With Week 6 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 7.
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 more heavily on 2019 production, as opposed to previous performance. That said, old opinions die hard.
NOTE: Up/down arrows reflect movement from the Week 6 QB Index. Rankings reflect each quarterback's standing heading into Week 7 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.
Check out the FedEx Air NFL Players of the Week and cast your vote.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 1 | Blair: 1 | Filice: 1 | Parr: 1
2019 stats: 6 games | 72.5 pct | 1,704 pass yds | 9.0 ypa | 14 pass TD | 0 INT | 151 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: Throughout September, it was easy to wonder if Patrick Mahomes would ever relinquish the No. 1 spot on this list. And while the reigning MVP has not been superhuman over the last couple weeks, he hasn't exactly gone belly up, either. The fact that 594 passing yards, four touchdowns and one pick represent a disconcerting fortnight is a true testament to Mahomes' break-the-game proficiency. So why did Pat -- who, it should be noted, put up those numbers on a battered left ankle -- vacate the QB Index throne? Well, Russ kinda pushed him out by delivering the best stretch of football in his already-decorated career. The guy has 17 total touchdowns (14 throwing) against one measly giveaway. And that giveaway, by the way, was a Week 2 handoff dropped by Chris Carson (who, in his defense, had a blitzing Steeler at his feet). So I'm cool with saying Wilson has 17 touchdowns and zero giveaways. Not to mention, he's completing 72.5 percent of his passes while averaging a robust 9.0 yards per attempt. Oh, and the Seahawks are 5-1. So, Mahomes didn't really give up the No. 1 ranking -- Wilson took it.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 2 | Blair: 2 | Filice: 2 | Parr: 2
2019 stats: 6 games | 63.9 pct | 2,104 pass yds | 9.1 ypa | 14 pass TD | 1 INT | 80 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: In Kansas City's first three possessions last Sunday, Mahomes sandwiched a pair of 90-plus-yard touchdown drives around a field goal. Then, on the fifth play of K.C.'s fourth drive, Houston LB Benardrick McKinney delivered a shot that wrenched Mahomes' irritable left ankle with 10:38 remaining in the second quarter. From that point on, the Chiefs scored a grand total of seven points, ultimately leading to a 31-24 win by the visiting Texans. Before aggravating the injury that first cropped up in Week 1, Mahomes had completed 10 of his first 16 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in just under 20 game minutes. After McKinney's damaging blow? Mahomes went just 9 of 19 for 84 yards and one touchdown over the final 40-plus game minutes, throwing his first interception of the season and losing a critical fumble that really flipped the game script. Something tells me this lull has more to do with the balky ankle than the growing narrative that Andy Reid and Mahomes are completely flummoxed by man defense.
POST-TNF UPDATE: This is the kind of update one never wants to make, especially about a transcendent talent like Mahomes, but the reigning MVP suffered a patella dislocation while executing a QB sneak in the second quarter against the Broncos and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Per NFL Network's James Palmer, Mahomes will undergo an MRI, which will reveal if he has suffered any ligament damage. Backup Matt Moore was effective in turning this contest into a blowout win, but that's a secondary concern as the world waits to hear about the status of Mahomes' knee.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 3 | Blair: 3 | Filice: 3 | Parr: 3
2019 stats: 6 games | 69.7 pct | 1,644 pass yds | 8.2 ypa | 12 pass TD | 3 INT | 164 rush yds | 5 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: Watson's stat line from two weeks ago was an undeniable thing of beauty: 28-33, 426 yds, 5 TD, 0 INT; 4 car, 47 yds. That's a masterpiece, a quarterbacking Picasso. In the wake of such excellence, a quick glance at this past Sunday's raw numbers -- 30-42, 280 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT; 10 car, 42 yards, 2 TD -- won't inspire as much hyperbolic admiration. Sure, the two rushing scores are nice, but no famous artist will be dragged into this sentence. And that's fine. Because anyone who watched the game knows an accurate assessment of Watson's performance can't be boxed into a box score. First things first: Four would-be touchdown passes went right through the hands of Texans receivers. Yes, four. Some of the drops were more egregious than others, no doubt, but Will Fuller couldn't corral three nicely placed deep shots, and even DeAndre Hopkins had a ball bounce right off his hands at the goal line. Give Watson completions on half, and the stat line dazzles. Secondly, Houston trailed 17-3 after an early Chiefs onslaught, but Watson calmly brought the Texans all the way back -- no small feat for a visiting team in raucous Arrowhead Stadium. And lastly, Watson delivered at winning time. Houston, which entered the fourth quarter trailing by a point, had two possessions in the game's final 15 minutes: a 12-play, 93-yard, go-ahead touchdown drive (with accompanying two-point conversation) and a nine-play, 42-yard march that bled the final five minutes off the clock. Late-game savvy > Box score brilliance.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 4 | Blair: 5 | Filice: 4 | Parr: 4
2019 stats: 6 games | 62.6 pct | 1,590 pass yds | 7.3 ypa | 8 pass TD | 2 INT | 62 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: Six games into the Matt LaFleur era, Rodgers and the Pack are sitting atop the NFC North at 5-1. So all is well in Titletown. But for us ungrateful QB watchers, it still feels like we haven't seen the immensely talented quarterback at full throttle under his new coach. Not that he's been bad -- we've just yet to get an APEX A-RODGE game. That might be about to change. Rodgers has been quite effective on deep passes this season, boasting a 127.1 passer rating on throws of 20-plus air yards, per Next Gen Stats. Sunday's opponent, Oakland, has been quite ineffective at defending deep passes this season, with an NFL-worst 138.9 opponent passer rating on such throws. What happens when the unstoppable force meets the highly moveable object? APEX A-RODGE?!!
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 6 | Blair: 4 | Filice: 5 | Parr: 6
2019 stats: 6 games | 61.2 pct | 1,458 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 12 pass TD | 3 INT | 82 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Filice: Possessing the lowest completion percentage of any quarterback in the top half of this list, Wentz has never been a throw-by-throw surgeon in the Drew Brees mold. He's a playmaker. Unfortunately, one of his biggest playmaking weapons has been inaccessible for a month. The Eagles' offseason trade to bring DeSean Jackson back to Philly was universally praised as another masterstroke by GM Howie Roseman. The logic was simple: Give an explosive-play-hunting quarterback the most prolific deep threat of this millennium and there will be fireworks. And fireworks, there were! In Week 1, Jackson caught eight balls for 154 yards, with touchdowns of 51 and 53 yards. But 11 snaps into his Week 2 outing, Jackson left the field with an abdominal strain and hasn't returned since. Wentz's long ball has suffered the consequences. According to Next Gen Stats, Wentz has completed just five of his 21 deep-pass attempts (throws of 20-plus air yards) over the past five games, with one touchdown, three picks and a 37.3 passer rating. Come back, DeSean -- your playmaking quarterback needs you to make plays.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 5 | Blair: 6 | Filice: 7 | Parr: 5
2019 stats: 6 games | 65.4 pct | 1,743 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 10 pass TD | 3 INT | 3 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: After a hot start to the season, Brady's cooled off over the past three weeks. But with 10 days to prepare for "Monday Night Football," the 42-year-old could be poised for some prime-time shine, especially when you consider the opponent ... Honestly, you have to feel for Jets fans. These tortured souls came into this season with positive vibrations -- positive vibrations that were immediately dashed when Sam Darnold contracted mononucleosis, a setback so surreal that it could only happen to the Jets. And now, one week after Darnold finally returned to action and guided New York to its first win of 2019 with a spirited upset of the Cowboys, look who's coming to town: chief tormentor Tom Brady. The big, bad GOAT of the AFC East already owns the career records for passing yards against the Bills (8,398) and Dolphins (7,964), per NFL Media Research, and he's 252 yards away from breaking Dan Marino's all-time mark against the Jets (8,651). Any chance he doesn't do that?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 8 | Blair: 7 | Filice: 8 | Parr: 7
2019 stats: 5 games | 61.3 pct | 1,387 pass yds | 8.0 ypa | 9 pass TD | 2 INT | 63 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Filice: On the national football stage that is "Monday Night Football," Stafford came out with guns blazing. Detroit opened up the game with a flea-flicker on the first play from scrimmage, and Stafford delivered a perfect rainbow to Kenny Golladay for a 66-yard gain. Then, on the first play of Detroit's second drive, Stafford uncorked another downfield beaut, this time connecting with Marvin Hall for a 58-yard gain. It's these kinds of throws -- along with a slipping, back-footed laser to a tightly covered Golladay on the sideline -- that leave you in awe of Stafford's rare, rare arm talent.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 7 | Blair: 8 | Filice: 9 | Parr: 8
2019 stats: 6 games | 72.1 pct | 2,011 pass yds | 7.8 ypa | 15 pass TD | 7 INT | 62 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Filice: At 1-5 with a defense that ranks dead last in total points allowed, sacks and third-down D, Atlanta is wasting the NFL's most valuable commodity: a franchise quarterback in his prime. Yeah, Ryan started the season a bit slow with five picks in the first two weeks, but now he leads the NFL in touchdown passes (15) and is on pace for career highs in completion percentage (72.1) and passing yards (5,363). Ryan's fresh off a game where he completed 83.3 percent of his passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns (against zero interceptions) ... only to lose by a point to a rookie quarterback on a rebuilding team. Cold world, Iceman.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 9 | Blair: 9 | Filice: 6 | Parr: 9
2019 stats: 6 games | 65.1 pct | 1,507 pass yds | 7.7 ypa | 11 pass TD | 5 INT | 460 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Look, the Bengals' defense is undoubtedly one of the worst in the game, but kudos to Jackson for dunking on it. He became the first player in NFL history with 150-plus rush yards and 200-plus pass yards in a single regular season game (Colin Kaepernick did it in the 2012 playoffs). There were things to pick at, like an overthrow to Willie Snead in the fourth quarter. And maybe he could have gotten out of bounds a couple seconds earlier at the end of the first half to give Justin Tucker a field goal try. Instead, he hit the sideline when the clock had already reached zero. Even with that, he ruined Bengals coach Zac Taylor's day. "That's the most frustrating thing for a defense," Taylor said after the game. "You have a play covered, and he's an elite athlete. He's one of the rarest I've seen in person. Just one little crease, and he's got 30 yards on you."
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 10 | Blair: 12 | Filice: 11 | Parr: 11
2019 stats: 6 games | 66.8 pct | 1,785 pass yds | 7.5 ypa | 9 pass TD | 6 INT | 24 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Sunday night's game against Pittsburgh was a nightmare pretty much from the start for Rivers. He had overthrows that resulted in a fumble recovery for a Steelers TD in the first quarter and a game-sealing pick in the final minute. His other turnover was an INT off a deflected pass early in the game. Ugly. The Bolts' offensive line was no match for the Pittsburgh pressure, and falling behind 24-0 only exacerbated the problem. He did get going in the fourth quarter to make the game close at the end, but the damage was already too deep. Rivers has now had three excellent games and three duds.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 12 | Blair: 13 | Filice: 10 | Parr: 10
2019 stats: 6 games | 69.7 pct | 1,884 pass yds | 8.9 ypa | 11 pass TD | 6 INT | 133 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: Dak actually had a highly respectable day against the Jets considering he was without three starters ( Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and Randall Cobb) for the entire game and only had Amari Cooper for three snaps. There were some costly drops by his healthy pass catchers on Sunday. At the same time, the glow around first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is quickly diminishing. The Cowboys have gotten away from using the play-action that worked so well early in the season (decreased by 22.2 percent from Weeks 1-3 to Weeks 4-6; largest decrease in that span, per Pro Football Focus). When they have utilized it during their three-game losing streak, it's been shut down for the most part (Prescott has a 54.6 passer rating on play-action passes in Weeks 4-6, lowest in the NFL for QBs who have thrown 20 or more play-action passes). Maybe a date with the maligned Eagles secondary, which was torched by Kirk Cousins on Sunday, will be the perfect remedy.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 11 | Blair: 11 | Filice: 13 | Parr: 13
2019 stats: 5 games | 73.3 pct | 1,117 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 6 pass TD | 3 INT | 27 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Remember all the offseason chatter about the Raiders' potential interest in replacing Carr? I'm sure my wise colleague Adam Rank can recall it. I know it's still somewhat early since the Raiders have played just five games thus far, but Jon Gruden has to be pretty happy with the decision to stick with his guy. Carr leads the league in completion percentage (73.3) -- that's dangerously close to the all-time single-season mark set by Drew Brees last season (74.4). So why isn't Carr higher on this list? Well, he's averaging just 6.9 yards per attempt (tied for 22nd in the league), and no QB in league history has averaged fewer than 7.0 yards per attempt while posting a 70.0-plus completion rate over the course of a season. He's also on pace to throw fewer than 20 TD passes. He hasn't offered a ton of sizzle, but there's a lot to like about the efficiency.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 13 | Blair: 10 | Filice: 16 | Parr: 12
2019 stats: 5 games | 69.9 pct | 1,163 pass yds | 8.0 ypa | 7 pass TD | 5 INT | 10 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: The Niners' 20-7 win over the Rams was the franchise's most significant victory in a long time, and with his defense continuing to dominate the competition, Garoppolo just had to manage the game to get the W. It was hard not to be frustrated with the QB's performance at times, though. He had an ugly INT in the end zone on third-and-goal early in the second quarter, and was nearly picked off again later that same quarter on a throw Rams linebacker Cory Littleton should have intercepted. The Niners' signal-caller also failed to protect the ball on a fumble recovered by the Rams when they were still trying to forge a comeback in the fourth quarter. However, as we mentioned right off the bat ... San Francisco won a huge game against a division rival! Garoppolo is now 13-2 as a starter, giving him the highest win percentage (.867) for a QB in the Super Bowl era (minimum 15 starts). But if this defense stops dominating, I can't help but wonder if Jimmy G is up to the task of putting the team on his back.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 15 | Blair: 14 | Filice: 12 | Parr: 14
2019 stats: 6 games | 64.3 pct | 1,664 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 7 pass TD | 4 INT | 238 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Parr: The progress we've seen from Murray over the past few weeks has been fun to watch. We'll take his last performance with a sizable grain of salt since it came against an imploding Falcons defense, but it was the rookie's best showing yet (27 of 37 for 340 yards and three TDs, no INTs). The top pick of this year's draft has made strides recently by getting the ball out quickly and using his legs to make plays, too (like he did to seal the victory over Atlanta). Murray has attempted a quick pass (less than 2.5 seconds to throw) on 56.7 percent of his throws this season (fourth-highest rate in the NFL). He made history Sunday, becoming the first QB in the Super Bowl era to record 20-plus completions in each of first six career games. His ascent continues.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 16 | Blair: 15 | Filice: 14 | Parr: 16
2019 stats: 6 games | 69.7 pct | 1,374 pass yds | 8.9 ypa | 9 pass TD | 3 INT | 40 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Parr: Go ahead, Kirk. Light the world on fire. The QB who looked doomed to be banished to the coldest corner of Minnesota just a few weeks ago leads the league in completion percentage (78.6), yards per attempt (11.4) and passer rating (142.5) since Week 5. Sure, his explosive Sunday came against a decaying Eagles secondary, but this is still a moment to be celebrated considering just how bad things were for an apologizing Cousins prior to this string of scintillating showings. The only blemish on his stat line against Philly -- an interception -- came on a decent pass that bounced off Stefon Diggs' helmet, a mishap that can't be blamed on the passer. The lasting memories from the outing will be Cousins firing magnificent moonshots to Diggs and this beautiful strike for the QB's fourth TD of the game.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 14 | Blair: 16 | Filice: 18 | Parr: 18
2019 stats: 5 games | 64.7 pct | 1,062 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 10 pass TD | 3 INT | 66 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Parr: Last we saw Brissett, he was taking a knee on the Arrowhead Stadium turf to turn the lights out on the Chiefs. It was the most recent example of his ability to be an effective game manager for a team that's well aware he's best utilized in that role. Yes, his numbers are not going to make anyone's heart flutter. That's OK. As long as he continues to limit the negative plays, he should have a home around the middle of the pack in the QB Index. And that's not a bad place to be.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 17 | Blair: 18 | Filice: 17 | Parr: 17
2019 stats: 6 games | 63.9 pct | 1,442 pass yds | 7.4 ypa | 9 pass TD | 2 INT | 125 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: The Saints' sticky coverage has befuddled several QBs this season, but none more so than the Jags rookie. Minshew went 0 for 7 on tight window throws, per Next Gen Stats, and looked completely helpless when Marshon Lattimore and Co. played man (3 of 13 for 38 yards and an INT). So much of the sixth-rounder's success has come when he's been able to escape the pocket and throw on the run (seventh-most passing yards on the move from Weeks 1 through 5, per PFF), but New Orleans' defense forced him to operate between the tackles and limited him to just one scramble on the day (had been averaging three per game). And so for the first time in his impressive six-game relief stint, the 23-year-old looked like a rookie. He's been so productive to start his career that he's earned a brief reprieve after such an unsavory showing. Nothing like a matchup against the 0-6 Bengals to cleanse the palate.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 21 | Blair: 22 | Filice: 15 | Parr: 15
2019 stats: 2 games | 69.9 pct | 513 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 3 pass TD | 1 INT | 1 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: The Jets have their QB1 back, and boy does it feel good. After missing the past three games due to mono, Darnold single-handedly revived a moribund franchise on Sunday. His 326 passing yards against the Cowboys was almost 200(!) yards more than Luke Falk's combined total over the previous two games, while Darnold's two passing touchdowns were exactly two more than the Jets mustered during his three-game absence. The former No. 3 overall pick looked unfazed navigating the pocket, repeatedly side-stepping pressure while keeping his eyes downfield. He showed both tremendous arm strength and a delicate touch on his downfield throws, finishing the week with the most yards (239) on balls that traveled 10-plus air yards. His red-zone interception was by far his worst decision and throw of the day, but he rallied back from that mental mistake by leading a seven-play, 57-yard field-goal drive with under six minutes remaining that ended up being the deciding score. Everything about this team feels different after Darnold's stellar Sunday. Another one like it should rocket the QB up these rankings.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 18 | Blair: 17 | Filice: 20 | Parr: 19
2019 stats: 6 games | 56.6 pct | 1,496 pass yds | 7.6 ypa | 5 pass TD | 11 INT | 35 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Bhanpuri: I know this may sound strange, but Mayfield actually played better than his 54.9 passer rating would suggest. At least for stretches. Take the first 15:06, for example, when Mayfield went 8-of-10 passing for 102 yards with both a passing and a rushing score. It was about damn time the Browns' QB1 -- who had zero rushing yards through Week 5 -- used his legs to produce some offense. But after hitting paydirt on their first three possessions, well, inaccurate passes, penalties, drops and bad habits resurfaced -- as they have all year -- to doom Cleveland. "Not that bad" is NOT what Browns fans were expecting from Baker and the Boys this season. The bye couldn't have come at a better time for this group, who will face the NFL's stingiest defense after the break.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 19 | Blair: 19 | Filice: 21 | Parr: 21
2019 stats: 6 games | 62.2 pct | 1,727 pass yds | 7.0 ypa | 7 pass TD | 7 INT | 13 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: How in the world does Goff throw the ball 24 times and muster just 78 yards ... at home ... in a huge division game ... with Sean McVay calling the plays? L.A.'s offense was dreadful on Sunday (the O-line especially), with four of its 11 possessions ending with negative net yards gained. Last week, I wrote that the 2018 MVP candidate had just about used up all the goodwill he'd generated over the previous two seasons, before putting solid play on tape in Seattle. Well, consider it finally depleted. If the QB isn't able to turn things around stat, he could easily slip even further in these rankings (and out of the playoff hunt entirely). The one (and only) bright note from Sunday: For at least one week, Goff no longer owns the most turnovers since the start of last season (thanks to another former No. 1 overall pick ranked just above him).
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 22 | Blair: 21 | Filice: 19 | Parr: 20
2019 stats: 5 games | 69.4 pct | 1,089 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 7 pass TD | 2 INT | 32 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Many of the bad tendencies (hesitation in the pocket, missed throws) Bridgewater had seemingly worked through against the Bucs reared their ugly heads during Sunday's slogfest. That said, Bridgewater had two game-changing drives this past weekend that kept him undefeated as the Saints' starter. The first, on which he completed 6 of 7 passes for 62 yards, led to the Saints' only touchdown of the game -- a meticulously placed ball up and away that only the 6-foot-5 Jared Cook could reach -- while the second drained the final 6:09 off the clock to ice the game. Bridgewater relied so heavily on his playmakers to do the hard work -- which isn't a bad strategy when you have Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas -- but I'd like to see him take more chances on chunk plays going forward, like he did against Tampa Bay. His league-leading short of sticks percentage (69.7%, per PFF) worries me, and feels like something that could eventually catch up with the sixth-year passer.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 20 | Blair: 23 | Filice: 23 | Parr: 23
2019 stats: 4 games | 65.6 pct | 901 pass yds | 7.4 ypa | 7 pass TD | 0 INT | 6 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Christian McCaffrey posted his lowest yards per touch mark of his career (2.1) and the Panthers still scored 37 points. How? Because Kyle Allen balled out (... and the Panthers forced seven turnovers -- but, ya know, narratives!). Unlike his previous three starts, Allen couldn't lean on No. 22 to churn out yards at an MVP level, so he proceeded to throw darts all over Tottenham Hotspur field. He routinely put the ball on his receivers' hands or fit it between the numbers on their chests, particularly when facing the blitz (9 of 14 for 121 yards and a TD, per Pro Football Focus). Arguably his worst throw of the day, a 13-yard back-shoulder pass to Curtis Samuel that didn't even make it to his front shoulder, still resulted in a touchdown. But it's Allen's ability to throw downfield successfully that truly stands out during his four-game winning streak. Consider this comparison with Cam Newton on passes of 10-plus air yards since Week 13 of last year:
Newton: 30 of 68 for 548 yards, 0 TDs, 6 INT, 8.1 ypa and 35.7 rating
Allen: 32 of 57 for 646 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT, 3 drops, 11.3 ypa and 131.2 rating
Can you really hand the keys back to Newton (and his surgically repaired shoulder) if Allen's continuing to perform at this level?
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 23 | Blair: 20 | Filice: 24 | Parr: 24
2019 stats: 5 games | 62.6 pct | 1,122 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 5 pass TD | 7 INT | 158 rush yds | 3 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: It'll be interesting to see which Allen takes the field coming off the Bills' bye -- the undisciplined, ultra aggressive gunslinger who threw three picks in a heartbreaking loss to New England in Week 4 OR the highly efficient, judicious game manager that helped Buffalo win at Tennessee the following Sunday. Ideally, the second-year signal-caller is able to weave his jaw-dropping wow plays with more refined decision-making, giving Buffalo's offense some juice (even if it's a bit less) without costing the team games. The schedule sets up favorably for the former first-rounder to finally find more consistency, with four defenses ranked 20th or worse (Miami twice, Philly and Washington) on tap over the next five weeks.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 24 | Blair: 24 | Filice: 22 | Parr: 22
2019 stats: 6 games | 66.3 pct | 1,435 pass yds | 7.3 ypa | 6 pass TD | 5 INT | 11 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: What a forgettable performance by Flacco on Sunday. Of his 30 dropbacks, I can think of just two worth highlighting (more than I can say for his opponent, Marcus Mariota): a perfect 41-yard sideline volley to Courtland Sutton -- which has become a routine happening on Sundays this season -- and a fluky interception on a ball that hit tight end Noah Fant on his nameplate, before careening off his back and into the hands of Titans safety Kevin Byard. Sprinkle in six three-and-outs and a bevy of short completions, and you're all caught up on Flacco's Week 6 film. Just saved you 37 minutes and change on NFL Game Pass. You're welcome.
POST-TNF UPDATE: Flacco's lackluster play in the loss to the Chiefs drew a stream of never-ending ire from broadcaster Troy Aikman, and while his night -- 213 yards on 21 of 34 passing -- wasn't actually his worst of the season from a statistical perspective (he's logged three games previously of 213 yards or less), an inability to convert on third down (1 of 13) made the Broncos' offense essentially a non-entity.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 26 | Blair: 26 | Filice: 25 | Parr: 25
2019 stats: 5 games | 60.7 pct | 921 pass yds | 6.6 ypa | 5 pass TD | 6 INT | 86 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Blair: Docking a rookie quarterback for being obliterated by Bill Belichick in Foxborough is like docking a mosquito for getting smashed by the windshield of a semi. To Jones' credit, he kept going out there and throwing aggressively, no matter how bumpy things got in last Thursday's loss. Two plays after his second pick of the night, he connected with Golden Tate on a 64-yard score to cut New England's lead to 14-7. He also hustled after Pats linebacker Kyle Van Noy on a fumble return, trying to prevent a defensive touchdown with a tackle at the goal line. Jones failed to stop Van Noy, but he tried! That's a fitting description of his entire evening. He finished with three interceptions and the worst passer rating (35.2) of his young career -- but he was also working without tight end Evan Engram, receiver Sterling Shepard, running back Wayne Gallman and, of course, running back Saquon Barkley. For now, trying and failing vs. the Pats is enough.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 25 | Blair: 25 | Filice: 26 | Parr: 27
2019 stats: 6 games | 60.0 pct | 1,771 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 12 pass TD | 10 INT | 38 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 1 fumble lost
Blair: Winston's first attempt in London was an off-target throw between two defenders to Mike Evans that was easily picked by James Bradberry. From there, it was off to the races -- but in a bad way, like Winston was running blindfolded and backwards through a vat of pie filling on an episode of Double Dare. Winston's next 25 dropbacks produced six sacks, two of which included fumbles (one lost), two interceptions and five incompletions. Each of Winston's five total picks looked ugly, whether he was floating a pass over the head of his intended receiver after getting hit as he threw, zipping the ball directly at Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, or trying to force a throw into double coverage. His day ended as it began: on an interception to Bradberry, this time in the end zone with 21 seconds left. Unlike fellow 2015 draftee Marcus Mariota, to whom it is tempting to cosmically link him, Winston has shined at certain points this season, and his immediate job security is not in question. But Winston's long-term future looks as dicey as it ever has.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 27 | Blair: 30 | Filice: 27 | Parr: 26
2019 stats: 6 games | 61.7 pct | 1,647 pass yds | 6.8 ypa | 7 pass TD | 5 INT | 18 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 3 fumbles lost
Blair: By the time Dalton completed his first pass in Sunday's loss to the Ravens, he was working on his third offensive drive of the game -- and Baltimore was already up, 17-7. The Bengals got into Ravens territory for the first time all day on that drive, but the possession ended when Dalton, under pressure, seemed to rush a throw to Alex Erickson that bounced to the turf at the receiver's feet around the 10-yard line on third-and-12. It's fair to talk about the suboptimal supporting cast around Dalton, but we also shouldn't overlook an ugly pick on a pass that Josh Bynes -- who tipped the ball in the air before it landed in Marlon Humphrey's hands -- seemed to see coming, or a ball that was thrown so high over Auden Tate's head on first-and-goal with less than 2 minutes left that Tate didn't even bother jumping for it. The bottom line for Cincinnati: When the only non-special teams touchdown comes via Dalton's legs, something is going sour.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 28 | Blair: 29 | Filice: 28 | Parr: 28
2019 stats: 4 games | 65.1 pct | 588 pass yds | 5.5 ypa | 3 pass TD | 2 INT | 21 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Trubisky is on track to return from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London, relieving backup Chase Daniel, who made one start. In general, it's better when the pedigreed young quarterback to whom your team's future is ostensibly staked is on the field, but a side-by-side comparison of the two quarterbacks' numbers this season would understandably give Bears fans pause: Per Next Gen Stats, Daniel has a better passer rating than Trubisky in tight-window throws (81.0 to 29.8), throws outside the numbers (104.9 to 76.2) and deep attempts (118.8 to 61.1). Still, Trubisky is young and, theoretically, possesses untapped potential, and the Bears' season hinges at least partially on Trubisky's ability to provide more for their offense than a career backup who has never started more than two games in a season.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 29 | Blair: 27 | Filice: 29 | Parr: 29
2019 stats: 2 games | 81.3 pct | 144 pass yds | 9.0 ypa | 0 pass TD | 1 INT | 4 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Is Tannehill the Ghost of Football Future for recently deposed Titans starter Marcus Mariota? Before Mariota was benched in Sunday's loss to Denver, he completed precisely one pass that went for 10-plus yards. Tannehill completed six, including a 25-yard strike to tight end Anthony Firkser in Tennessee's final push to put some points on the board. Of course, Tannehill was also sacked four times and ended his afternoon with a pick on the goal line. We'll see if he's able to turn around a Titans offense that ranks 27th overall, 29th in passing and 29th on third down. In the meantime, the eighth overall pick from the 2012 NFL Draft, eventually drummed out of Miami after failing to make good on several chances to prove himself, takes over for the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, ticketed for backup duty after failing to make good on several chances to prove himself.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 30 | Blair: 28 | Filice: 30 | Parr: 30
2019 stats: 4 games | 67.0 pct | 646 pass yds | 6.9 ypa | 7 pass TD | 2 INT | 19 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: Heading into their Week 7 bye, it has emerged that Mason Rudolph, who left the Week 5 loss to Baltimore with a concussion, is on track to play in Week 8, meaning Devlin Hodges' brief time in the sun is likely over. In Sunday's win over the Chargers, Hodges showed he can keep himself from becoming a true liability, as long as the ground game and defense are rolling. Hodges also provided no reason to think he could be the main driving force behind the Steelers' offense or even necessarily complete a forward pass much beyond 5 yards at the NFL level. Rudolph has had his ups and downs, but he still carries a 102.5 passer rating and 7:2 TD-to-INT ratio through four games as Ben Roethlisberger's fill-in.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 31 | Blair: 31 | Filice: 31 | Parr: 31
2019 stats: 5 games | 65.6 pct | 1,136 pass yds | 7.1 ypa | 9 pass TD | 4 INT | 12 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Blair: In the win over Miami, for the first time this season, Washington broke triple digits in rushing and passing yards in the same game. On the Redskins' two touchdown drives of the day, Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson contributed 82 yards on the ground to Keenum's 65 in the air, with 58 of those passing yards coming on a pair of pretty scoring connections with Terry McLaurin (25 yards in the second quarter, 33 in the third). This also marked the first time all year that the team ran more times (33) than it passed (25). Things will get bumpier as better opponents crop back up on the schedule in this lost season -- like, say, immediately, with the Niners, Vikings and Bills on tap over the next three weeks -- but Keenum remains a competent veteran capable of moving the ball from Point A to Point B.
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 32 | Blair: 32 | Filice: 32 | Parr: 32
2019 stats: 4 games | 55.7 pct | 435 pass yds | 6.2 ypa | 2 pass TD | 4 INT | 19 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Blair: As fun as it is, the term FitzMagic should really have been retired by now -- but, much like the quarterback who inspired it, it remains improbably relevant in 2019. The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick will get the start this week against Buffalo, which might seem like bad news for Josh Rosen, especially coming so soon after Dolphins coach Brian Flores seemed to settle on Rosen as the starter for the rest of the season. But based on what Washington's 20th-ranked pass defense did to Rosen in Week 6 (he recorded five sacks and two regrettable picks), running the second-year pro out there against the Bills' third-ranked pass defense would end poorly for everyone but, well, the Bills. At least Fitzpatrick can play with the freedom and capability of a veteran who has been around the block several dozen times, including a stint as the one-time potential future franchise quarterback in Western New York.
The Air Index delivered by FedEx ranks NFL quarterback performances all season long. What's the possibility Tom Brady falls out of the top 10 next week?
