NFL QB Index, Week 4: Josh Allen new No. 1; Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy enter top 10

QB Index

NFL QB Index, Week 4: Josh Allen new No. 1; Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy enter top 10

Published: Sep 26, 2024 at 01:30 PM

Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 3 QB Index.

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Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 7

It's truly beautiful to watch Allen operate an offense that isn't asking him to do everything on his own. Thanks to the ever-present running threat of James Cook, Allen has been afforded newfound freedom to cook as a passer and is taking full advantage while playing behind the best offensive line of his career. He had all day to throw for most of Monday night's shellacking of the Jaguars and threw four touchdown passes in the first half, including a beautifully feathered ball to Ty Johnson for his fourth score. He could've taken the entire second half off if he wanted to, because he'd already put in a full day's work in the first two quarters. These Bills are rolling, thanks to Allen, who also happened to lead them in rushing, because why not?

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 7

Another week, and another performance that matched Jackson's MO: efficient passing, effective running and a well-balanced game that led the Ravens to victory. Jackson accounted for two touchdowns, including a red zone pass in which Jackson rolled away from pressure and delivered a throw to Rashod Bateman, who freed himself up with an excellent route. Save for a fourth-quarter lull that allowed the Cowboys to fight their way back into the game, Jackson was as steady as usual -- it helped that Derrick Henry had his first big game as a Raven -- and his keep in a fake jet sweep to secure the win was magnificent.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 8

Kansas City hasn't yet established a consistently explosive offensive attack through three weeks. Week 3 was the Chiefs’ most contained offensive approach of the season, but Mahomes still executed, save for a pass he floated too much, leaving it to be intercepted by Justin Simmons. Mahomes did a good job of operating the shorter, methodical Chiefs offense and capitalized when the scheme got guys open -- like when he found JuJu Smith-Schuster running a drag for a touchdown. Nothing is incredibly easy for the Chiefs right now, but Mahomes is still making accurate throws under pressure and keeping the offense moving. He just hasn't exploded for a highlight-stuffed game -- nor has he leaned on Travis Kelce yet, which is fine.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 5

It has to be maddening to be Burrow right now. He put together an excellent game statistically Monday night, twice connecting with Ja'Marr Chase on long touchdown passes, and finished with a sparkling 127.5 passer rating. Yet, the Bengals failed to cash in on a pair of red zone trips in a game in which they needed to convert all of them to have a chance. It was good to see Burrow and Chase find each other more than once, and while Burrow had a couple of curious misses while on the run, he wasn't the problem on a night when Cincinnati scored 33 points.

Rank

C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans · Year 2

Sunday was the first time in recent memory in which systemic failure doomed Stroud. Houston couldn't protect him effectively against Minnesota, he never had a chance to settle in, the run game was absent without Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, and before Stroud knew it, his team was trailing 14-0. Stroud finished with two interceptions, but one was truly his fault, for which he immediately accepted blame after attempting a nearly impossible throw to Nico Collins. It was a rare mistake made by Stroud, who was constantly under duress and couldn't lift the Texans out of the misery that consumed them in Minneapolis. These games happen, but it shouldn't be seen as an indictment of Stroud.

Rank

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · Year 9

Desperation was the only driving force that helped Prescott find a bit of a rhythm in Week 3, as he'd spent the first three quarters trying to stay upright amid a constant Ravens pass rush. That doesn't mean Prescott didn't produce. After three quarters, he'd completed 13 of 26 passes for 192 yards but still hadn't found the end zone. Prescott finally did in furious fashion, setting up his first score (a 1-yard sneak) with a 23-yard pass over the middle to KaVontae Turpin. From there, things got intense: Prescott led consecutive touchdown drives, capping them with a 15-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert and a beautiful throw to Turpin from 16 yards out to make it 28-25. Dallas ultimately came up short, but it's fair to wonder how things might have looked had they not wasted three quarters.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Prescott put together an efficient, consistent outing in a low-scoring win over the Giants, completing 22 of 27 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns -- including a 55-yard catch-and-run score by CeeDee Lamb.

Rank

Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers · Year 3

Purdy was sharp in Week 3, connecting with Jauan Jennings 11 times for 175 yards and three scores, executing a well-planned Kyle Shanahan attack that seemingly positioned the 49ers to earn a road win. Purdy's final line reflected the quality day, which called for a couple of late scrambles to keep San Francisco in field-goal range in the fourth quarter. The biggest disappointment in the 49ers’ collapse wasn't Purdy -- it was receiver Ronnie Bell, whose fourth-quarter drop ended up factoring significantly into the result. Like Matthew Stafford, Purdy had to play without two of his top targets (Deebo Samuel and George Kittle) and performed well enough to win. It just didn't end up happening.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 16

Talk about a thrilling win achieved against daunting odds. Stafford entered his Week 3 matchup versus the 49ers missing multiple offensive linemen and his top two receivers, but he still managed to throw for 221 yards and a touchdown. He completed enough passes to keep the Rams in the hunt for an unlikely comeback that became reality by the time the clock hit zeroes. He did much of it in familiar fashion, relying on his arm strength to squeeze passes into tight windows while also hitting Tutu Atwell on a massive completion that set up the game-tying score in the game's final two minutes. In adverse situations like the one the Rams encountered in Week 3, less experienced quarterbacks would fold. Not Stafford.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 6

Man, I felt for Murray in Week 3. One week after thriving in play extension, he rarely had anywhere to scramble to against a Lions defense that contained him and blanketed Marvin Harrison Jr. after Murray's early touchdown pass to the rookie. Murray still made positive plays, but Detroit did an excellent job of bottling him up in the second half, even stopping him short of the sticks on a fourth-and-1 run in a tight game. Murray is clearly relying on Harrison after their quiet start in Week 1, sometimes to a fault (SEE: his heave to Harrison into double coverage in the end zone, ending in an interception). Murray just found the going to be exceptionally difficult in the second half against Detroit.

Rank

Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings · Year 7

The Week 3 blowout of the Texans was Darnold’s best showing as a Viking, not only because of his four TD passes but the fashion in which he completed those throws. Darnold has been good within the structure of the offense, benefitting from ample time to throw, a well-balanced attack and quality play by receivers. He showed his ability to extend and still deliver against Houston, like when he escaped the pocket to the left, buying time for Justin Jefferson to shed Texans safety Eric Murray before Darnold fired a dart to him for a short TD. Darnold's trust in his protection remains evident, too, giving him enough time to move from one step in his progression to the next, as he did on his TD passes to Aaron Jones and Jalen Nailor. His last score showed his pure arm strength, a trait he never lost from his days at USC, ripping a bullet past Henry To'oTo'o to tight end Johnny Mundt to cap a wonderful day. Even better: He escaped serious injury, receiving good news from the MRI on his left knee. Everything keeps coming up Vikings!

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 12

Smith's stat line against the Dolphins included two interceptions, both of which came off deflections. Only one of the two can be pinned on Smith, and other than those turnovers, he was once again sharp and steady. His connection with DK Metcalf is really starting to heat up, and I remain satisfied by Smith's performance through three weeks. He's a solid veteran quarterback who is good for a few big plays in each game, and he can get the job done on a weekly basis.

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 7

One week after Mayfield's creativity powered the Buccaneers to a road win, he didn't find the going as easy against Denver at home. It seemed like every time Mayfield tried to scramble to extend plays, he found himself contained by the Broncos. Even his heaves to Mike Evans didn't pay off. In fact, one ended in an easy interception for Denver's Brandon Jones. It didn't help that the Bucs fell behind 17-0 early in the second quarter. Mayfield still threw a nice fade to Chris Godwin for a touchdown, but for the first time in 2024, he wasn't able to carry Tampa Bay to a win.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 5

Hurts entered Week 3 without A.J. Brown and lost DeVonta Smith to a concussion during the game, forcing the QB to rely on the likes of Parris Campbell, Britain Covey, Dallas Goedert and Kenneth Gainwell to keep the offense moving through the air. In the end, Goedert proved to be the answer. Hurts and the trusty tight end connected 10 times for 170 yards, and their last completion -- a 61-yarder sprung by a mesh concept that took out three Saints defenders and set up a go-ahead Saquon Barkley touchdown -- proved to be the most crucial. As Nick Sirianni said afterward, Hurts showed he's a winner, and while the turnovers (including an interception thrown into traffic and a fumble lost on a strip sack) weren't pretty, they didn't sink Hurts and the Eagles. After collapsing in Week 2, this is exactly what Philadelphia needed.

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets · Year 20

This is the Rodgers that Jets fans envisioned when he was traded from Green Bay to the Big Apple. Rodgers was comfortable, decisive and effective against the Patriots in both quick-passing situations and on longer-developing plays, showing off remarkable mobility for a 40-year-old and dotting the field all night with precise passes. He spread it around rather evenly -- six different Jets caught at least three passes -- and with Rodgers at the controls, New York proved to be a well-oiled machine through the air. He finally threw a touchdown pass at MetLife Stadium, too, putting together his best game as a Jet by a long shot.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 9

Goff's Week 3 showing won’t stand out in the box score, but let's not overlook it so quickly, because Goff made some clutch plays to salt the game away. His eight-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter on second-and-7 required courage, which Goff showed off as he galloped for a first down. Right before that, he fired a rocket to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a pickup of 18 yards on third-and-12. Goff came through in the clutch to finish a game that saw him connect with St. Brown for an early score, then finish off an excellent four-minute drill with a bit of spice, hitting St. Brown at the perfect time for the receiver to pitch the ball back to Jahmyr Gibbs on a hook-and-ladder for a touchdown late in the first half. Yes, Goff threw an interception because he never looked ahead of his intended target, where he would have seen Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck, but it didn't end up costing him on a solid day for the signal-caller.

Rank

Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints · Year 11

Well, we found out in Week 3 what the Saints' offense looks like when the running game isn't working. After two weeks of pure offensive bliss, Carr and New Orleans fell back to earth, gaining just 219 total yards. Carr was pressured on 40.7 percent of his dropbacks and completed just 4 of 10 passes when under pressure for 22 yards and a game-sealing interception. He threw a touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter that appeared to send the Saints toward victory until Jalen Hurts and Dallas Goedert ruined those dreams with a long completion. If anything, we learned that Carr needs his team's rushing attack to excel if he’s going to make magic with his arm. He'll need that, and a quicker passing game, because his numbers on passes with a time to throw of over 2.5 seconds were not pretty (5 of 13 for 51 yards, INT).

Rank

Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders · Rookie

I’ll remember Monday night as the moment in which the entire NFL world was introduced to Daniels. The Heisman Trophy winner owned the national stage, setting the NFL rookie record for single-game completion rate (91.3%) while also finding his top receiver, Terry McLaurin, for their first substantial night of production as teammates. The 55-yard strike to McLaurin was gorgeous and set up a Daniels touchdown run -- speaking of which, Daniels was once again a dangerous runner, especially in key spots -- and his fourth-quarter heave to McLaurin for a game-sealing touchdown showed atypical guts for a rookie. Daniels is the embodiment of newfound hope for the Commanders.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons · Year 13

Slowly, Cousins seems to be finding his footing with the Falcons, opening their Week 3 prime-time game with an excellent touchdown drive that required a couple of accurate passes. He missed a few sideline attempts to Drake London, but also made a handful of really nice throws. The downside, of course, is how this game ended. Cousins had the Falcons in the red zone in a key spot and had Kyle Pitts open, but he failed to place the ball high enough to capitalize on Pitts' size, leading to an incompletion many wanted . If Cousins places that pass properly, the Falcons likely score, and we're not hearing calls for a penalty. Atlanta's inability to deliver in the clutch was a bummer, too, but given the Falcons didn't run the ball well, Cousins was going to be limited. It wasn't the same shockingly impressive finish that we saw in Week 2, but give him some time.

Rank

Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers · Year 14

All hail the Red Rifle! Dalton made his first start for the Panthers in nearly one year (Sept. 24, 2023) Sunday and instantly validated Dave Canales' decision to bench Bryce Young for him, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Those three scores made for the first three-touchdown first half for a Panthers quarterback since Cam Newton did it way back in 2015, and it couldn't have come at a better time for Carolina. Dalton made some legitimately high-level throws in this game and looked more than deserving of the opportunity. Believe it or not, I'm kind of excited to watch the Panthers now because of Dalton.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 5

Well, it's never good to roll out a quarterback with a high-ankle sprain, but that's what Jim Harbaugh did against a ferocious Steelers defense in Week 3. Initially, it worked, as Herbert led a scoring drive he capped with an excellent use of his eyes, luring Joey Porter Jr. upfield before throwing it right behind him to a wide-open Quentin Johnston for a touchdown. That was it for the highlights, though, as the immobile Herbert found himself under frequent pressure and eventually exited after aggravating his ankle. We'll see how the Chargers proceed from here, but after losing both offensive tackles, it's not looking good. Luckily, they have an early bye (Week 5), which might be exactly what they need.

Rank

Malik Willis

Green Bay Packers · Year 3

Unlike in Week 2, the Packers actually asked Willis to make more than a few throws to keep their offense going against the Titans. Luckily for them, Willis was prepared to deliver. He looked miles ahead of where he stood in his development by the time Tennessee traded him to Green Bay, completing his first two passes for 30 yards each. He ran effectively, too, picking up 49 yards on two runs in the same drive. If Week 2 was Willis' introduction to the Packers, Week 3 was the moment in which they became a couple. They formed a beautiful partnership in a bludgeoning of Willis' former team.

Rank

Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 4

Fields cleared an important checkpoint in Week 3, delivering his best performance as a Steeler. After that showing, I have a hard time believing Mike Tomlin is going to turn back to Russell Wilson anytime soon, no matter his health status. Fields looked comfortable, didn't hold onto the ball too long and used his arm talent to deliver plenty of on-time, on-target passes, completing 22 of 24 attempts under 10 air yards for 149 yards. He didn't run around all day as he has for most of his career -- Fields scrambled only once on 35 dropbacks, producing the lowest scramble rate of his career, per Next Gen Stats. He executed Arthur Smith's offense effectively and even properly handled a zone read on the goal line for a rushing score. He threw a touchdown, too, finding Calvin Austin III over the middle for a 55-yard catch-and-run score to put away Pittsburgh's third straight win of 2024.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 6

Those who were eager to bury Jones might have to set their shovels aside for a while, because believe it or not, Jones is starting to figure it out. He can once again thank budding star Malik Nabers for existing -- and for having incredible athletic ability, which was needed to haul in a bad throw by Jones for a score -- but Jones deserves credit, too, because after shaking off an interception that was wiped out by a roughing the passer penalty, Jones rose to the occasion Sunday. He led a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, followed a three-and-out with another methodical scoring drive, and capitalized on a sudden-change situation by finding Nabers for his second score of the half just before the break. Right before that, Jones handled the ball on a QB power play, setting up the Nabers score, which Jones delivered with ease. Don't look now, but Jones and coach Brian Daboll just might finally be on the same page after all.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: For a third straight week, Jones appeared increasingly confident in New York's offense, completing 29 of 40 passes for 281 yards. Unfortunately for him and the Giants, New York failed to finish drives against Dallas with touchdowns, settling for five field goals before Jones was forced to heave a prayer on the game's final play, resulting in an interception.

Rank

Gardner Minshew

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 6

I know the score was lopsided in this one, but I'm truly shocked folks thought Antonio Pierce might make a change at quarterback after Week 3. The reason: Minshew really didn't have a bad game. Yes, he threw an interception on a ball thrown well behind Davante Adams -- Minshew is good for one inexplicable play per week -- but in total, he still did a decent job in a game that required him to be a hero to keep the Raiders in it. He made one heroic play, in fact, scrambling down the sideline for a first down deep in the red zone late in the first quarter, setting up an Alexander Mattison touchdown on the next play. I see no reason to consider benching Minshew yet, unless you fancy overreacting after three weeks.

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 4

Lawrence has gone through a rough couple of weeks. On Monday, he once again found the going to be incredibly difficult, no matter the situation. He remains inconsistent in the accuracy department; his worst attempt of the night was an interception thrown over the head of Brian Thomas Jr. into the arms of Damar Hamlin. He doesn't look very comfortable and almost appears as if he's trying too hard to be perfect instead of simply taking what's available to him. Lawrence still made a couple of excellent throws, but the total product is lacking. At 0-3, the pressure is quickly mounting.

Rank

Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts · Year 2

We added a new chapter to the Anthony Richardson Experience in Week 3, when he traded turnovers with Bears rookie Caleb Williams, including a truly perplexing attempt made on the run along the goal line that made me belly laugh (because it was that ugly). Richardson completed just half of his passes, threw two picks and ran for 24 yards in a gritty win that relied heavily on the efforts of Jonathan Taylor. Richardson is still good for at least one long completion to Alec Pierce per week, but he remains inaccurate, usually because of poor decision-making and/or sloppy footwork. Richardson admitted after the game he needs to be better, and . Hopefully he follows through.

Rank

Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears · Rookie

At first glance, yes, it's a bad idea for a rookie QB playing behind a leaky offensive line to attempt 52 passes, as Williams did in Indianapolis. That total just illustrates how much pressure is added to the shoulders of Williams by Chicago's inability to run the ball. The No. 1 overall pick remains immensely talented, as he often shows off out of desperation. He's quickly become a master of evading rushers, but he still needs to learn when to simply throw the ball away or take a minor loss instead of risking turnovers by trying to make the kinds of heroic plays he did at USC. On the bright side, Williams threw for over 350 yards and completed his first two touchdown passes as a pro, including one to fellow rookie Rome Odunze. If he can limit the turnovers -- and if the offensive attack can help him even in the slightest -- he'll be better. After three weeks, I am nowhere near panic mode with Williams.

Rank

Will Levis

Tennessee Titans · Year 2

Levis is quickly defining himself as an outrageously tough quarterback with enough arm talent to squeeze some passes into tight windows and keep drives going. But his biggest drawback is the most consequential: He's a bit of a turnover machine. His first interception against the Packers was an unsightly pick-six thrown to Jaire Alexander, and his second (thrown in garbage time) never had a chance of being completed. The second-year pro is an uneven quarterback with visible upside, but he needs to cut down on the sloppy, often mind-numbing mistakes to prove he's worth further investing in.

Rank

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos · Rookie

It took three weeks, but we finally received proof that the promise Nix showed in his impressive preseason wasn't simply a mirage. Nix opened up Denver's win over Tampa Bay with a couple of really great throws, starting with a back-shoulder bullet to Courtland Sutton and continuing with a dime downfield to Josh Reynolds, setting up the Broncos' first touchdown. He racked up 59 yards on his first three attempts and reached halftime with a line of 18 of 23 for 169 yards and one rushing score, punching the Buccaneers in the mouth with a surprise haymaker from which they never recovered. This is why you give youngsters time to settle in while supporting them with well-crafted gameplans. Now we'll see if he can carry the momentum into the weeks ahead.

Rank

Jacoby Brissett

New England Patriots · Year 9

I'm not sure Brissett ever had much of a chance Thursday night. New England was constantly in third-and-long situations, lost the time of possession battle by more than a 2:1 ratio and subjected Brissett to frequent pressure (a 56.5 percent pressure rate, to be exact), forcing him into unwinnable positions while asking him to play hero. Unsurprisingly, he didn't deliver, putting up under 100 passing yards before Jerod Mayo mercifully removed him to get rookie Drake Maye some late-game reps. The Patriots are a team that is only going to win in a specific fashion, and it isn't by asking Brissett to go earn it for them. He definitely couldn't do that at MetLife Stadium.

Rank

Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns · Year 8

One week after making incremental progress in a win over Jacksonville, Watson descended back into the depths that might end up defining this season for the Browns. In the loss to the Giants, he was served up on a platter to New York's pass rush, which took a page out of Dallas' book and hunted him all afternoon to the tune of 19 pressures and eight sacks. When Watson had time to throw, he was wildly inaccurate, no matter the depth of target. Perhaps even more concerning is the speed of his decision-making, which still looks a tick slow. There's almost no reason to believe he'll get any of this figured out before fans start calling for his job. In fact, if you listen closely, you'll hear them right now. It's not looking good for him or the Browns after three weeks.

Rank

Skylar Thompson

Miami Dolphins · Year 3

Miami's first game without Tua Tagovailoa served as an unfortunate demonstration of how important the quarterback position is in the NFL. Despite Mike McDaniel's efforts to gas up Thompson via the media, the backup didn't look the part in Seattle, appearing uncomfortable, slow to process and hesitant to make a decision. He was also inaccurate, both from the pocket and on the run. Thompson seemed generally overwhelmed by the speed of the game before an injury knocked him out of action, forcing Tim Boyle -- who looked much more composed -- into the contest. That’s not an encouraging sign.

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