With Week 10 of the NFL's 100th season in the books, NFL.com editors Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr join forces to update the QB Index -- the hierarchy among starting quarterbacks -- heading into Week 11.
How do we arrive at these rankings? Well, each of the four QB watchers submits a ballot, and through the power of mathematics, we average out the results to arrive at our list. The individual rankings of each writer are listed in every QB blurb. With the season well underway, the rankings now rely primarily on 2019 production, as opposed to previous performance. That said, old opinions die hard.
NOTE: Up/down arrows reflect movement from the Week 10 QB Index. Rankings reflect each quarterback's standing heading into Week 11 and were locked before Thursday Night Football. Stats for QBs who play on Thursday night are also locked, to provide better context for those QBs' rankings.
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Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 1 | Blair: 1 | Filice: 1 | Parr: 1
2019 stats: 10 games | 68.5 pct | 2,737 pass yds | 8.4 ypa | 23 pass TD | 2 INT | 256 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: Just how special a season is Russ spinning? Well, you know that Monday night classic the Seahawks just won? The one where Seattle hit the road and handed the rival 49ers their first defeat of the season? The one where Wilson completed over 70 percent of his passes, rushed for a season-high 53 yards (on just six carries), notched his 32nd career game-winning drive (tops in the NFL since 2012, when the QB entered the league as a third-round pick) and inherently added more narrative oomph to his booming MVP candidacy? That was actually Wilson's worst game of the year. Yep. Don't take my word for it; check in with the grading gurus over at Pro Football Focus. The prime-time triumph was this quarterback's statistical nadir thus far in 2019. Must be nice. Now, admittedly, that pick in the Seahawks' first possession of overtime was pretty ghastly. And I've seen some Twitter curmudgeons lump that play together with the Super Bowl XLIX disaster as some kind of proof that Wilson's crunch-time savvy is exaggerated. Stop. Y'all are missing the forest for the trees. The guy routinely makes big plays in big moments.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 2 | Blair: 2 | Filice: 3 | Parr: 4
2019 stats: 9 games | 65.9 pct | 2,036 pass yds | 8.0 ypa | 15 pass TD | 5 INT | 702 rush yds | 6 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: With this piece's Thursday publication, it's been four days since Baltimore's 49-13 Bengals beatdown. So, by now, you've seen Jackson's eye-popping, 47-yard touchdown run numerous times. I don't care. Watch it again! Watch it from field level. Watch the Coaches Tape. Watch the spin move GIF on loop. Watch the Next Gen Stats animated play diagram. Listen to Mark Ingram's delirious description of the play, which he called "The craziest thing I witnessed on the field with somebody." Listen to Kevin Harlan -- who, by the way, needs to be assigned to everyLamar Jackson game -- lose his damn mind on the live call. Once you've done all that ... do it again. And then step back and realize that this dazzling display of otherworldly athleticism was produced by a freakin' quarterback.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 4 | Blair: 3 | Filice: 2 | Parr: 2
2019 stats: 8 games | 66.3 pct | 2,626 pass yds | 9.0 ypa | 18 pass TD | 1 INT | 82 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: Still clearly not 100 percent back from the kneecap dislocation that forced him to miss two games, Mahomes returned to action in Mahomesian fashion, throwing for a season-high 446 yards and completing a career-high 36 passes. Yeah, the Chiefslost the game in Nashville, but don't blame the reigning MVP, whose three touchdown passes and zero interceptions brought his season TD-to-INT ratio to a sparkling 18:1. The 24-year-old has now played in 25 career games, throwing a mind-bending 68 touchdown passes in the process. (Yep, that's the highest total through a quarterback's first 25 games, comfortably ahead of Dan Marino's 60.) The fact that this generational talent leads the league in passing yards per game (328.3) and yards per attempt (9.0) and _isn't_ No. 1 on this list really speaks to how dynamic Russell Wilson has been this season.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 3 | Blair: 4 | Filice: 4 | Parr: 3
2019 stats: 9 games | 70.2 pct | 2,432 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 18 pass TD | 5 INT | 279 rush yds | 5 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: No fresh game action to explore here, with Houston on a bye last week. So ... let's spin it forward to the delicious quarterbacking matchup on tap this week. Houston at Baltimore -- i.e., Deshaun Watson vs. Lamar Jackson. Forget about Red Zoning the early eight-pack o' games -- this matchup demands your dedicated viewing. Not only are these two young quarterbacks posting MVP numbers, but they're doing so in the most watchable manner: Watson with his Houdini acts of off-schedule magic, Jackson with an electricity that feels like a Madden cheat code. And Sunday marks their first meeting on an NFL field. They did, however, face off once in college, with Watson leading No. 5 Clemson to a comeback win over Jackson's third-ranked Louisville team, 42-36. The two quarterbacks combined for 854 total yards and eight touchdowns in that game. And while Watson eventually finished second to Jackson in the Heisman Trophy race, the Tigers quarterback won the national title. All eyes on M&T Bank Stadium!
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 5 | Blair: 5 | Filice: 5 | Parr: 5
2019 stats: 10 games | 64.8 pct | 2,718 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 17 pass TD | 2 INT | 109 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: While Rodgers finished Sunday's snow globe win over the Panthers without a touchdown pass, he still did some noteworthy things. According to Next Gen Stats, Rodgers' average air yards per attempt was 11.8 -- 2 yards higher than his previous season high. So, despite inclement weather conditions, the 35-year-old was driving the ball downfield more than ever before in 2019. He also rekindled his prolific partnership with Davante Adams. In Week 9, the Pro Bowl receiver had a quiet return from the toe injury that forced him to miss the entire month of October. But this past Sunday, Adams reconnected with Rodgers to the tune of seven catches for 118 yards. This included a majestic 37-yard hookup that defied physics. With the Packers trailing 10-7 in the second quarter, Rodgers unfurled one of his signature flick-of-the-wrist gems, somehow sneaking the ball into the well-covered Adams' gut. It was a get-you-off-the-couch throw.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 6 | Blair: 6 | Filice: 7 | Parr: 7
2019 stats: 9 games | 68.3 pct | 2,777 pass yds | 8.7 ypa | 18 pass TD | 9 INT | 175 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: The width of a football field is 53 1/3 yards, but Prescott and Amari Cooper scoff at your official measurements. With the quarterback's precise ball placement and receiver's ballet-level body control, the Cowboys stretch the gridiron's horizontal boundaries to their liking. Just ask the Vikings, last Sunday's opponent. Prescott and Cooper started expanding the field's dimensions in the second quarter, when Prescott -- under heavy duress on a third-and-12 -- flung a perfect pass over Vikings CB Mike Hughes' head and into the outstretched arms of Cooper, who deftly fell backward with his feet glued inbounds. One quarter later, Prescott rolled out and fired a sideline heater that Cooper plucked from well beyond the boundary while gracefully dragging his toes. Three snaps later, Prescott and Cooper recreated that exact same pitch-and-catch artistry, only this time for a touchdown. Sidelines only limit the unimaginative.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 7 | Blair: 7 | Filice: 6 | Parr: 6
2019 stats: 8 games | 64.3 pct | 2,499 pass yds | 8.6 ypa | 19 pass TD | 5 INT | 66 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Filice: What's the biggest challenge in ranking all 32 starting quarterbacks each Thursday? Well, not necessarily knowing who's in line to start for all 32 teams at publishing. Detroit provides this week's question mark. Stafford just missed his first start since 2010, but despite the fact that he has broken bones in his back (seriously), he has not yet been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Though the 31-year-old did miss practice on Wednesday and again on Thursday. If Stafford can't go, Jeff Driskel will make his second consecutive start. And while the former sixth-round pick of the 49ers did show some flashes against the Bears -- most notably, a rolling touchdown heave to Kenny Golladay that traveled half a football field -- he's clearly a substantial downgrade from Stafford, who's playing some of the best ball of his 11-year career.
UPDATE:_ On Friday, Lions coach Matt Patricia told reporters Matthew Stafford will not play against the Cowboys. So Jeff Driskel will indeed make his second straight start for Detroit._
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 8 | Blair: 8 | Filice: 9 | Parr: 8
2019 stats: 9 games | 70.8 pct | 2,202 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 14 pass TD | 4 INT | 31 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Filice: Carr has become a polarizing player in recent years, inside Raider Nation and out. A quarterback whose weekly performance is picked over, often spawning a series of questions that vary in fairness. Where are the downfield fireworks? What's up with those happy feet? Is. He. Really. Jon. Gruden's. Guy?? Let's remember a simpler time, back in 2016, when Carr was universally praised for resurrecting the Raiders -- and even earned six MVP votes despite having his season end prematurely with a broken leg on Christmas Eve. What kind of numbers did Carr churn out in that widely celebrated campaign? How does his 2019 production compare? Let's take a look:
Carr through the first nine games of 2016: 66.1 percent completion rate, 2,505 yards passing, 17:3 TD-to-INT rate, 7.1 yards per attempt, 99.1 passer rating, three game-winning drives.
Carr through the first nine games of 2019: 70.8 percent completion rate, 2,202 yards passing, 14:4 TD-to-INT rate, 7.8 yards per attempt, 104.4 passer rating, three game-winning drives.
Huh. This is interesting. Those numbers are eerily similar -- the 2019 stats are even better in some spots -- so where's the love? Well, that '16 squad did win seven of its first nine games, finish the season at 12-4 and -- most notably -- end a 13-year playoff drought. So Carr's play carried a long-awaited Silver-and-Black-is-BACK storyline. Don't look now, though, but the 2019 Raiders are suddenly just a game behind Kansas City in the AFC West race, with five of their remaining seven opponents owning losing records. Not hard to imagine Oakland going on a run, with Carr's Q-rating skyrocketing back toward 2016 levels.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 9 | Blair: 9 | Filice: 10 | Parr: 9
2019 stats: 4 games | 74.3 pct | 1,068 pass yds | 7.9 ypa | 5 pass TD | 3 INT | 0 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Brees slides down the board this week after a rough afternoon against a once-hapless Falcons defense. He wasn't awful -- he still completed more than 70 percent of his passes and didn't turn the ball over -- but it was a debacle by his standards, as New Orleans failed to score a touchdown. The Saints' nine points vs. Atlanta were their fewest in a home game since Week 13, 2005 -- the season before Brees and Sean Payton arrived in the Crescent City. Brees was his usual accurate self for the most part, but he held the ball for too long at times -- looking for something, anything to develop in front of him -- which helped lead the Falcons to six sacks, tying Brees' career high. The good news is, he gets a chance to rebound against a Bucs secondary that is being torched on a weekly basis. The bad news is, he might find himself outside the top 10 in the QB Index if he doesn't return to form on Sunday.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 10 | Blair: 13 | Filice: 8 | Parr: 10
2019 stats: 9 games | 64.8 pct | 2,536 pass yds | 7.1 ypa | 14 pass TD | 5 INT | 3 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: I know it's blasphemous to make such proclamations about Brady, but he hasn't been very GOAT-like since late September, which is why he's barely hanging onto a spot in the top 10 of the QB Index. He entered 2019 like a lion, compiling a TD-to-INT ratio of 7:0 in his first three games. Since Week 4, though, he ranks 26th in pass yards per attempt (6.5), 22nd in TD-to-INT ratio (7:5) and 25th in passer rating (83.2). He's on pace for his lowest passer rating since 2013. Brady's been particularly bad under pressure, which is not the trend you want heading into a matchup against an Eagles defense that has turned up its blitz rate to great effect of late. If history repeats itself, New England's QB1 will soon make me look foolish for publishing such concerns. He even has extra motivation on Sunday. Looking forward to the inevitable.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 11 | Blair: 10 | Filice: 11 | Parr: 11
2019 stats: 10 games | 69.1 pct | 2,437 pass yds | 8.6 ypa | 18 pass TD | 3 INT | 49 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Cousins made some big throws when the Vikings needed it on Sunday night, snapping his streak of losses in prime-time games against teams that entered the contest with a winning record at six. He enters this weekend's tilt with the Broncos having thrown 142 consecutive passes without an INT (longest active streak), and his 124.4 passer rating since Week 5 is the NFL's best in that span. Yes, the doubters are being silenced. At least for now. They're never completely gone. Just keep this in mind next time you want to clown on Kirk: He ranks among the top two QBs in passer rating on tight-window throws (90.0, ranking first), deep passes (134.2, second), vs. pressure (95.4, second) and against the blitz (123.0, second), per Next Gen Stats. You like that?!
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 16 | Blair: 12 | Filice: 12 | Parr: 12
2019 stats: 9 games | 62.7 pct | 2,060 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 15 pass TD | 4 INT | 144 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: No better opportunity to push yourself up from the middle of the pack than a date with the Patriots defense, which ranks first in points and yards allowed per game even after being shredded by Lamar Jackson before the bye week. We're in the midst of a decidedly ho-hum stretch for Wentz. On one hand, he has a passing TD in 12 straight games (second-longest streak in the NFL). On the other, he's thrown just three TD passes in his last three games and is averaging a career-low 228.9 pass yards per game this season (19th in the NFL). It would be nice to see him light some more candles downfield -- he has a 27.8 completion rate on deep attempts this season (ninth lowest in the NFL) -- but that's a tough ask with his top deep threat likely to miss the rest of the regular season.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 13 | Blair: 11 | Filice: 14 | Parr: 15
2019 stats: 9 games | 67.6 pct | 2,054 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 14 pass TD | 8 INT | 33 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Parr: There were enough drops by 49ers receivers on Monday night to drive even the most composed QB batty, but Jimmy G's own miscues (including two fumbles, one of which was returned for a TD) also contributed to San Francisco's first loss of the season. Garoppolo was without his main man George Kittle for the entirety of the game, and his new favorite target, Emmanuel Sanders, exited early in the second quarter with a rib injury. He missed them, and it showed. Garoppolo was 3 of 18 (16.7 completion percentage) for 59 yards and 1 INT on passes traveling 10-plus air yards vs. Seattle, per Next Gen Stats. That's the lowest completion rate by any QB with at least 15 such attempts in a game this season. Just look at the disparity between Garoppolo's production with and without Sanders on Monday:
With Sanders: 10 of 15 (66.7%), 115 pass yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 111.8 passer rating
Without Sanders: 14 of 31 (45.2%), 133 pass yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 44.2 passer rating
Despite his struggles, the Niners' QB still had a chance to be the hero in overtime, but he was just 1 of 5 for 7 yards on his 2 drives in the final stanza.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 12 | Blair: 14 | Filice: 15 | Parr: 13
2019 stats: 8 games | 69.4 pct | 2,352 pass yds | 7.4 ypa | 17 pass TD | 9 INT | 77 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: It's weird to think the Falconsstunned the Saints on Sunday without the best version of Matt Ryan, but that is indeed what transpired in New Orleans. Ryan had his lowest completion percentage (57.1) and yards per attempt (5.2) in a game this season. And just when it looked like he might go a full contest without turning the ball over for just the second time this season, he underthrew a deep ball that landed in the arms of the Saints' Marcus Williams for a fourth-quarter INT. He did have a nice strike to Austin Hooper for the first TD of the game, but all in all, this was not a strong performance by the former MVP.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 14 | Blair: 15 | Filice: 13 | Parr: 14
2019 stats: 10 games | 63.9 pct | 2,553 pass yds | 7.1 ypa | 12 pass TD | 5 INT | 351 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Arizona lost for the third straight week, but don't be mad at your quarterback, Cardinals fans. The first overall pick of the 2019 draft has 8 TD passes, 1 INT and a passer rating of 100.3 over the last six games. That's good, FYI. Before WR Trent Sherfield fell on the play in which Murray threw his one pick Sunday in Tampa, he had thrown a rookie record 211 consecutive passes without a pick. He's one of four players since 1950 with 2,500 pass yards and 250 rush yards in their first 10 career starts. He threw several balls a little too high in the first half vs. the Bucs, but as NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah tweeted on Sunday, you can't help but be excited about what we're seeing from Murray, even if he is still in the infant stage of his career. And before you tell me to just wait and see how he does against the Niners' suffocating defense this weekend, don't forget about how Murray more than held his own against that unit just a couple weeks ago. He posted the highest passer rating of his career and the highest passer rating by any QB against the 49ers this season (130.7) in that game. The Niners have held all other starting QBs to a combined 61.7 passer rating. Yeah, Murray is trending up in the QB Index for good reason.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 17 | Blair: 18 | Filice: 16 | Parr: 17
2019 stats: 10 games | 65.9 pct | 2,816 pass yds | 7.7 ypa | 14 pass TD | 10 INT | 24 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Rivers started with a bang against Oakland last week, throwing a dart over the middle to Austin Ekeler for 23 yards, but he was sacked on his next dropback, foreshadowing what was to come. The opening drive ended when the Bolts' QB sailed a pass over Keenan Allen and into the hands of Erik Harris, who pick-sixed Rivers on the Chargers' next possession. Philip finished the night with three INTs. Even with all the ugliness, Los Angeles still had the lead late in the fourth quarter, but after Josh Jacobs got loose to put the Raiders ahead by two with a minute to play, Rivers was nowhere near as accurate as he needed to be on the final drive. The 37-year-old said after the loss that he was " disappointed" with his performance. We can't disagree, as a guy who started out in the top five in the QB Index has now fallen to the middle of the pack.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 15 | Blair: 17 | Filice: 18 | Parr: 19
2019 stats: 8 games | 64.8 pct | 1,649 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 14 pass TD | 3 INT | 110 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." We got a glimpse of Horseshoe Football without Brissett on Sunday, and let me tell ya, any Colts fans who were taking the fourth-year pro for granted before certainly aren't anymore. Somebody hail Hoyer a Big Yellow Taxi back to the sideline after that one. Against a Dolphins defense that entered the weekend conceding an average passer rating of 114.7 while ranking at the bottom in points allowed per game (32.0), Indy mustered a measly 12 points -- the team's lowest single-game total of the season -- while Hoyer labored his way to a dreadful 38.8 rating. Sure, Miami's D has played far better at times this season than the stats would suggest, but 38.8?! Come on. In his only start this year, Hoyer matched Brissett's INT total (3) for the entire season and served as a painful but needed reminder of how effective and deliberate the Colts' QB1 has been. I'll admit that it hasn't always been pretty with Brissett under center, but his decision-making and timely throws have kept this squad squarely in the AFC playoff race. Let's hope the knee injury he suffered two weeks ago doesn't limit his underrated escapability versus the Jags' fierce pass rush on Sunday afternoon.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 19 | Blair: 16 | Filice: 19 | Parr: 16
2019 stats: 1 game | 62.5 pct | 75 pass yds | 9.4 ypa | 1 pass TD | 0 INT | 0 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Can Foles conjure up some second-half magic for the still-in-the-hunt Jags like he did the past two years in Philadelphia? Or is the Super Bowl miracle worker destined to become the most expensive backup in the NFL, with Gardner Minshew II, the man whose base salary this season is just a sliver (.011%, but who's counting?) of his teammate's $45.125 million in full guarantees, bound to regain the QB reins for Jacksonville's final playoff push? It will be interesting to see just how long of a leash the eighth-year pro has before Doug Marrone returns to his mighty mustached rookie. If Foles can pick up where he left off all those weeks ago, connecting with D.J. Chark on chunk gains and highlight-reel scores (well, score), the veteran will retain not only his QB1 status, but the privilege of remaining in these rankings.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 18 | Blair: 23 | Filice: 17 | Parr: 18
2019 stats: 6 games | 71.3 pct | 1,161 pass yds | 8.5 ypa | 8 pass TD | 4 INT | 83 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Bhanpuri: Tannehill's 13-of-19, 188-yard passing performance against the Chiefs might resemble a standard Marcus Mariota outing on the surface -- a fumble, a near INT, 4 sacks taken -- but that would be a lazy and flawed comparison. Unlike his predecessor, Tanny has been more willing to test defenses downfield and has shown the confidence and arm talent to actually deliver on those strikes -- as he did several times throughout Sunday's comeback win. He's currently averaging a full yard more per attempt than Mariota (8.5 to 7.4), per Next Gen Stats, while completing far more (and far more difficult) intermediate and deep balls. Tannehill's undoubtedly benefited from Derrick Henry's punishing runs -- most noticeably in the win over the Chiefs -- but the QB has more than made his own good fortune by playing with urgency and with an undeniable sense of belief. But should we believe that the soon-to-be free agent, who has led three game-winning drives in four weeks, has finally put all the pieces together? The perpetually 9-7 Titans sure hope he has, as do legions of future Tannehills, who may be six more quality starts away from a hefty inheritance.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 20 | Blair: 22 | Filice: 20 | Parr: 21
2019 stats: 9 games | 59.7 pct | 2,765 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 17 pass TD | 14 INT | 139 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: I hate to say I told ya so, but ... I told ya so. Winston has been one of the most prolific passers this season, ranking third in passing yards (2,765) and tying for seventh in passing touchdowns (17), while the Bucs as a whole rank third in points per game (28.9). But this is Jameis Winston we're talking about, so we must account for Winston's First Law of Quarterbacking, which states that for every positive football action, there's a nearly equal and opposite reaction. You know, physics. So, of course, he leads the league in giveaways (18) and sacks taken (34) through 10 weeks and generates as many Oh wow plays as he does Oh no decisions. I suspect with the Saints up next, we'll soon see the effects of his Second Law of Quarterbacking: When a turnover-prone QB goes up in the rankings, he surely must come down.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 21 | Blair: 20 | Filice: 23 | Parr: 22
2019 stats: 7 games | 61.5 pct | 1,598 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 10 pass TD | 5 INT | 14 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 5 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Allen does so many things well -- he's accurate, aggressive, moves deceptively well in the pocket, reads the field clearly, hits receivers in stride -- that I find myself forgetting at times while reviewing his film why he's ranked so low on this list. Such was the case when I rewatched Panthers- Packers earlier this week. Just as I was ready to move him into the mid teens, he botched a snap that Green Bay then recovered and turned into a 52-yard momentum-changing touchdown drive. That fumble, plus a brutal red-zone interception two possessions later, increased his turnover total to 10 -- tying him with Sam Darnold and Josh Allen for 10th most this season. With an All-Pro quality RB1, a reliable chain-moving receiver group and a competitive defense, Allen has one of the better supporting casts among the quarterbacks in this range. He truly feels on the cusp of being a plus signal-caller in this league, and, potentially, the QB1 of the future in Carolina. But for as well as he's played for stretches at a time, he simply won't crack the top 16 -- or take the Panthers to the postseason -- unless he takes better care of the ball.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 26 | Blair: 19 | Filice: 22 | Parr: 20
2019 stats: 9 games | 59.9 pct | 2,201 pass yds | 7.1 ypa | 9 pass TD | 12 INT | 76 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Bhanpuri: Mayfield finally coupled his attacking instinct with his Heisman-caliber accuracy -- the same trait that helped make him the No. 1 overall pick two years ago -- to deliver one of his best performances of the season. He completed 68.4 percent of his passes (his highest mark of the year) while maintaining his aggressiveness downfield and making a number ofclutch throws to put the Browns ahead in the final minutes. Mayfield also managed not to turn the ball over ( not for a lack of trying) in back-to-back games for the first time in almost exactly a year, and he has the opportunity Thursday night to make it three straight giveaway-free games for the first time in his career. The Browns QB1 still showed some poor situational awareness, like when he motioned into an empty set at his own 8-yard line and then dropped back into the end zone, held the ball too long, and was sacked for a safety. He has to know in that formation, at that spot in the field and with his porous offensive line, he simply doesn't have enough time to move beyond his first read. Just get rid of it. Then, of course, there's the Browns' inconceivable ineptitude at the goal line (0 for 9 on goal-to-go plays), though it's unfair to pin much of that blame on No. 6's shoulder pads. He'll have enough of a burden to carry come Friday morning if the Steelers drop his squad to 3-7.
POST-TNF UPDATE: It wasn't sensational by any means, but Mayfield made enough plays and, most importantly, didn't turn the ball over to lead the Browns to a 21-7 win over a Steelers team plagued by an inept offense on Thursday night. He was most impressive throwing deep early in the game, which is when he made the vast majority of his hay. In fact, the Browns' QB1 threw for just 42 of his 193 yards in the second half, but that included a little fourth-quarter magic. With the pocket collapsing around him, Mayfield bought some time with his feet and was able to thread the needle on an 8-yard TD pass to tight end Stephen Carlson, who made a brilliant catch for the final score of the night. After throwing 12 picks in his first 8 games, the former No. 1 overall pick has gone three straight contests without a giveaway, compiling a TD-INT ratio of 5:0 in that span. He's continuing to trend in the right direction.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 22 | Blair: 21 | Filice: 25 | Parr: 24
2019 stats: 9 games | 59.9 pct | 1,919 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 10 pass TD | 7 INT | 275 rush yds | 6 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Allen has struggled to put 60 straight minutes of quality play on tape during his young career, and Sunday's game was no exception. Although the second-year passer found his groove (relatively speaking) from the second quarter on (21-of-37 passing for 264 yards, 2 rushing TDs), he finished the first 15 minutes with 2 passing yards and multiple off-target drive-killing throws. Even when things seemed to be going well for Buffalo's QB1, like when he helped to chisel a first-and-25 into a third-and-3 in the third quarter with the score tied, he opted for the worst possible decision -- chucking the ball downfield into double coverage -- when there was zero pressure or probability for success. Had he waited for a half-second and looked for a running lane to open, he could've easily scrambled for a first down. The 2019 Bills have too small a margin of error for Allen to continue to make such head-scratching decisions. That said, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has to help out his young passer by finding better run-pass balance (just 13 rushes for Frank Gore and Devin Singletarycombined?!). Allen is now 2-3 with a 3:7 TD-to-INT ratio in the five games in which he's attempted 35 or more passes. Help Allen help himself and run the ball.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 23 | Blair: 26 | Filice: 21 | Parr: 23
2019 stats: 9 games | 60.3 pct | 2,610 pass yds | 7.4 ypa | 11 pass TD | 9 INT | 16 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 5 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Is there a more disappointing offense in the NFL right now than Jared Goff's group? There were so few positives to extract from Sunday's no-show against the Steelers, especially when you consider the end result of the Rams' first 10 drives: six punts, a lost fumble, INTs on back-to-back possessions and a missed 56-yard field goal. Goff fumbled three times (losing one) and threw two picks at Heinz Field, making his Week 10 effort the fourth instance this year in which he finished a game with more turnovers than touchdowns. Smothering coverage, a persistent pass rush and poor accuracy from No. 16 combined to confine the Rams' offense all afternoon and led to the most humbling stat for the once-feared outfit: The unit was outscored by its own defense, 9-3. Things seemingly got so bad for Goff on Sunday that both Blake Bortles and Johnny Hekker were tasked with picking up crucial conversions, if for no other discernible reason than to remind viewers how much worse things could be. OK, so that's not based in any semblance of fact, but why else were either of thosetwo plays even considered, let alone called? Things won't get any easier for Goff this weekend, as his banged up offensive line will have to keep Khalil Mack and Co. at bay on Sunday Night Football.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 25 | Blair: 24 | Filice: 24 | Parr: 25
2019 stats: 9 games | 63.0 pct | 1,984 pass yds | 6.7 ypa | 15 pass TD | 8 INT | 208 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 9 fumbles lost
Blair: Jones posted his second career four-touchdown game -- since 1950, only Deshaun Watson (three) had more four-TD games as a rookie in his first nine games -- and yet, the Giants were outpaced by the unimposing likes of the Jets. Welcome to life on a bad team, where things like an absent run game and porous defense can trash one's best personal efforts. Of course, Jones didn't do himself any favors with a fumble on his second dropback of the day, which, though it was recovered by Saquon Barkley at the Giants' 8-yard line, gave the Jets the field position to go up 14-0 before Jones could really even get loose. The strip-sack that was returned by Jamal Adams for a touchdown early in the third quarter didn't help, either. But Jones continued to fire off touchdowns, keeping the Giants in the game until the wheels fell off in the fourth quarter, which was easily his worst quarter of the day (7 of 13 passes for 48 yards, zero TDs and a passer rating of 62.3).
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 24 | Blair: 25 | Filice: 27 | Parr: 27
2019 stats: 8 games | 61.5 pct | 1,364 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 8 pass TD | 8 INT | 74 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: Fitzpatrick has won consecutive starts for the first time since last September. His last winning streak of more than two games came in December of 2015, when he won five straight with the Jets. With the Bills on tap this week, it's going to be tough for him to push it to three. But everyone's favorite Everyman Hero/Bearded Novelty Act has injected the Fins with sudden swagger -- so who knows? In the win over Indy, Fitzpatrick gave Miami an early double-digit lead with an 11-yard scramble into the end zone, then gutted out the necessary first downs on a comeback fourth-quarter field-goal drive that put the Dolphins ahead for good, throwing a pair of third-down passes for 13 and 12 yards. By the way, with two rushing touchdowns in the books this season, Fitzpatrick just needs to run one more in to match his personal best of three, set with the Titans in 2013.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 27 | Blair: 27 | Filice: 26 | Parr: 26
2019 stats: 6 games | 63.2 pct | 1,307 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 7 pass TD | 9 INT | 25 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: Well, it looks like Darnold and Adam Gase are going to be together through next season at least, per a bold proclamation by owner Chris Johnson less than two weeks after one of the worst losses of the season by anyone anywhere. If Gase and Darnold can get something going together, the stability will be good -- the flip side is, if Gase isn't going to pan out, it's tough to think about wasting one more precious year of Darnold's rookie deal. For now, let's just focus on Sunday, when Darnold was able to lead the Jetsto a win despite throwing less than two touchdown passes for just the second time in his career. (It helped that he also scored the second rushing TD of his career.) Specifically, let's zoom in on Darnold's throw to Demaryius Thomas with 9:57 in the fourth quarter and the Jets up by four. On the play-action pass, Darnold rolled out to his right and hit Thomas in stride; the 47-yard pickup put the Jets in position to go up by a touchdown with Sam Ficken's 35-yard field goal. If Gase can make plays like that a regularity, the rough start to this season will quickly become an afterthought.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 29 | Blair: 28 | Filice: 28 | Parr: 29
2019 stats: 8 games | 63.6 pct | 1,390 pass yds | 5.8 ypa | 8 pass TD | 3 INT | 54 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair:Skeptics of the value of passer rating as a stat might want to take note of Trubisky's day against the Lions, which he finished with the third-best mark of his career (131.0) while also leading an offense that produced seven three-and-outs, tied for the most by any team in any game this season. The degree of difficulty wasn't exactly high for Trubisky against the Lions' 28th-ranked pass defense. Per Next Gen Stats, of Trubisky's 16 completions against the Lions, 12 (for 89 yards and one touchdown) came without any pressure and while throwing to open receivers (3-plus yards of separation from a defender), with 53.4 percent of that yardage coming after the catch. Finally, Trubisky struggled to keep the Bears on the field when they had a chance to close out Detroit for good, taking three drive-killing third-down sacks in the fourth quarter that helped give the Lions, who pushed the deficit to seven points, several bites at the apple. This blurb feels a bit mean to me as I write it, because any progress is good at this point. But I suppose I'll second Gregg Rosenthal's urging to not get carried away with one impressive-looking line.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 28 | Blair: 29 | Filice: 29 | Parr: 28
2019 stats: 7 games | 64.5 pct | 1,330 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 11 pass TD | 4 INT | 23 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: The Steelers are winning games again, which makes the question of Rudolph's future potential a much less urgent issue than his ability to serve as a competent fill-in QB who will not get in the way of a defense-driven postseason push. On Pittsburgh's two scoring drives in Sunday's victory over the Rams, Rudolph mostly looked the part, avoiding catastrophe (with some help from a penalty that wiped out a would-be pick in the first quarter) and even making a few long throws. The rest of his day was more worrisome. Rudolph and Co. averaged just 3.5 plays per drive on the Steelers' 13 non-scoring possessions, and a caught-in-the-headlights safety helped the Rams get within two points with 12:30 left to play. Still, factoring in the 10 offensive points on the day and excluding a botched snap that was returned for a Rams touchdown (since it's tough to pin that on the QB), the final Mason Rudolph_ points differential_ ended up at plus-8. And that's gravy, because honestly, the Steelers really just need to keep the ol' MRPD from sinking too far below zero to have a chance in the AFC.
POST-TNF UPDATE: The Steelers-Browns skirmish that crescendoed with Myles Garrett striking Rudolph in the head with the QB's own helmet will be the indelible memory from Thursday night's game. Fortunately, Rudolph said after the game that he was not injured during the melee. As for his performance in the 21-7 Browns victory, the second-year passer had easily the worst outing of his career. He was picked off four times, matching his INT total entering the game, and could have had a fifth if the Browns' Chad Thomas had held onto a fourth-and-1 pass that was thrown right to him early in the fourth quarter. It certainly didn't help matters that Rudolph lost his RB1 (James Conner) and WR1 (JuJu Smith-Schuster) to injuries during the proceedings, but he was off the mark throughout the night and could have a hard time avoiding the cellar in these rankings next week.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 30 | Blair: 30 | Filice: 30 | Parr: 30
2019 stats: 1 game | 60.0 pct | 193 pass yds | 9.7 ypa | 2 pass TD | 0 INT | 13 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Don't look now, but second-round pick Drew Lock is on a potential trajectory to eventually steal some starts from Allen. Which means Allen, who will be a restricted free agent in 2020, must make the most of his current window to either impress the Broncos enough that they bring him back or to land a gig as a backup elsewhere this offseason. His upcoming schedule is not exactly favorable. Next up is Minnesota, which ranks 18th against the pass but boasts a roster loaded with players who excel at making quarterbacks uncomfortable, like Danielle Hunter (8.5 sacks), Everson Griffen (6.0 sacks) and Anthony Harris (three picks). After that, he'll get the Bills (third against the pass) and Chargers (fifth against the pass). Allen stans can take heart in the fact that he acquitted himself relatively well against the Browns' seventh-ranked passing defense in Week 9; notably, his average time to throw in that game (2.41) gives him the third-fastest mark among QBs to have attempted 15-plus passes this season, per Next Gen Stats.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 31 | Blair: 31 | Filice: 31 | Parr: 31
2019 stats: 3 games | 61.4 pct | 284 pass yds | 6.5 ypa | 0 pass TD | 4 INT | 37 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Congrats, Dwayne Haskins! This is your show now. The word around the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Drafthas not always been glowing, but as my QB Indexing colleague Gennaro Filice pointed out last week, Haskins looked OK while making his first career start against the Bills in Week 9, and he was able to swing Bill Callahan's opinion around relatively quickly. So let's hold off on really judging Haskins until he's thrown more NFL passes than, say, Luke Falk. With the ghost of Josh Rosen's career looming, my main wish for Haskins is that he's provided enough organizational stability that he has a chance to fulfill his potential, whatever that might be.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 32 | Blair: 32 | Filice: 32 | Parr: 32
2019 stats: 1 game | 53.3 pct | 167 pass yds | 5.6 ypa | 1 pass TD | 1 INT | 22 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: I hope Finley got some solid memories out of Sunday, because making his first NFL start against a resurgent Baltimore defense and opposite a player who is redefining the quarterback position had to have been an experience, to say the least. The Ravens were simply rude to the rookie on his big day, holding him to 5.6 yards per throw and recording more scores against him (via a pick-six and a strip-sack returned for a touchdown) than he managed against them (one touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert). He made a few nice throws, including a 13-yard pass to Tyler Boyd in the face of pressure on third-and-11 to keep a scoring drive alive in the first quarter and the 6-yard TD strike to Eifert. But Finley's afternoon can be summed up most accurately by what happened after Marcus Peters' interception, something that could be seen partially in-frame during the broadcast and in its full glory on Game Pass' coaches film mode: With Peters streaking down the sideline toward the end zone, Finley gamely gave chase, only to be breezily thrown to the ground by Ravens linebacker L.J. Fort. The kid never had a chance.
The Air Index delivered by FedEx ranks NFL quarterback performances all season long. What's the possibility Russell Wilson falls from the No. 1 spot next week?