NFL QB Index, Week 9: Matthew Stafford vaults into top 10; Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers plummet

QB Index

NFL QB Index, Week 9: Matthew Stafford vaults into top 10; Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers plummet

Published: Oct 31, 2024 at 02:38 PM

Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 8 QB Index.

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 7

Mark Week 8 down as the first instance in which Jackson ran into a truly bumpy road this season. The MVP front-runner missed a few open targets that could have produced game-changing plays and had a few teammates drop on-target passes. He still managed to show off his skills by moving the ball practically effortlessly in stretches to keep the Ravens in a back-and-forth affair in Cleveland. Jackson remained an elusive runner and threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, doing so without much support from Derrick Henry. He reconnected with Zay Flowers and threw darts to Mark Andrews and Nelson Agholor for scores, but he couldn't carry the Ravens to victory by himself against a stingy Browns defense that has plenty of experience facing him. It wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't a great day, either.

Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 7

When the Bills offense is humming, it's a beautiful sight, especially because it frees Allen to put together the standard Josh Allen game. In Week 8, that included on-target rockets fired to tight ends, a reliance on Khalil Shakir in the middle of the field and the continued development of a connection between Allen and rookie Keon Coleman, who caught five of Allen's passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. The running game balanced things out and prevented the Bills from leaning too heavily on Allen, leading to a dominant showing in which he was able to take what Seattle gave him defensively and add his own artistry, like he did when he escaped the pocket and ripped a dart to Dalton Kincaid for a score. The Bills made it look easy. If they play that well every week, Allen will force his way into the MVP conversation.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 8

Week 8 was another instance in which the Chiefs didn't look spectacular offensively. However, because Mahomes is one of the toughest quarterbacks to contain, they still won. He made a lot of things happen by improvising, both maneuvering in the pocket and scrambling toward the perimeter to throw on the run and keep drives alive. He finished with a passing line of 8 for 12 for 89 yards, one touchdown and a 116.3 passer rating on attempts on the run, per Next Gen Stats. Those who want to point out his interception should be informed that it came as a result of the ball being deflected as it left his hand. Otherwise, Mahomes was once again masterful at finding slight edges to extend drives. His ranking is going to irritate box-score scanners, and that's fine. Those who are watching closely know he's having a very good season in an unorthodox fashion.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 5

For two and a half quarters, Burrow was playing nearly perfect football in Week 8. He was firing accurate passes all over the field and propelling two first-half scoring drives, including one that ended in a touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase. But the second half brought unfortunate luck to Burrow, who had a pass intended for Chase get batted into the arms of C.J. Gardner-Johnson for an interception. With the Eagles continuing to put points on the board, Burrow couldn't keep up by himself, finishing with only one TD. He remains one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL this season, but if we’ve learned anything from the last few weeks, it’s that he can't do it alone.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 9

The NFL's hottest quarterback had one of the strangest days you'll see from an upper-tier signal-caller in Week 8. He was under a ton of duress when taking intermediate and deep pass drops, but because the Lions forced turnovers in Tennessee territory and enjoyed an outrageously productive day from their return units, Goff rarely needed to cover much ground through the air. His three touchdown passes all came from inside Tennessee's 10-yard line, and he finished with 85 yards passing. If nothing else, Goff remained efficient, capitalizing on great scoring opportunities. Even RB David Montgomery threw a TD pass for Detroit.

Rank

C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans · Year 2

The Texans still are not protecting Stroud very well, but they did a mildly better job of it in Week 8. More importantly, Stroud is learning how to thrive amid the chaos of the pass rush, escaping while keeping his eyes downfield more often than he did last season and making quick decisions to get the ball out accurately in a shorter amount of time. It limits the overall potential of what can be accomplished with Stroud, but sometimes you have to make the best of a situation that is less than ideal. Houston will probably call for more rollouts in the weeks ahead, and Stroud has proven he can be quite effective on those plays. He kept his offense afloat well enough to help the offense score 23 points against the Colts and, most importantly, the Texans came away victorious.

Rank

Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders · Rookie

Daniels played through a rib injury in Week 8, yet he still managed to rack up over 300 passing yards and throw the Hail Mary nobody will forget for decades. Statistically, it was another Daniels game, with the quarterback flirting with 400 scrimmage yards, but Chicago's defense presented a challenge that truly showed itself on third down (Washington finished 5 for 15). It wasn't the same romp Daniels has keyed in most weeks for the Commanders, but once again, he proved he's not your typical rookie.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 16

For the first time since Week 1, Stafford finally had a chance to play a game with a full arsenal at wide receiver. Rams fans were reminded of just how special their quarterback can be last Thursday, as he rekindled his connections with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Stafford fired rockets from the pocket, completed off-platform passes while on the move and even channeled Houdini when he slipped two sack attempts and ripped a perfect pass through coverage to Kupp for a score. Stafford showed off his cannon of an arm all night, finishing with a highlight reel stuffed with tremendous throws. It was a far cry from the struggles he'd endured in the last month.

Rank

Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers · Year 5

It's tough to assess Love's Week 8 outing because he suffered a groin injury on the Packers' first possession of the day. He tried his best to play through the pain, completing 14 of 22 passes for 196 yards, but it was clear he was limited by the injury and eventually backup Malik Willis entered the game. Love threw an interception, which didn't hurt the Packers because they got the ball right back via their own interception. He did enough to lead Green Bay on a few scoring drives before he exited, but the concern once again shifts toward his health.

Rank

Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings · Year 7

Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson early and often against the Rams, leading two touchdown marches that ended with passes to Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield. Despite the 30-20 loss, Darnold continued to show poise, keeping the Vikings in a tight game by capitalizing on opportunities down the sideline to move the chains. He should have received a fresh set of downs for a facemask grab that didn't draw a penalty flag in the final stages of the painful defeat, but the loss certainly wasn't on him.

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 7

Now that he's without his top two receivers, it’s apparent there are two sides to the Mayfield coin. He'll find ways to keep the offense moving -- in Week 8, it was by connecting with tight end Cade Otton nine times for 81 yards and two touchdowns -- and he'll stay aggressive with the hopes of constantly producing positive plays, but his aggression will also cost him. Mayfield threw a flea flicker pass into double coverage, where Jessie Bates was waiting to leap and make a fantastic interception. When Mayfield tried to fire a hole shot down the sideline in the second half, A.J. Terrell swooped in to make . Mayfield isn't necessarily holding the offense back, even if his miss on a throw to Jalen McMillan down the seam might have cost the Bucs a TD. Ultimately, Bucs fans will have to take the good with the bad. When pressed to make magic, there's no telling which side he's going to land on. These slightly messy outings might be what we come to expect from the Bucs when they don't have Mike Evans.

Rank

Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers · Year 3

Purdy bounced back in a big way against the Cowboys after a dreadful Week 7 outing, sparking the offense by using his legs. Purdy wasn't afraid to bail out of the pocket and run when the situation called for it, adding an element of unpredictability to the 49ers’ offense, which was crucial on a night in which they lost Jordan Mason to injury. The second half was filled with sharp throws over the middle to George Kittle for big gains, and by the time the third quarter ended, San Francisco had discovered a new level of production largely unseen this season. Purdy was comfortable, quick to make good decisions, avoided mistakes and lit up the Dallas defense in that third quarter, keying an offense that delivered an emphatic win one week after getting dominated by Kansas City.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons · Year 13

Cousins was slinging it against Todd Bowles' aggressive defense, dropping perfect passes all afternoon in what turned out to be a bit of a shootout. He started hot, finding Kyle Pitts on fourth down for the game's first score. Cousins later launched a beautiful pass down the middle of the field for a Darnell Mooney touchdown and hit Pitts again for a () score. The QB even had enough time to work to his last couple of options in a red-zone progression, scanning the entire field before dumping it off to Bijan Robinson for a score. He accounted for all four of Atlanta's TDs in one of his best performances since joining the team. Perhaps most importantly, Cousins avoided the crushing mistakes that doomed the Falcons a week earlier, pushing them to 5-3 with an arm that still has plenty of life in it.

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 12

The first drive in Week 8 -- a sequence in which two of Smith's first three passes were batted down at the line of scrimmage -- set the tone for what would be a difficult day. Buffalo did a good job of complicating the picture and winning up front for most of the game and Seattle struggled to generate much of anything, chipping in a grand total of 32 rushing yards while losing the time of possession battle by 16 minutes. Smith still completed 21 of 29 attempts, but it felt as if he was fighting an uphill battle. It wasn't a matter of pressure but a lack of execution. Smith got caught in that mess, which included dropped passes, a deflected screen pass that resulted in an interception and a failed goal-to-go situation that ended with Smith getting stepped on by a lineman (resulting in a turnover on downs). He didn't really find a rhythm until they were down 31-3, making for a forgettable day all around.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 5

Folks, Herbert got his swagger back in Week 8. The strong-armed quarterback was given time to throw and took advantage of it, passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns to Ladd McConkey, his new top target in an offense that could use one, especially on days when the running game isn't quite rolling. It wasn't a concern, as Herbert put his chef hat on and started cooking, dropping a perfect pass on McConkey for a 60-yard catch-and-run score before leading another touchdown drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown toss to the rookie. Herbert is letting it rip without fear like he did a few years ago, and he finally has the benefit of adequate-or-better protection. If the Chargers can find a way to run the ball consistently, this offense might truly get going because their quarterback is dialed in.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 6

The Week 8 win over the Dolphins was the type of game that proved Murray has plenty of guts. He and the Cardinals faced a 10-0 deficit before the end of the first quarter, but that didn't dismay the franchise signal-caller, who got back to work at the start of the second quarter, leading a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a bit of artistry. Facing third-and-goal, Murray dropped to pass, sensed a free rusher (Jalen Ramsey), avoided him, reset and lofted a pass to a wide-open Michael Wilson for a 6-yard touchdown. He truly thrived in the second half, leading the Cardinals back from a 20-10 deficit by engineering another nine-play scoring drive that ended in a dime from Murray to a diving Marvin Harrison Jr. for a score. He wasn't finished there, either, keying two more scoring drives in the final quarter, finishing with a strong line in the box score and leaving Miami with a heroic win in his pocket.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 5

The running game has unclogged this offense, and Hurts is benefitting more than anyone. Take Week 8, in which Saquon Barkley averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 22 attempts, balancing out the entire operation and opening up a passing game that had been stagnant for most of the last calendar year. Hurts capitalized, launching a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on a play that began with a run fake. That play followed an earlier possession in which Hurts kept the ball on a read option and won the race to the end zone. When this balance exists, Hurts can use his full set of tools. Hurts didn't connect with A.J. Brown for a score, yet they finished with 37 points, sustaining drives with timely, on-target passes from Hurts and an effective ground game that didn't shy from incorporating its quarterback. If the Eagles can keep this up, you're going to see Hurts climb up these rankings.

Rank

Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 13

Mike Tomlin made the right call by swapping out Justin Fields for Wilson. In two starts, the Steelers have finished with 400-plus yards, and much of it is directly related to Wilson's ability to elevate their passing game. He's established a great connection with George Pickens, which has opened up the rest of the offense, allowing Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson to get involved while creating opportunities for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to contribute on the ground. Wilson threw a pretty touchdown pass to Austin, connected with Pickens four times for 74 yards and even overcame a late fumble to help the Steelers put away their latest win in prime time. As long as he avoids crucial mistakes, the Steelers are going to continue to improve with Wilson under center.

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 4

Lawrence has finally settled into a bit of a groove in the last couple of weeks. It didn't come without some early difficulties, of course, as Jacksonville didn't record a first down until the final six minutes of the first half in Week 8, but once it woke up, the offense got rolling. Lawrence led two scoring drives in frantic fashion to close the half, then picked up where he left off early in the third quarter, capping another impressive drive with a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. to give the Jaguars the lead. Lawrence battled all afternoon, leading another electric scoring drive that ended in a game-tying touchdown pass to Evan Engram. Unfortunately, he couldn't play defense, too, as he was forced to watch the Packers drive to kick a game-winning field goal. Overall, it's been an encouraging couple of weeks for Lawrence, who is cutting down on mistakes and misses. We'll see if he can keep it going in the weeks ahead with a banged-up receiving corps.

Rank

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · Year 9

Week 8's loss to the 49ers was another microcosm of Prescott's 2024 season. He has bright moments when he drops absolute dimes on his targets (to varying degrees of success), but he also threw a doomed pass into double coverage that never had a chance considering how Prescott had to step into Nick Bosa to get the throw off. His second pick was more of a great play by Deommodore Lenoir than a bad throw, but there were significant stretches in which Prescott struggled to produce anything positive. He managed to spark some life in the fourth quarter, hooking up with CeeDee Lamb twice for touchdowns, but the successes remain too infrequent. I also struggle to understand why the Cowboys tend to produce only when their backs are forced against the wall by the opposition. That's not on Prescott, but the turnovers aren't helping, either. It's definitely not the same near-MVP campaign he put together last season.

Rank

Jameis Winston

Cleveland Browns · Year 10

Browns fans may have found themselves experiencing some déjà vu when watching Winston engineer the offense in his first start with the team. He looked a lot like Joe Flacco did during Cleveland’s magical run to the playoffs last season. Winston breathed life into an offense that was dormant with Deshaun Watson in the lineup, transforming a unit that ranks last in the NFL on third down. The Browns converted 8 of 15 such attempts against the Ravens while racking up 401 yards. In typical Winston fashion, he let it fly, completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns while avoiding interceptions on a handful of turnover-worthy throws. With Winston at the controls, the full complement of Cleveland's receiving corps got involved, with Cedric Tillman catching seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns (including the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter), Elijah Moore catching eight passes for 85 yards, David Njoku snagging five balls for 61 yards and a touchdown, and Jerry Jeudy chipping in five for 79 yards. This performance proved the problem was Watson and should serve as proof that he isn't a viable option. While Winston will make some mistakes (it's guaranteed to happen eventually), he's clearly Cleveland's best option right now.

Rank

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins · Year 5

The Dolphins played with renewed energy as Tua Tagovailoa returned from a concussion in Week 8. He operated Mike McDaniel's offense as he's always intended, finding open targets on time and proving to be a massive upgrade over Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley. He still showed some rust, especially with ball security, but it became rather apparent he might be the only Dolphins quarterback equipped to run McDaniel's offense well enough to produce positive results. I wasn't a fan of how Miami managed the game late, relying too often on passes to the flats and play-action -- Arizona had grown wise by the fourth quarter -- but overall, it's clear Tagovailoa is made for this scheme and belongs in this role as long as he stays healthy. A win would have been better, but at least the Dolphins looked more like themselves with Tagovailoa at the controls.

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets · Year 20

Visions of Rodgers leading the Jets to glory seem to be evaporating. It's not that he's playing poorly overall. Rodgers can still spin it when he sees windows of opportunity, proving it when he ripped a fireball through shallow coverage into the outstretched arm of tight end Tyler Conklin for a touchdown against the Patriots. It's just not nearly consistent enough to lift the Jets out of the muck in which they've been mired for most of 2024. He looks uncomfortable and because New York has struggled so frequently, it's almost as if he lacks confidence. He can't extend plays like he once did, resorts to quick throws and appears handcuffed. The results folks expected from the addition of Davante Adams haven't materialized, no matter how hard they try to connect. It's been really difficult for Rodgers to sustain success over four quarters, and the Jets' 2-6 record reflects that fact.

Rank

Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears · Rookie

The successes were few and far between against Washington, but when Williams needed to make a play with the game on the line, he did so on a few occasions in the fourth quarter. He showed remarkable courage when he stood in the pocket with Bobby Wagner bearing down on him and lofted an accurate pass for DJ Moore to set up a goal-to-go situation, and after peculiar play-calling cost them possession, he went right back to work, improvising to find Keenan Allen, scrambling to pick up yards and leaving the rest of the work to his running backs. Williams struggled with accuracy through most of this game, which was a slog born out of a defensive battle, but it's worth noting the moment wasn't too big for him when things got tight late.

Rank

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos · Rookie

The Week 8 win over the Panthers was undoubtedly the best game of Nix's career. The rookie was spinning it for all four quarters, posting career-high marks in yards and touchdowns while demonstrating a rapport with his entire cast of pass catchers. It's not hyperbole: Nix completed at least one pass to 10 different targets against Carolina, and unlike previous successes, Nix made a lot of his money from the pocket because he had all day to throw. It's not often a quarterback is afforded that type of protection and time to survey, but Nix took full advantage of it by firing passes all over the yard at a full range of depth and difficulty. His best throw demonstrated his ability to work through progressions, as he scanned left before shifting right and delivering a perfect pass over a defender to tight end Adam Trautman for a touchdown. In one of the few instances in which he was pressured, he evaded a rusher, scrambled and ripped a rocket to Devaughn Vele along the sideline for an impressive completion. While he's at his best when rolling out and operating on the perimeter, Nix put together a complete performance against a bad opponent in Week 8.

Rank

Gardner Minshew

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 6

For a guy who lost his job to Aidan O'Connell a couple of weeks ago, Minshew sure didn't look like someone deserving of being benched against the Chiefs. Perhaps it was the return of Jakobi Meyers that made the difference, as Minshew connected with him early and often, finishing with six completions to Meyers for 52 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Minshew was sharp and didn't doom the Raiders with risky play. He kept them in the fight and it wasn't his fault they failed to convert a goal-to-go situation after picking off Patrick Mahomes late in the third quarter. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance. We'll see if it carries over into the next few weeks.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 6

Jones was pretty good between the 20s on Monday night. In total, he completed 24 of 38 passes for 264 yards, and he did so while relying on a receiver not named Malik Nabers, connecting with Darius Slayton four times for 108 yards. The Giants moved the ball well enough to nearly break 400 yards of offense despite Jones being under constant duress; he faced a pressure percentage north of 50 on the night. Ultimately, though, the same weaknesses we've seen from him before sealed his fate. Jones fumbled away possession in Steelers territory when he was strip-sacked by T.J. Watt, and he threw a predictable game-sealing interception on the Giants' last drive, sailing a pass attempted while under slight pressure. I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants consider at some point in the near future, even if the results with Lock aren't likely to be any better.

Rank

Drake Maye

New England Patriots · Rookie

Maye's Week 8 outing began on a high note -- thanks not to his arm, but to his legs. The rookie ran three times for 46 yards, including a 17-yard sprint to the front pylon for a rushing score to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. His day ended after just six pass attempts, though, because he suffered a concussion on a scramble. Jacoby Brissett replaced him and led the Patriots to a win over the Jets, but once Maye clears the concussion protocol, he'll surely resume duties as the team's starter. I like what I've seen from him so far and believe the Patriots will rightfully play out the remainder of 2024 with their chosen quarterback of the future in the lineup.

Rank

Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans · Year 5

Rudolph had a bit of Will Levis in him during the loss to the Lions. On one occasion, Rudolph tried to dump off a pass under pressure that resulted in an interception; on another, he stared down Chig Okonkwo before throwing a telegraphed pass that was picked off by Kerby Joseph. That was the worst of it, though, as Rudolph was surprisingly effective on passes downfield in the first half, especially when targeting Calvin Ridley. In one first-half sequence, it seemed as if he was exclusively looking Ridley's way, moving the ball efficiently in the process. Rudolph also dropped a really nice pass on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine inside Detroit's 10 just before the half, setting up a goal-to-go situation. That's where the wheels started to fall off, as Rudolph had one of his goal-line passes dropped by Tyler Boyd, missed his spot on another and then had Ridley run out of bounds before he was able to reenter and make a catch on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. Because of the second-half scoreboard situation, the Titans became one-dimensional, which is never good for a quarterback like Rudolph. Still, despite throwing the two picks, Rudolph made things interesting -- at least for a quarter and a half -- for an offense that has struggled to achieve that goal in the past.

Rank

Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers · Year 2

Yes, the Panthers lost. Yes, Young threw two interceptions. But for one week, I saw some proof of progress from the former No. 1 overall pick, who finally went an entire game against a very good defense without looking overwhelmed. Young capitalized on an early Broncos turnover, leading a scoring drive that ended with a nice pass to Xavier Legette for a TD. He showed a surprising connection with Jalen Coker all afternoon and appeared much more comfortable overall. Things started to fall apart when he missed his target and threw his first pick, but he also spent a lot of the day under pressure, with the score differential forcing the Panthers to throw. Young's best play came when the game was already decided: He dropped back in the fourth quarter, saw Legette breaking open along the left sideline, stepped into the rush and put a perfect pass on his rookie teammate, just as Malcolm Roach blasted Young right in the chops, drawing a flag. Such situations would likely panic many other young quarterbacks. I don't know what the future holds for him, but I was encouraged by Young's performance. He might just need to be in a more favorable environment than Carolina currently offers to succeed.

Rank

Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts · Year 2

Richardson's stat line in Week 8 was worse than his actual performance. Sure, he missed a couple of deep shots early, but the interception he threw before halftime was as much the product of poor situational play-calling as it was of Richardson's decision making. In the second half, Richardson settled in, completing a throw in rhythm over the middle to Michael Pittman, finding Josh Downs underneath and firing a bullet to Alec Pierce to convert a key third down. Tyler Goodson dropped what was nearly a perfect throw from Richardson in the end zone, and the touchdown pass he threw to Downs was exquisite.

Now, when trying to unpack why Indianapolis is benching Richardson, consider two key points: 1) It is evident from his play that he needs to work on his mechanics as a thrower, and 2) the Colts need to win football games right now. To my eye, Richardson's accuracy issues are a product of inconsistent mechanics and sloppy footwork, areas that are usually addressed in the offseason. The Colts presumably don't have time to work on that at the moment, because they're in the thick of a division race. They need a reliable, polished quarterback (Joe Flacco) to get the job done for them this weekend and beyond. Sure, tapping out for a quick break might have played a part in the Colts' decision, but after watching Richardson toss a 300-pound defender off his back, then sprint away and fire a pass to Pierce (which was wiped out by offensive pass interference), I can understand why he was gassed.

Rank

Spencer Rattler

New Orleans Saints · Rookie

I believe we saw the end of the Rattler experiment in Week 8. Rattler was pressured at a moderate rate (29.6 percent) and never got settled in, completing 50 percent of his passes for 156 yards -- and he failed to keep drives going. The results were discouraging enough for Dennis Allen to pull the rookie in favor of Jake Haener, who had a similarly unimpressive game, speaking to the Saints' general issues on offense. Derek Carr can't come back soon enough.

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