It seems the AFC East might be the place to be for dominant quarterback performances.
One week after watching Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins hang 70 points on the Broncos, Miami was on the receiving end of a beatdown. The Bills scored 48 in a resounding win, with Josh Allen having the best performance of the week, if not the season.
On the flip side, it was an ugly weekend for Desmond Ridder and the Falcons, while Justin Fields had one incredible half for the Bears before Chicago fell apart.
Let’s look at our NFL quarterback rankings headed into Week 5.
32. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 29)
31. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (32)
30. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (N/A)
29. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (31)
28. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (23)
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Pickett has struggled in the first four games of the season, and it’s not only because of coordinator Matt Canada’s conservative scheme. The second-year quarterback ranks outside the top 20 in both passing yardage (803) and yards per attempt (6.3), and his completion percentage (60.6) is a woeful 29th.
If Pittsburgh is going to make a push for the postseason or even the AFC North, it starts with Pickett making more plays. It’s not enough to find receiver George Pickens on a few shots and then dink the ball down the field all night long. The Steelers need him to be aggressive in seams and intermediate routes, something that has been largely absent from the offense.
Pickett has only started 16 games in his career, but having 11 touchdown passes against 13 interceptions isn’t a great precursor of things to come.
27. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (30)
26. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (22)
25. Josh Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals (25)
24. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (N/A)
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Richardson is a case study in not always buying into the box score. Against the Rams, Richardson was 11-of-25 for 200 yards and two touchdowns, while running for another 56 yards and a score.
Yet the tape shows a player who was consistently extending plays and making throws downfield to help Indianapolis rally from a 23–0 deficit before losing in overtime. On Sunday, he hit on seven passes of at least 10 air yards, including a touchdown.
It’s clear Richardson is raw. He’s only completing 56.9% of his attempts and is still getting comfortable with coach Shane Steichen’s scheme. However, Richardson is also succeeding without a top-tier weapon. Once the Colts get him some more help (plus the return of running back Jonathan Taylor), Richardson could really take off.
23. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders (21)
22. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (24)
21. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (18)
20. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (N/A)
19. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (20)
18. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (16)
17. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19)
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It’s time to give Mayfield credit. The Buccaneers are 3–1 and leading the NFC South despite prognostications that saw Tampa Bay finishing fourth in a poor division.
Mayfield hasn’t been prolific, but he’s avoiding the turnovers that plagued his career in recent seasons. Over the two years before arriving in Tampa, Mayfield threw 21 interceptions across 26 games. This year, he’s limited the mistakes to two picks with seven touchdown tosses.
The Buccaneers don’t need Mayfield to be great. They need him to avoid game-changing errors and convert on key third downs. So far, Tampa Bay ranks fifth on third down at 47.4%.
16. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (15)
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (13)
14. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (17)
13. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (6)
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It’s time to sit Burrow. The Bengals’ superstar is normally atop the leaderboards, helping Cincinnati toward an AFC North crown. Instead, he’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in football, and the Bengals are a dismal 1–3.
Currently, Burrow is 26th in passing yardage (728), 34th in yards per attempt (4.8), 32nd in completion percentage (57.6%) and 29th in QBR (33.7). It’s not just bad—it’s horrific.
The Bengals play the Cardinals and Seahawks over the next two weeks before a bye, which is followed by dates with the 49ers and Bills. While coach Zac Taylor is already committed to playing Burrow this weekend, it appears to be a mistake.
12. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (14)
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Purdy doesn’t get credit because he’s on the most talented team in football, but it might be time to consider him part of the engine and not just a passenger.
Against the Cardinals, Purdy was 20-of-21 for 283 yards and a touchdown. On the year, Purdy has thrown for 1,019 yards, more than Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Trevor Lawrence. Purdy is also averaging a robust 9.1 yards per attempt, ranking only behind Tagovailoa.
It’s easy to overlook Purdy from a physical standpoint. His arm is average, he doesn’t have much mobility and he stands at 6'1" and 220 pounds. But the 2022 seventh-round pick has done nothing but play well and win, now at a career 12–0 in the regular season.
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (12)
10. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (11)
9. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (10)
8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (9)
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (5)
6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (8)
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Jackson is doing his part and then some for the 3–1 Ravens. While his numbers aren’t staggering (794 passing yards and four touchdowns), he’s almost single-handedly carrying coordinator Todd Monken’s new offense, one that is also without running back J.K. Dobbins, receivers Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr., and at times left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum.
Against the Browns, Jackson accounted for all four of Baltimore’s touchdowns, nabbing two on the ground and a pair through the air. Once the Ravens finally get healthier, look for Jackson’s numbers to skyrocket with more of a downfield passing attack.
After signing a $260 million deal this offseason, the pressure was on Jackson to stay on the field and deliver. He’s fulfilled expectations so far.
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (7)
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (4)
3. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (3)
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (2)
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In Week 1, Allen played perhaps the worst game of any elite quarterback this season, turning the ball over four times in a loss to the Jets. On Sunday, he authored the best.
Allen was sublime in a 48–20 rout of the Dolphins, going 21-of-25 and throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns. On an afternoon where Buffalo couldn’t afford a turnover against Miami’s high-octane offense, Allen never flirted with disaster, insteading rifling one throw after the next to downfield targets.
In the victory, Allen was 7-of-9 on throws of at least 10 air yards, including all four of his aforementioned touchdown passes. That’s MVP stuff.
