QB Index

NFL QB Index, Week 10: Justin Herbert resurgent; Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud slide out of top 10

Published: Nov 07, 2024 at 01:58 PM

Nick Shook

Around The NFL Writer

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 9 QB Index.

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 7

Oh, look. Jackson posted a perfect passer rating again. That seems to be in play for the leading MVP candidate each week, especially when he's well protected and Derrick Henry is ripping off chunk gains on the ground. We saw both of those things in Week 9, when Jackson had all day to throw, dropped a number of accurate passes on wide-open targets, proved himself an accurate passer in the quick game and continued to terrorize the opposition with his improvisation. His first touchdown pass to Zay Flowers was a perfect example, as Jackson stepped up to avoid the rush, broke the pocket to the right and tossed the ball to Flowers for six points. Jackson did it all, throwing and running (when required) as the leader of an offense that was a well-oiled machine in a runaway win over Denver.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: In a great example of how a football game can turn suddenly, Jackson overcame first-half struggles in his unique style, pulling off an incredible scramble to set up a touchdown run by Henry and tossing three fourth-quarter touchdown passes (he finished with four) in a frantic comeback effort that ended in a one-point win over the Bengals.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 8

I’m at broken-record status with Mahomes at this point, but I’m hoping you took in Monday Night Football in Week 9 to see why Mahomes resides in such a high place in these rankings despite not owning astronomical numbers. He’s a true master of improvisation, commanding an offense that slowly squeezes its opponents to death with short completions, including many third-down conversions (12 of 18 on Monday night). It’s not the same explosive attack we’ve seen in the past, but Mahomes was excellent once again versus the Buccaneers, flipping a TD pass over a defender to Samaje Perine -- a play in which he injured his ankle -- before leading two methodical drives to take the lead and then win the game in overtime. If you don’t see that he’s playing some of the best football of any quarterback on the planet right now, I simply don’t know what to tell you.

Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 7

I feel myself getting somewhat repetitive when describing Allen's performances, but it's largely because he's so consistent in his highly effective, occasionally chaotic style of play. We saw it again in the first half against the Dolphins, when Allen rolled out to the perimeter on the right and pump-faked three times before finding Dalton Kincaid for a gain of 15. That's who Allen has been for much of his career, but as he's improved his accuracy, he's become that much more dangerous as a mobile passer. He had the unfortunate luck of having a pass get knocked into the air for an interception, but was largely excellent otherwise, keying yet another win for the Bills.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 5

The deep ball has gone into hiding in the last two weeks, but that hasn't prevented Burrow from thriving. He delivered a masterclass on improvisation and artistry against the Raiders, navigating the pocket expertly to buy time before finding targets for touchdowns. Burrow finished 5 for 8 on attempts on the run (over 8 mph), throwing for 32 yards and three touchdowns on such attempts. He was sharp all afternoon and only looked bad when Jack Jones jumped an RPO bubble screen for a pick-six. Otherwise, Burrow was excellent, just as he's been for most of 2024.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: On a pass-heavy night in Baltimore, Burrow was once again excellent, completing 34 of 56 passes for 428 yards and four touchdowns. His connection with Ja'Marr Chase was outrageously explosive, and he came one successful two-point conversion away from securing one of the most impressive wins of his career. Instead, he lost in heartbreaking fashion to the division-rival Ravens.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 9

Goff was afforded time to throw for most of the afternoon at Lambeau Field and emerged as the quarterback better equipped to deal with the wet conditions. As he's been throughout his red-hot run, Goff was highly accurate, going without an incompletion until an overload blitz forced him to throw a pass away inside the final two minutes of the first half. Goff was predictably sharp over the middle of the field and demonstrated the value of his rapport with Amon-Ra St. Brown by delivering a beautiful back-shoulder throw to the receiver for a TD on fourth-and-goal. While he didn't throw for a gaudy yardage total, Goff was efficient and avoided crushing mistakes. As a result, the Lions kept on rolling.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 16

It took a while, but Stafford eventually settled in against the Seahawks, leaning heavily on Cooper Kupp (especially after Puka Nacua was ejected) to the tune of 11 receptions for 104 yards. Stafford was excellent in key spots, finding Demarcus Robinson for a crucial touchdown to cut Seattle's lead to three in the middle of the third quarter. He led another scoring drive on their next possession to tie the game at 13-13. His best work came in overtime, when Stafford perfectly placed a pass on Robinson, who made a one-handed catch for the walk-off touchdown. Stafford wasn't perfect -- his interception was a product of being overly ambitious -- but he's still a much more productive quarterback with Kupp on the field. It's like he's finally back in his familiar pair of shoes and ready to run.

Rank

Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders · Rookie

After pulling off a miracle in Week 8, Daniels didn't need a prayer to beat the Giants in Week 9. The rookie was sharp through the air, making it look easy as he properly placed a nose-down pass to Terry McLaurin along the goal line for a touchdown. With Daniels at the controls and Kliff Kingsbury calling the plays, the offense just flows. Daniels makes key plays in big spots, like when he found Austin Ekeler on a third-and-9 in the fourth quarter on a drive that ended with an important Austin Seibert field goal. He didn't stuff the stat sheet because he didn't have to, and he remains the clear favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year as the leader of the NFL's biggest surprise in 2024.

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 7

Lesser quarterbacks would have wilted in the situation Mayfield encountered on Monday night. Mayfield took the field on the road against the defending champions without his top two receivers and faced a defense that is known to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Instead of surrendering to Steve Spagnuolo's unit, he rose to the occasion, relying heavily on tight end Cade Otton, veteran receiver Sterling Shepard and the same intestinal fortitude that powered him from walk-on status at Texas Tech to Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma. Mayfield executed a fantastic game plan devised by offensive coordinator Liam Coen, feasting on out routes afforded by the Chiefs and twice leading drives that ended in touchdown passes. Tampa Bay’s last score was additionally impressive, given the Bucs had to cover 71 yards with only one timeout in their pocket. Mayfield converted in the clutch, throwing a TD pass to Ryan Miller on a bootleg to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately for Mayfield, he didn’t win the overtime coin toss (tails did fail). Otherwise, he was truly excellent.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 5

After three straight weeks of excellent play, Herbert is officially in a groove. He diced up Cleveland's defense in Week 9, quickly finding weaknesses in coverage. He tossed a few sharp passes that essentially threw his targets open, and thrived on downfield throws, taking advantage of blown coverages for long TDs. He did it despite facing a pressure rate of 52.9 percent. He overcame the rush by relying on his greatest strengths: a rocket for an arm, quick processing and accurate passing. Every time Cleveland appeared to close in, he found a way out through the air, be it a hole shot down the sideline or a back-shoulder throw that created a completion purely out of passing prowess. Herbert is cooking, and the Chargers must be taken seriously because of it.

Rank

Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings · Year 7

Darnold has a great rapport with his top target, Justin Jefferson, and relied on it plenty in their Sunday night win over Indianapolis. Ball security was an issue, though. Darnold was strip-sacked (the fumble was returned for a touchdown), threw an awful interception in the end zone and gave possession back to the Colts after a Joe Flacco INT by forcing a pass intended for Jefferson into coverage. As for the positives, Darnold still completed 28 of 34 passes and threw for three scores, including an excellent rollout to his left, connecting with a wide-open Josh Oliver to seal the victory. This is closer to the Darnold we expected to see in 2024: He'll launch some great throws and has improved in his processing, but he’s liable to commit a turnover or two in each game.

Rank

Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers · Year 3

Purdy's peak performances have been spectacular, but like the rest of his team, he's lacked consistency this season. Kansas City twisted him into a pretzel in Week 7 and he struggled in a Week 5 loss to Arizona. On the bright side, Purdy overcame a quiet first half by keying an offensive explosion in the third quarter in the 49ers’ most recent game, which powered them to a bounce-back win over the Cowboys heading into the bye. If he can iron out the wrinkles in tandem with his teammates, Purdy should climb -- and we might be reminded of San Francisco's place among NFL contenders.

Rank

C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans · Year 2

Weeks of poor pass protection caught up to the Texans in Week 9, as Stroud was sacked a career-high eight times in a loss to the Jets. He was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks and finished a frustrating night well below 50 percent in completions, struggling to connect with a pass-catching corps that was without its top two targets. It's clear he's missing Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. He struggled to find an open target even when he had time to throw. If the Texans want to inject life into their offense, they should look at Stroud's rollouts. He's proven himself a remarkably sharp passer while outside of the pocket, which should keep opposing pass rushes honest and get Stroud out of the hornet's nest that his pocket has become. That's likely their best route to success, because it's clear the offensive line isn't going to magically improve.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons · Year 13

Cousins keeps slinging it. For a second straight week, he converted a fourth down by lobbing a pass to a target breaking free from coverage. In Week 8, it was Kyle Pitts catching and running to pay dirt. In Week 9, it was Darnell Mooney who caught a pressured pass from Cousins for six. Cousins doesn't move in the pocket much, but clearly has the arm strength to get the job done. He seems to be playing freely and compiled a great stat line against the Cowboys, including a stretch of 13 straight completions and a total of just five incompletions on the day. Cousins is proving the Falcons right for investing in him in the offseason.

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 12

Talk about living on the edge. The highs of Smith's play against the Rams were very high -- his TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba just before halftime being one, and his dime to Smith-Njigba on fourth-and-5 late in the fourth quarter being another. However, the lows (the two goal-line interceptions) were incredibly low. Fans eventually realized they'd been strapped into the GenoCoaster the whole time, rising and falling with their quarterback, and while he gave a valiant effort that saw him throw for 363 yards and three TDs, his mistakes ended up burning the Seahawks.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 5

Hurts delivered an efficient performance in Week 9, connecting with A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley early and leaning on DeVonta Smith when things grew close late. It was the latest in a stretch of games in which Hurts has finally been freed from the stagnant, uninspired offense that forced him to hang onto the ball too long and attempt to play hero. He's no longer turning to the cape because he doesn't have to, instead relying on the talented cast of playmakers around him to lead the Eagles to victory. Hurts was accurate and occasionally aggressive, which paid off in a big way when a low-percentage heave to Smith resulted in one of the most spectacular touchdowns of the 2024 season. Hurts is playing quality football as the leader of an offense that is rolling -- even if the Brotherly Shove was surprisingly ineffective last Sunday.

Rank

Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers · Year 5

A sloppy environment at Lambeau Field and a lingering groin injury made for a difficult outing for Love in Week 9. He tossed a few truly gorgeous, jaw-dropping passes amid the rain and moved the ball relatively well, but he struggled with some snaps and couldn't finish off drives once the Packers reached the red zone. As he's been known to do from time to time in his still-young career, Love tried to evade a rush and dump off a risky pass to Josh Jacobs, but ended up throwing a pick-six to Kerby Joseph, allowing the Lions to take a 17-3 lead. Ultimately, Love was able to tough out the groin ailment, but he failed to elevate the Packers' offense in a frustrating loss to the leaders of the NFC North.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 6

It must be nice to know that when the running game is going, Murray doesn't have to be a hero for the Cardinals to win. He was sharp for most of the afternoon against the Bears, but proved to be a secondary character in the romp, benefitting from a 107-yard outing from James Conner, a 53-yard Emari Demercado touchdown run just before halftime, and a 2-yard Trey McBride touchdown run around the end. All Murray had to do was keep the offense going, avoid disaster and complete a handful of passes. Consider the mission accomplished.

Rank

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins · Year 5

The Dolphins are clearly much closer to what we knew them to be now that Tagovailoa is back. He was efficient and didn't wilt under pressure, doing his best to go toe-to-toe with the Bills for four quarters and throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the process. Tagovailoa's game-tying touchdown pass with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter was a perfect example of why he's a special talent the Dolphins deemed worthy of a long-term investment. Tagovailoa dropped to pass, escaped right, kept his eyes up and eventually spotted Jaylen Waddle crossing into open territory, hitting him with a dart for the crucial score. This type of production beyond the usual safe zone of 2.5 seconds in the pocket is why Tagovailoa is the perfect fit for this offense. It's just a shame that two strong games have resulted in losses for the Dolphins.

Rank

Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 13

It's only been two starts, but Wilson has exceeded expectations as the Steelers' starter and justified Mike Tomlin's decision to insert him in place of Justin Fields. Wilson has unlocked George Pickens (and the passing game in general) and now he's set to welcome Mike Williams into the fold after leading the Steelers to two wins with very strong finishes to both contests. We know the bad will creep up eventually, but it's been sparse enough thus far to lead me to believe it won't be too destructive. All the Steelers needed was enough good to keep this train rolling, and so far, Wilson has delivered.

Rank

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · Year 9

Days after Jerry Jones spoke of turnovers as a big reason for Dallas' start -- turnovers that included Prescott's eight interceptions -- the Cowboys quarterback produced an efficient game, heroically avoiding rushers before tossing a touchdown to Rico Dowdle and finishing with a 75.0 completion percentage. Still, that wasn't enough, which illustrated how difficult things are for these talent-poor Cowboys. Prescott has one reliable target (CeeDee Lamb) and a cast of average pass catchers, and when he can't put up big numbers with Lamb, the operation crumbles. To make matters worse, Prescott injured his hamstring, exiting their Week 9 loss early and throwing their outlook into serious uncertainty.

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets · Year 20

Many of the Jets' struggles carried over into the early portion of their Week 9 contest, but Rodgers was able to overcome them. The turning point came on Rodgers' second TD pass to Garrett Wilson, which happened only after a holding penalty wiped out an invigorating Rodgers scramble for a first down. Facing third-and-19, Rodgers lofted a pass to Wilson in the back of the end zone, giving Wilson a chance to make a spectacular one-handed catch for a TD confirmed upon review. That seemed to give the Jets the spark they've desperately sought for weeks, and when Rodgers found Davante Adams for a score in the fourth quarter, it felt like if only for one night, they'd turned a corner. We'll see if it carries over into the next week.

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 4

Lawrence and the Jaguars reached the 10-minute mark of the third quarter in Week 9 with a grand total of 36 yards on offense and two turnovers (one on downs, the other on a pass that bounced off the hands of Travis Etienne into the arms of Zack Baun). They woke up eventually, though, thanks in part to a shift to an up-tempo offense, which allowed Lawrence to use his physical gifts to move the football. The increased urgency helped Lawrence enter a rhythm, leading a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive that ended in the first of two rushing scores for Lawrence. He nearly threw the Jaguars to victory, too, owning the tense moment in the fourth quarter, but a predetermined throw to D'Ernest Johnson -- which was never going to be a good idea -- ended in a Nakobe Dean interception, serving as a microcosm of the Jaguars' season. After a couple of nice games, Lawrence was good for two quarters, but now he's dealing with an injury that could sideline him.

Rank

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos · Rookie

Broncos at Ravens felt like the moment the rest of the NFL world was introduced to Nix's athleticism. He produced a number of impressively explosive scrambles for quality gains, fired a few excellent throws, showed that he wasn't afraid to trust his instincts amid pressure and even caught a touchdown pass on Denver's version of the Philly Special on fourth-and-goal. The first half was filled with plenty of positives for Nix, but he wasn't able to sustain those successes in the second half. Baltimore frazzled him in the third quarter. Trailing by multiple scores, Denver took a pass-heavy approach that hindered Nix's effectiveness. Regardless, the rookie plays with a ton of effort. He just needs more reps -- and for his defense to prevent the opponent from building a significant lead.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 6

While it seemed that much of the internet was collectively laughing at Jones' first-half stat line (4 of 6 for 0 yards), those who paid close attention to the action at MetLife Stadium know Jones actually played pretty well. Jones was at his best while running in the first half, racking up 50 yards on five attempts, and he led a quality scoring drive that ended in a touchdown pass to tight end Chris Manhertz. Jones truly found a groove after halftime, picking up all 174 of his passing yards in the final two quarters and capping another scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to bring the Giants within a single possession of tying Washington. Unfortunately for Jones and the Giants, they ran out of time, but not before he dropped a laser on rookie tight end Theo Johnson, who recovered from an earlier drop to contribute late. It just wasn't enough within the confines of a 60-minute game for the Giants to overcome early struggles, leading to yet another tough loss.

Rank

Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints · Year 11

First, the good for Carr: He's clearly an upgrade over Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, and he pulled off a few really great throws under pressure to keep drives alive in Week 9. His touchdown toss to Foster Moreau was excellent, too. But the bad outweighed the good, unfortunately. Carr appeared rusty at times, and the Saints struggled mightily to convert on third down, undercutting the offense's 400-yard day. Carr also threw a few risky passes into traffic that weren't exactly safe for his intended targets. The Saints simply didn't capitalize on their opportunities -- Carr shares some of the blame for that -- and let the Panthers hang around far too long. Carr also isn't playing with a stocked cupboard, either (he dealt with a few drops along the way). The firing of Dennis Allen on Monday was not exactly shocking. Now, we'll learn whether Carr can lead this team to a modicum of success, because it doesn't get much worse than a loss to the Panthers in which you certainly moved the ball well enough to win.

Rank

Drake Maye

New England Patriots · Rookie

While it might induce plenty of fan anxiety, Maye didn't shy from running early against the Titans, keeping the defense honest solely out of desperation. He finished as New England's leading rusher, gaining 95 yards on eight attempts, and he certainly gave maximum effort, scrambling around for 11.82 seconds before throwing a game-tying touchdown pass with no time left in regulation. In between, the results were mixed. Maye threw a number of sharp passes and showed off the arm strength that should help him develop into a legitimate long-term solution under center for the Patriots. He also threw an unsightly interception under duress early in this game. His last throw -- Amani Hooker's game-sealing pick, his second of the day -- was an example of a rookie not understanding which throws aren't there in the NFL. He'll learn over time, though.

Rank

Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers · Year 2

I know this might be shocking, but stick with me: Young demonstrated legitimate signs of growth in Week 9. For the first time in his career, Young handled the pressure and speed of the NFL game like somebody who had been there before and was able to use his strengths to his advantage. He found targets open over the middle of the field, got loose on scrambles, led a few impressive scoring drives and delivered with the game on the line. Because football can prove to be a cruel game, Young's best throw of the day was stolen from the grasp of his teammate's hands for an interception, but he'll get another start for Carolina on Sunday and he deserves to be on the field.

Rank

Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears · Rookie

With each week, I marvel at Williams' ability to evade rushers and extend plays. He did so again multiple times in Chicago's loss to the Cardinals, but those instances also underscored the problem that doomed the Bears: They rarely were in a good enough position that Williams did not need to don a cape. Williams missed some throws, connected on others and ultimately was asked to carry the offense once the deficit grew. He's developing quite a rapport with fellow rookie Rome Odunze but still can't get on the same page with Keenan Allen or DJ Moore, a problem that is handcuffing the offense. Cole Kmet remains missing in action, too. The Bears need to iron out the wrinkles before it's too late.

Rank

Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans · Year 5

This is about what we've come to expect from Rudolph in his time with the struggling Titans. He'll keep the offense afloat, finish with a completion percentage north of 50, convert a fair amount of third downs and even toss a touchdown or two, but most of it won't look spectacular. That was fine against the Patriots, and Rudolph deserves commendation for shaking off an unfortunate interception along the goal line to lead another TD drive in the fourth quarter. He's measured and did a good job as a backup. That's all you can ask for from him.

Rank

Joe Flacco

Indianapolis Colts · Year 17

The explosive version of the Colts offense failed to show up in Flacco's first start since being elevated over Anthony Richardson on the depth chart. Much of the struggles were the result of a great defensive game plan devised by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who complicated the picture for the quick-firing Flacco. He fell victim to some indecision when he paused before trying to rip a pass to Josh Downs along the sideline, where it was easily intercepted by Byron Murphy, and when the game was on the line, Flacco wasn't protected well enough to succeed. Flacco clearly wasn't comfortable in Week 9.

Rank

Jameis Winston

Cleveland Browns · Year 10

The good vibes from Winston's first start evaporated on a dreadful Sunday along the shore of Lake Erie. After tossing three touchdowns in a win over the Ravens, Winston followed it up with three interceptions in a loss to the Chargers. Two could be explained as the result of unfortunate circumstances, but it was clear Jesse Minter's defense made life difficult for Winston. He threw an interception in the end zone because he didn't put enough air under a pass. He was intermittently inaccurate and his targets dropped some passes, but the total product left plenty to be desired. Browns fans who believed Winston was capable of producing 2023 Joe Flacco-like magic and turning this season around were too hopeful. Sunday's performance is closer to reality.

Rank

Gardner Minshew

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 6

Las Vegas started hot, embarking on an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive to open the scoring in Week 9. Minshew looked good, too, continuing to find success with Jakobi Meyers early. But the wheels fell off before long, with Minshew and the Raiders entering a deep rut offensively in a stretch that saw Minshew fumble a handoff, resulting in a turnover. Eventually, coach Antonio Pierce ran out of patience, benching Minshew again, this time in favor of Desmond Ridder. Minshew is playing quarterback for a rudderless team and partly being held responsible for it, which is somewhat fair, but he's fighting an uphill battle. I wouldn't be surprised to see the revolving door continue to spin under center.