QB Index

NFL QB Index, Week 8: Jared Goff enters top five; Brock Purdy slips

Published: Oct 24, 2024 at 01:43 PM

Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 7 QB Index.

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 7

Jackson is quickly compiling a résumé worthy of a third MVP award. Sure, you could point to the fact Derrick Henry has paced the rushing offense as an advantage not afforded to most quarterbacks, but that didn't apply to Monday night's fireworks display. Henry was quiet, if not a non-factor, when Jackson took off, shaking early Bucs pressure by leading six straight scoring drives. He dotted the field with passes, handled designed runs with ease and proved to be a persistent thorn in Tampa Bay's side. Those who still cling to the antiquated Lamar can't pass argument can finally retire, too, because his 49-yard strike to Rashod Bateman easily buried those claims. Jackson is playing at an almost unfathomable level right now, doing it all with his arm and legs. By the time Henry awoke in the second half, it was merely to put the final nail in the Bucs' hopes. Jackson is clearly the best quarterback in the NFL right now and it really isn't close.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 8

The Chiefs aren't going to wow you with their offense, but that doesn't mean Mahomes is having a bad year. Just watch the Week 7 win over the 49ers. Mahomes takes what's available underneath, keeps plays alive in a heroic fashion that just might be exclusive to him (i.e., the shovel pass to Xavier Worthy that somehow covered five yards) and is still a scrambling demon with a pump fake so tantalizing it continues to fool defenders into taking the bait even when he's well past the line of scrimmage. He's not winning with majestic throws downfield, but he sure is succeeding on the margins. Mahomes even got a little physical, trucking Malik Mustapha on the goal line for a touchdown and staring him down for added emphasis. I don't care if Mahomes isn't stuffing the stat sheet. He’s playing winning football.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 5

It wasn't the prettiest Week 7 for the Cincinnati offense, which has now gone two straight weeks without scoring more than 14 points. In fact, Burrow and the Bengals offense were shut out by the pesky Browns defense in the first half. But Burrow leaned on his rapport with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the second half on a couple of key snaps, tossing a perfect back-shoulder touchdown pass to Chase that can only be completed by a quarterback and receiver who share an innate understanding of where each should be at an exact moment in time. His TD pass to Higgins was another product of shared understanding, with Burrow hitting Higgins inside and letting his teammate do the rest. That was about it for the day for Burrow. With the Bengals defense coming around, it was enough.

Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 7

Here's my most important takeaway from Week 7: The Amari Cooper and Josh Allen partnership is going to be beautiful. They had less than a week together, but Allen and Cooper teamed up for a few wonderful connections against the Titans, starting with a touchdown pass down the seam and continuing with a great hookup down the sideline. Cooper's experience and Allen's abilities will produce a lot of positives in a passing game that desperately needed another legitimate target for Allen. As for the rest of Sunday's game, well, Buffalo needed most of the first half to feel out Tennessee's defense, which complicated the picture for Allen early in this one. Once the Bills adjusted, Allen was able to use his arm talent to find Dalton Kincaid for a couple of fantastic completions, leaned on Khalil Shakir in the short game and fit a TD pass through a closing window to Ty Johnson along the goal line. His best throw was a nasty back-shoulder dot to Keon Coleman for a TD that was reversed upon review. The result doesn't matter to me as much as the throw did, though, because that will help the Bills a whole lot if Allen and Coleman can do that consistently. Buy Bills stock; they're trending upward.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 9

We can count on a few elements -- solid protection, a strong running game and timely play-calling -- producing a good day for Goff, much like we can count on death and taxes. Goff didn't get all those things early on against the Vikings, leading to Detroit's first-quarter deficit, but as the Lions settled in, so did Goff, powering a quick comeback effort to regain the lead. He had several fantastic throws, but I was most impressed by how he dropped to pass, surveyed the field behind a brick wall of an offensive line, reset to the right and fired a beauty down the seam to Amon-Ra St. Brown to give the Lions their first lead. That became the story for the rest of the game, as Goff had plenty of time to throw thanks to a well-balanced offense. He used that to his advantage and capped it with a bullet fired to St. Brown between two defenders to set up Jake Bates' game-winning field goal. Goff simply keeps delivering, and the Lions keep passing the test.

Rank

C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans · Year 2

First off, Houston doesn't protect Stroud well. He's been under frequent duress for weeks, and he faced constant heat in the second against the Packers. The Texans did a good job of countering Green Bay's defensive approach in the second quarter, piling up 16 points with a reliance on Joe Mixon and short passes, but they lost the adjustment battle in the second half and Stroud paid for it the most. He missed a couple of throws, but largely just didn't have many opportunities to make a difference. For the second time in 2024, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik failed to produce an answer for what an opposing defense was doing to stop Stroud and the Texans offense. If they can protect him, I expect Stroud to thrive. That's been difficult to achieve so far, though.

Rank

Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders · Rookie

There isn't much to say about Daniels because he only played 10 snaps against Carolina before exiting with a rib injury that has left him on a week-to-week timetable. Daniels did rip off a nice run for 46 yards on his first offensive snap, kicking off a drive that ended in an Austin Seibert field goal, but that was largely it for him. Marcus Mariota's success against the lowly Panthers made for a nice day for Commanders fans, who were able to set aside their worries about their rookie star while enjoying a blowout win. Here's hoping Daniels isn't out for long.

Rank

Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers · Year 5

Week 7 gave us both sides of the Love coin. He threw two truly excellent touchdown passes against the Texans, including a rocket down the middle of the field that was fast enough to sneak past a diving Calen Bullock into the arms of Tucker Kraft for a score. Later on Love threw a dime away from Bullock and over a trailing corner to Dontayvion Wicks for six points. Love also threw two interceptions. The first was a case of the quarterback never seeing Jalen Pitre flying in from the front side of Love's intended target, deflecting it into the air for Neville Hewitt to pick it off, while the second was just an off-platform, drifting throw Love sailed over Christian Watson into the hands of Bullock. The Packers will take the good with the bad when it comes to Love, though, because he still operates Matt LaFleur's offense effectively and kept the Packers moving in a game that became a defensive stalemate in the second half. He also came through on the final drive to set up a field goal, but not without first taking an unnecessary risk downfield. Some of this might always be part of Love's game, but we also need to remember he's still quite young and has some physical gifts you just can't teach. The Packers certainly have accepted this and are willing to live with the bad because the good usually outweighs it, as it did against Houston.

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 12

One of Smith's greatest strengths is his mettle. He found himself in a duel between veteran quarterbacks who seemed prepared to trade shots for four quarters in Week 7, but Smith emerged as the stronger competitor. One throw stood out to me: With 10 seconds left in the first half, Smith faced third-and-15 from Atlanta's 31-yard line. Instead of accepting a short completion, Smith let it rip down the middle of the field, firing a perfect strike to DK Metcalf amid a sea of Falcons defenders for a pivotal touchdown to give Seattle a 17-7 lead entering halftime. Perhaps even better, Smith shook off a roughing the passer penalty and on the very next play lofted a perfect pass over the nearest defender to Kenneth Walker III for a third-quarter touchdown, answering Atlanta's emphatic, half-opening touchdown march with a big play of his own. Smith didn't finish with gaudy numbers, but he delivered on the road for a win to move the Seahawks to 4-3.

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 7

We're headed toward a precarious, if not treacherous, period for Mayfield in the 2024 season. He started Monday night on a familiar hot streak, leading a quick drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans, but his reliance on his future Hall of Fame teammate became a glaring weakness once Evans exited with a hamstring injury. Without Evans, Mayfield seemed lost against the Ravens, throwing an interception on a drive that reached Baltimore's 3-yard line. His second pick was even worse, tossed into a crowd of Ravens defenders. Sure, the Bucs tried to fight their way back into the game late with Mayfield leading the way, but the damage had already been done. His struggles to find a rhythm without Evans were alarming, and now it appears he's lost Chris Godwin for the season, meaning Mayfield will have to prove himself without his top two targets for at least a few weeks.

Rank

Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings · Year 7

With the bye serving as a benefit, Darnold recovered from an ugly Week 5 outing in London by regaining his sharp form in Week 7. He was dialed in early against the Lions, nailing tight-window throws and operating steadily while under pressure. His passes were sharp and came in rhythm, and it wasn't until he underthrew a pass (resulting in a Brian Branch interception) that Darnold showed any cracks. He bounced back, giving Justin Jefferson a chance to make a great grab for a touchdown pass and made an even better play late, stepping into the rush and miraculously firing a pass with enough juice to find Jordan Addison for a 51-yard completion to flip the field and give the Vikings a chance to cut into Detroit's lead. The only negative that truly made a major impact came on the final drive, when Darnold took too much time to find a target with precious few seconds remaining. Otherwise, he was pretty damn good once again, even in a loss.

Rank

Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers · Year 3

Either the Chiefs have Purdy's number or he needs to work on his decision-making process under duress because his performance was pretty dreadful in Week 7. Purdy threw two truly awful interceptions, including one in the end zone that had so little chance of producing a positive result, even Tom Brady couldn't hold back his criticism on the FOX broadcast. Purdy was overwhelmed by Kansas City's defense and rarely appeared comfortable. Every anticipatory throw Purdy attempted simply wasn't there. Brandon Aiyuk dropped Purdy's best throw through the first 18 minutes of the game and he was under constant pressure from the Chiefs' defense (namely George Karlaftis). Even the wide-open opportunities ended in underthrown passes. The lack of a running game hurt Purdy, but so did his decisions. His second interception was clearly a miscommunication with Ronnie Bell -- underscoring how injuries have really hampered this unit -- and the third was the cherry on top of this bitter sundae. Perhaps next Sunday will be sweeter.

Rank

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · Year 9

I've long felt as if Prescott hasn't received the proper amount of credit for his achievements. He was closing in on a potential MVP season late last year before a nightmarish day in Buffalo derailed it, and he's had some impressive performances this season, too. Prescott doesn't have a ton of weapons, though. Dallas' offense is a generally uninspired unit, and he's trying too hard to save the Cowboys. A new turnover tendency has emerged in recent weeks, causing concern, and it looks like he's not quite on the same page with CeeDee Lamb. I think he might have a tough time cracking the top 10 again unless things take a positive turn soon.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 6

Arizona’s offense still has its problems, but Murray deserves a lot of credit for finding a way to win in Week 7. His 44-yard scramble around the left end early in the fourth quarter marked the second time this season that he’s known he was going to run for a TD while still roughly a third of the field away from the end zone. It stood as another example of how his elite running ability can change a game. Murray only completed 14 of 26 passes and didn't rack up a bunch of yards, but he made plays when they mattered most, including on a dart fired to Greg Dortch for a touchdown, and on a 33-yard pass to James Conner to set up the Cardinals' game-winning field goal. Murray didn't light up the scoreboard, but he played winning football. I'd like it if he worked on his connection with Marvin Harrison Jr., though.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons · Year 13

Week 7 was yet another example of both sides of the Cousins coin in 2024. He fired several quality passes against the Seahawks, getting Kyle Pitts involved and capping a well-balanced third-quarter drive with a touchdown pass to Drake London, but he unraveled from there. Cousins attempted to avoid a sack while under pressure and was blasted by Boye Mafe, who knocked the ball out of his hand for a strip sack that led to a defensive TD for Seattle. Instead of bouncing back while trailing by 17, Cousins let the negative momentum bury him, throwing picks on two straight drives. The first interception wasn't his fault -- it legitimately went right through London's hands -- but the second was awful. Cousins let the throw get away from him, sailing it over Pitts for a third turnover on as many drives. The Falcons need to do a better job of protecting Cousins, but he also needs to avoid this type of tumultuous play to keep Atlanta in a tight NFC South race.

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets · Year 20

If the Jets are ever going to maximize their return on Rodgers before he rides off into the sunset, they need to figure out their pass protection rather quickly. They're simply not giving him enough time to be at his best. Consider: Rodgers' average time to throw from 2018 to 2022 was 2.78 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. This season, it has dropped to 2.54 seconds, second only to Tua Tagovailoa, who hasn't attempted a pass since Week 2. We know Rodgers is good at dropping, drifting and firing unbelievable passes to his targets, but he's not being afforded the time to do so in 2024. It was painfully obvious against Pittsburgh, as Rodgers was forced to take quick reads, and even when he dropped a dime on Garrett Wilson, the receiver dropped it, resulting in Beanie Bishop Jr.'s second interception of the game. The first Bishop pick was simply a great play for which I do not blame Rodgers. He had Bishop's hips turned in the opposite direction when he fired a pass over the middle to Wilson, and Bishop made an incredible recovery and an even better snag of the pass for the pick. The Davante Adams trade produced minimal results in their first game together, but that should change in the future. Above all, Jets: Please protect your quarterback. It's truly your only hope.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 16

Things still aren't easy for the Rams’ injury-plagued offense, and Stafford still must attempt to be a hero amid the madness. To his credit, Stafford completed 14 of 23 passes against the Raiders and once again leaned on the likes of Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell, but there wasn't a whole lot of good to say about this performance, which saw the Rams gain a total of 259 yards. Their two touchdowns came on drives of less than 50 yards. Stafford's interception was upsetting. He was simply trying to get the ball out quickly and ended up throwing it into the hands of linebacker Robert Spillane, who showed blitz, dropped out of it and tipped the ball into the air for a pick. The Rams had to feel fortunate to win the game, a victory earned without Stafford playing his best. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua potentially returning on Thursday night, maybe the offense will find some life. As of Week 7, though, the going remained rough.

Rank

Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 13

It took him nearly a full half of football last Sunday night, but Wilson rediscovered some of his powers in his first start as a Steeler. Namely, it was his finesse on touch passes, which Wilson used to give big-play artist George Pickens multiple chances to make a difference. Pickens delivered, creating a few highlights and catching Wilson's first touchdown pass with Pittsburgh. Wilson kept the good vibes going in the second half, lofting another perfect touch pass to Pat Freiermuth, who made a one-handed grab to help the Steelers move toward another eventual touchdown. Wilson capped the 31-point run with one more touchdown pass to Van Jefferson, taking what started as an uneasy night and turning it into a romp that justified Mike Tomlin's decision to insert him into the lineup.

Rank

Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears · Rookie

After a rough start behind a porous offensive line, Williams and the Bears have settled in. The rookie has shown the talent that convinced Chicago to spend the first overall pick on him. He's remarkably gifted, both with his legs -- which he's used plenty to avoid rushers and create some wild magic -- and his arm, which is a legitimate cannon. He still has room to grow, of course, as I’ve noticed he has a tendency to freeze while making decisions in the pocket, but the growth I've seen from him over the last few weeks is very encouraging.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 5

Well, for the first time in 2024, Herbert put together an excellent game -- and the Chargers wasted it. Herbert was dialed in on Monday night, planting his back foot and ripping rockets all over the field, completing 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards. The passes that weren't completed, however, are the ones that resonate the most. His teammates failed him, dropping a number of on-target passes. In one instance, when his intended target did catch a beautiful pass, it ended negatively -- when Jalen Reagor hauled in a gorgeous missile from Herbert for a gain of 41, then promptly fumbled it into the end zone. Herbert deserves better, but at least he looked more like the 2021 version of himself.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 5

For a second straight week, we were provided with an example of how much A.J. Brown's presence helps Hurts. In a game in which Hurts didn't have to do too much to help the Eagles beat the Giants -- he threw just 14 passes on the day -- Hurts leaned on Brown again, finding him five times for 89 yards. Forty-one of those yards came on a beautiful go ball to Brown for a touchdown. Saquon Barkley carried the day for the Eagles, leaving little for Hurts to clean up. To his credit, the QB avoided mistakes in a winning effort.

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 4

We haven't seen it as often as we'd like this season, but when Lawrence rips a beautifully placed pass, it's still a wonderful sight. His throw over the middle to Christian Kirk early in the second quarter against the Patriots reminded me of the talent he possesses. He showed it off again later in the same drive when he drifted back to his right, set his feet and fired a dart to Brian Thomas Jr. for an easy score. The deep ball is still pretty, especially when it's intended for Thomas, and thanks to a well-balanced offense, Lawrence didn't have to play hero ball in this one. Lawrence was much sharper overall in Week 7, which can't be used as a dependable sign of things to come considering it came against lowly New England. But for a week, I felt good about Lawrence's performance, which is an improvement.

Rank

Drake Maye

New England Patriots · Rookie

Maye has exceeded my expectations through two starts. On his first drive at Wembley Stadium, Maye showed remarkable poise and pocket presence, navigating it while the rush started to close in on him and still delivering a number of accurate passes to keep the drive going. Play-calling and New England's leaky offensive line certainly didn't help him, but I've seen enough to hop on board with Maye as New England's long-term starter. The rookie has the goods -- he just needs more support around him.

Rank

Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts · Year 2

Richardson's first game back from an oblique injury demonstrated both the rust that can quickly accumulate on a young quarterback, and how far he still has to go in his development. Richardson's accuracy issues seemed magnified against the Dolphins, so much so that he began 5-for-18 while displaying sloppy footwork. In fact, at least early in the game, Richardson was a much greater threat as a runner than he was as a passer. On the other hand, Richardson fumbled away possession in the red zone by botching a handoff, and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that he finally found a bit of a rhythm by hitting a couple of underneath passes. He threw a really nice pass to Michael Pittman Jr. that was slightly deflected by Jordan Poyer, but still reached its intended target for a key gain as part of a 5-for-6 finish for 66 yards in the fourth quarter, helping the Colts over the very low bar for victory in a 16-10 win. The whole operation -- starting with Richardson -- needs to be better going forward, though.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 6

Jones was under constant duress from Philadelphia's pass rush in Week 7. He was sacked seven times despite a grand total of one blitz sent by the Eagles. Jones' offensive line failed him, and with the running game also failing to show up, there wasn't much of a chance he'd be able to dig them out of the nightmare they found themselves in. Jones completed 66.6 percent of his passes and looked generally sharp in doing so, but his team was stuck in such a deep, thick mud, even relying on Malik Nabers (four catches for 41 yards) couldn't save them. I sure hope he's protected better in the weeks ahead.

Rank

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos · Rookie

After taking a full half of action to remember how to move the football in Week 6, Nix got going much earlier in Week 7 thanks to a scheme that capitalized on his strengths. He handled a ton of rollouts and play-action passes early against the Saints, and thanks to Denver's balanced attack (it finished with 225 rushing yards as a team), Nix was able to operate free from pressure. He thrived on the perimeter and even used his legs on a designed run that saw him pick up 32 yards, setting up a Javonte Williams touchdown run to make it 26-3. It was nice to see what Nix is capable of accomplishing when the Broncos aren't solely reliant on their passing attack.

Rank

Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans · Year 5

Tennessee compiled a good game plan for Rudolph, at least for the start of Week 7's matchup against the Bills, giving the veteran quick reads and trusting he'd make the right decision. Rudolph did just that, appearing unfazed by the rush while firing short passes on time. He found some success out of play-action, too, and even improvised along the goal line when he rolled right, realized his first option wasn't open and scrambled before finding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a touchdown. That was the peak of Rudolph's day, though, as Tennessee's low-ceiling offense entered a rut. Its lack of progress eventually snowballed, and when the game script no longer called for short passes and play-action, the Titans had nowhere else to turn with Rudolph. He's a veteran who can manage a game, but he isn't going to throw a team back into the battle. Opportunities dried up in the second half, and Rudolph's limitations became painfully clear.

Rank

Spencer Rattler

New Orleans Saints · Rookie

Much of what Rattler did well in his Week 6 debut -- dropping back and firing on-target passes decisively and creating with his legs -- carried over into his second start. It just wasn't nearly as consistent last Thursday night against a Broncos defense that is ascending into the elite tier and made mincemeat of New Orleans' offensive line. Rattler faced pressure on 45.5 percent of his dropbacks and was never able to settle in, fumbling away possession twice on a night in which his teammates repeatedly failed to execute when he fired accurate passes in their direction. He finished with a hard-earned 172 passing yards, and it appears Rattler will get the start at least for another week before they get Derek Carr back.

Rank

Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers · Year 14

The Dalton experiment reached a new low in Week 7. Dalton hurried a screen pass that ended up in the hands of Dante Fowler Jr., who returned it for a pick-six. Dalton's second interception was even worse: He made an anticipatory throw to Diontae Johnson, who had inside leverage but lost it when he collided with a defender while trying to break inside on his route, at which point Dalton's pass had already been thrown, leaving it for an easy interception. Washington dominated this game from the jump, running out to a 20-0 lead before the final five minutes of the first half, and Dalton never had a chance to dig them out of their hole. His performance has been declining, but Dave Canales maintained the Panthers would continue with him as the starter. A car accident involving Dalton will keep him out of action in Week 8, with Bryce Young replacing him out of necessity.

Rank

Aidan O'Connell

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 2

O'Connell was almost always under fire from the Rams' pass rush and completed just 1 of 4 pressured attempts for 12 yards, per NGS. When he had time to throw, he was solid, completing 5 of 6 attempts. We were robbed of what that might look like over four quarters, though, as O'Connell exited with a thumb injury after just 13 snaps. Gardner Minshew wasn't any better in relief of O'Connell, who was revealed to have suffered a fractured thumb in the loss and is headed to injured reserve. The hits just keep coming for the Raiders.

Rank

Tyler Huntley

Miami Dolphins · Year 5

The slog that is the Dolphins' life without Tua Tagovailoa may be over soon, but it wouldn't be a proper conclusion without one last trudge to 10 points. Huntley has been giving his best effort, but the final product still leaves plenty to be desired. He tried to make a couple of great plays in Week 7, nearly pulling off an acrobatic throw early in the game, but the same ambition ended his day prematurely when he tried to throw on the run and was driven into the ground, leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Before he exited, Huntley engineered one productive drive that ended in a screen pass to Jonnu Smnith for a touchdown, but he was required to run (for his life) way more than a quarterback should. They even drew up some designed runs for Huntley just to mix it up, and the results weren't great. Tim Boyle finished this game, which ended in a 16-10 defeat.

Rank

Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns · Year 8

Watson's career with the Browns might be finished after he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Sunday. Prior to that play, Watson was finding some semblance of a rhythm, proving to be mobile enough to avoid sacks and preserve chances of positive gains. He wasn't as dreadful as he'd been for most of the season, but he was still a below-average quarterback who continued to miss open targets downfield so often that his teammates appeared visibly frustrated by their low-ceiling offense. We'll never know if Watson was going to finish off the Browns' lone first-half touchdown drive because he got hurt before they scored, but we know he won't play again this season.