Well, that was interesting.
The NFL Week 1 schedule went according to almost nobody’s plan, with the Bengals, Bills and Chiefs all losing. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers’s Jets won their opener but lost him for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
In the NFC, we saw a pair of Pro Bowlers get off to a bad start, as Geno Smith struggled against the Rams while Kirk Cousins notched three turnovers in a loss to the Buccaneers.
But how much were they and others impacted in our NFL quarterback rankings? There was significant movement on some fronts, while others largely stayed put.
Before we get into the updated rankings, a reminder about our ground rules:
- Quarterbacks will be judged on a mix of their historical and current play. The further we get into the season, the more current play matters. For example, if Patrick Mahomes has a bad week, he’s not dropping behind Josh Dobbs should Dobbs throw for 400 yards.
- Each week, we will rank the 32 quarterbacks projected to start. So if an entrenched starter is out for a month, look for his backup to occupy the space. He’ll be ranked accordingly.
- There’s no distinct formula. This is about a mix of eye test and statistics.
32. Josh Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals
Last Week: Not ranked
31. Zach Wilson, Jets (Not Ranked)
Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports
With Rodgers being lost for the year on the Jets’ first drive of the season, the hopes of a city fell on Wilson’s shoulders. In the opener, Wilson was unspectacular, throwing an ugly interception to Bills linebacker Matt Milano and misfiring on numerous other attempts.
However, Wilson did complete 14-of-21 attempts for 140 yards with a touchdown to receiver Garrett Wilson. Those numbers are far from impressive, and on nights where second-year running back Breece Hall isn’t leading a ground game that averages 6.1 yards per carry, more will be required of Wilson.
Ultimately, losing Rodgers likely means the end of Super Bowl dreams for the Jets. But if Wilson can develop to a respectable extent, that bodes well for the future.
30. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (28)
29. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (31)
28. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (30)
27. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (29)
26. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (23)
25. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26)
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Mayfield is playing for his fourth team in three seasons, but he made a good first impression with the Buccaneers.
Nobody is expecting the 2018 No. 1 pick to be a savior, and he wasn’t that in Week 1. Facing a lackluster Vikings defense, Mayfield went 21-of-34 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Nothing special. However, he didn’t turn the ball over, something his counterpart Kirk Cousins did three times in Tampa Bay’s 20–17 upset win.
For the Buccaneers to be competitive in the wide-open NFC South, they need to play terrific defense, and have Mayfield be moderately productive without huge errors. All boxes were checked in Week 1.
24. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (27)
23. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (21)
22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (18)
21. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (17)
Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports
At some point, the Bears need to either trust Fields more or admit this current arrangement isn’t going to work out.
Against the Packers, Chicago trailed the entire way and was down by double-digits throughout the third quarter. Entering the fourth, Fields had only thrown 19 passes.
In the final period, Fields launched 18 aerials (including a pick-six), but the game was already long over by then, as Chicago trailed, 24–6, with 15 minutes remaining. Coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy have preached confidence in their third-year starting quarterback, but their actions say the passing game—whether because of Fields or his surroundings—isn’t to be trusted.
20. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (20)
19. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (19)
18. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (18)
Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports
In Love’s second career start, he showed why the Packers have quietly been high on him throughout the summer. Love was only 15-of-27 but threw for 245 yards (9.1 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns without an interception.
Just as important was the fact that Love trusted his pocket and eyes. He only ran three times, eschewing yards with his feet to stand in and deliver. He also did this without top receiver Christian Watson, who was inactive with a hamstring injury.
Finally, Love was willing to throw downfield, with 11 of his attempts (including a touchdown) traveling at least 10 air yards. It was an impressive showing for the fourth-year man from Utah State.
17. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (16)
16. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders (19)
15. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (15)
14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (22)
Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
So much for the idea of Purdy being nothing more than a glorified game manager. Against the vaunted Steelers defense, Purdy was fantastic, throwing for 220 yards and two touchdowns before throttling down in the second half of San Francisco’s 30–7 win.
Despite being on the road and facing a talented unit, Purdy threw 12 passes of more than 10 air yards and hit on nine of them, including both of his scores.
If the Niners get above-average quarterback play from Purdy, they suddenly go from a top contender to perhaps the favorite out of the NFC.
13. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (11)
12. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (14)
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (10)
10. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (12)
9. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (8)
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Jackson had to take a small step back after Sunday’s performance, even if it took place during a 19-point win.
On the surface, Jackson was 17-of-22 for 169 yards in a blowout victory. In reality, he completed eight throws behind the line of scrimmage and threw an interception, all while being sacked four times. Overall, his QBR was 13.6, better than only Ryan Tannehill and Daniel Jones in Week 1.
Playing in new coordinator Todd Monken’s system, Jackson will be asked to increase his aerial workload. This is even more true after Baltimore lost running back J.K. Dobbins for the year with a torn Achilles in the opener, along with week-to-week injuries for left tackle Ronnie Stanley (sprained knee) and center Tyler Linderbaum (sprained ankle).
Bottom line, Jackson needs to step up for the Ravens to keep rolling.
8. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (13)
7. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (9)
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (3)
Adam Hunger/AP
There were quarterbacks who put up worse numbers than Allen in Week 1, but nobody had a more disastrous outing.
Needing essentially to simply sit on the football for a victory against the Zach Wilson–led Jets, Allen threw three interceptions and lost a fourth-quarter fumble, helping the Bills lose 22–16 in overtime.
Allen’s performance was particularly embarrassing given all of his picks were thrown into double coverage, and not a single one of his 29 completions traveled 20 or more air yards.
While Buffalo will certainly bounce back, and Allen could have a huge game in store this weekend against the Raiders, it was an ugly display from a player who ought to know better.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (5)
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (4)
3. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (6)
2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (2)
Sometimes, a picture works best to describe what took place.
Look at this Joe Burrow passing chart from Week 1. Literally not a single throw inside the numbers past six air yards.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) September 13, 2023
Both perplexing and a great job of scheming by new Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. pic.twitter.com/TF4UozTmzY
This week against the Ravens, Burrow must get back to throwing across the middle and utilizing his trio of terrific receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
The good news? Cincinnati should have good weather this week (the forecast is 78 degrees and partly cloudy) after playing in a driving rainstorm against the Browns in Cleveland. Furthermore, Burrow should also now be sharper after missing almost the entirety of training camp with a calf injury.
Last season, Burrow threw four interceptions against the Steelers in an opening day defeat before leading the Bengals to their second straight AFC title game. Don’t expect his struggles to continue.
