of the season. It was also the first time he’d failed to throw a touchdown pass since Dec. 5, 2021, against … the Broncos.
This performance comes off the back of a four-touchdown performance against the Chargers. Mahomes and the Chiefs will be fine, but he was not good against Denver in Week 8.
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