Updated QB Power Rankings After NFL Week 4

After a slow start to the season, many quarterbacks finally found their rhythm in Week 4 of the NFL season. For example, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had more touchdowns in his Week 4 matchup (4) than he did in the previous three weeks combined (3).

Unfortunately, where there is good play there is also poor play. Quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez and Matt Cassel continue to struggle and have us wondering how much longer they'll be holding on to their starting jobs.

With so many good and bad performances this week, there was plenty of movement up and down these rankings. Let's take a look at the updated quarterback rankings after NFL Week 4.

Please note that you can see Week 3's rankings here.

32. Mark Sanchez, New Yor Jets

Last Week Ranking: 25

Week 4 Statistics: 13-of-29, 103 yards, one interception, one fumble lost

I've been waiting to put Mark Sanchez on the bottom of this list for a few weeks, and I believe that his third-straight game of completing less than 50 percent of his passes is enough evidence he's the worst starter in the NFL.

While Sanchez did have a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers this week, this type of performance is still unacceptable from a player entering his fourth season as a starter. Another performance like this next week and Sanchez could be done for good in New York.

31. Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns

Last Week Ranking: 30

Week 4 Statistics: 25-of-52, 320 yards, one interception

While Brandon Weeden hasn't been the polished 28-year-old rookie that the Cleveland Browns had hoped for, he at least hasn't been the worst quarterback in the league.

In fact, Weeden had the Browns playing extremely competitive football against the Baltimore Ravens. The bad news for Cleveland is that we haven't seen a great deal of improvement from Weeden from game to game.

That'll need to change if the Browns want to feel comfortable with Weeden as their future quarterback.

30. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars

Last Week Ranking: 32

Week 4 Statistics: 23-of-34, 186 yards, one touchdown, one interception

After coming in as the worst quarterback last week, Blaine Gabbert played well enough to move up a few spots this week.

Despite not having a very strong performance on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Gabbert still did some impressive things in the Jacksonville Jaguars loss. The most impressive part of his game was the fact that he completed 67.6 percent of passes while being under constant pressure.

If Gabbert can continue to remain somewhat calm under pressure, he should be able to progress this season.

29. Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs

Last Week Ranking: 29

Week 4 Statistics: 24-of-42, 251 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions

Until Matt Cassel can cut down on his turnovers, he's going to continue to be ranked as one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. He's thrown seven interceptions and lost three fumbles this year, putting him on pace for 40 turnovers.

While he likely won't hit that number, it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility with the way that Cassel has been playing this year. If he can't turn this season around, there is simply no way Cassel will be leading the Kansas City Chiefs offense next season.

28. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Last Week Ranking: 27

Week 4 Statistics: 17-of-25, 160 yards, three interceptions

Had Russell Wilson won against the St. Louis Rams, he would have likely remained at his spot in these rankings.

However, Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks were unable to come away with a victory, and Wilson's three interceptions were a big reason why. Some of those interceptions are forgivable since he is a rookie, but he still needs to make better decisions on a consistent basis.

Seattle has a chance to do some special things this year, but it will take much better play from Wilson for it to do that.

27. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

Last Week Ranking: 31

Week 4 Statistics: 26-of-41, 431 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, one fumble lost

Is anyone doubting the Miami Dolphins' selection of Ryan Tannehill in the 2012 draft after his latest performance?

Not only did Tannehill nearly lead his team to a victory against the heavily favored Arizona Cardinals, but he played extremely well while doing so. Had his receivers not dropped so many passes, he would have had even more passing yards.

The Dolphins have to be thrilled with the play of Tannehill through four games, and he's likely to continue to move up these rankings.

26. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans

Last Week Ranking: 22

Week 4 Statistics: 0-of-2, 0 yards

The only reason that Jake Locker moves down these rankings is because he was injured early in the first quarter.

This is Locker's second injury this season, which has to make the Tennessee Titans worry.

25. Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders

Last Week Ranking: 24

Week 4 Statistics: 19-of-34, 202 yards

After looking like his young self against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, Carson Palmer struggled mightily this week against the Denver Broncos.

He was unable to successfully move his offense down the field as the Oakland Raiders finished the game with only six points. Its going to be a long season in Oakland if Palmer continues to put up lame-duck performances like he did in Week 4.

24. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last Week Ranking: 26

Week 4 Statistics: 24-of-39, 299 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Despite becoming victim to the growing legend of Robert Griffin III, Josh Freeman had a solid game this week.

The best news from this game is the fact that Freeman and his new weapon Vincent Jackson are growing in their chemistry together. With a legitimate No. 1 receiver, Freeman has the potential to be one of the better quarterbacks in the league.

He's definitely looking more like his 2010 self than his 2011 self this year, which is great news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

23. Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals

Last Week Ranking: 28

Week 4 Statistics: 29-of-48, 324 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions

Kevin Kolb makes a big leap up these rankings after a great second-half performance in Week 4, leading his team to a come-from-behind victory.

With each week that passes, Kolb looks more like the answer for the Arizona Cardinals at the quarterback position. He'll certainly remain the starter as long as the Cardinals keep winning.

22. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Last Week Ranking: 20

Week 4 Statistics: N/A (The Indianapolis Colts had a bye week in Week 4)

Andrew Luck was off this week, but moved down the rankings due to a few quarterbacks behind him having quality performances in Week 4.

A strong performance this week against the Green Bay Packers will likely move Luck back up the rankings.

21. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Last Week Ranking: 18

Week 4 Statistics: 22-of-39, 350 yards, four touchdowns, four interceptions

Had the Buffalo Bills-New England Patriots game only lasted one half on Sunday, Ryan Fitzpatrick would have moved way up this list. Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick was forced to play a full 60 minutes on Sunday and really struggled in the second half.

He was greatly overmatched as the Patriots went on a 35-point run; Fitzpatrick completely crumbled under the pressure.

Buffalo is an interesting team in terms of potential, but it'll only reach that potential if Fitzpatrick begins to play better.

20. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

Last Week Ranking: 21

Week 4 Statistics: 16-of-30, 221 yards, one interception

It wasn't the best of performances from Sam Bradford on Sunday, but he did just enough to come away with a win against the Seattle Seahawks.

The St. Louis Rams have to be thrilled with the way that Bradford has been playing this year. He bounced back in a major way from a disappointing sophomore season and continues to look like a franchise quarterback for the Rams.

19. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Last Week Ranking: 23

Week 4 Statistics: 19-of-30, 241 yards, one touchdown, 49 rushing yards

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles came away with a huge win Sunday night against the New York Giants. While Vick's statistics weren't overly impressive, he did a great job of doing what the Eagles needed him to do to come away with a victory.

The most impressive part of Vick's game was the fact that he didn't record a turnover against an aggressive defense. As long as Vick can continue to play solid football and keep his turnovers down, the Eagles have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

18. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Last Week Ranking: 19

Week 4 Statistics: 16-of-26, 111 yards

Don't look at Christian Ponder's modest statistics in Week 4 and wonder why he moved up a spot in these rankings. 

Not only did Ponder keep the Minnesota Vikings atop the NFC North, but he did it against a very good team in the Detroit Lions. Sure, he didn't score any touchdowns or lead any touchdown drives, but he also didn't do anything to lose the game for the Vikings.

Ponder has been one of the better surprises this year and appears to have the Vikings in a position to be dangerous.

17. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Last Week Ranking: 12

Week 4 Statistics: 30-of-51, 319 yards, one rushing touchdown

I'm not exactly sure what is keeping Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions from being a dynamic offense this year, but there is certainly something up.

Sure, he has 1,182 yards on the season, but he's only thrown three touchdowns compared to four interceptions. He's also having a difficult time finding his top target Calvin Johnson, which is not a good sign.

There is no doubt that Stafford is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, but he has definitely had his struggles to start the 2012 season.

16. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Last Week Ranking: 9

Week 4 Statistics: 31-of-43, 307 yards, one touchdown, five interceptions

Tony Romo's Monday night game started well enough, but got ugly real quick. He had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and once those happened, Romo was officially done for the rest of the night.

This is the version of Romo that the Dallas Cowboys hate to see, and he was so bad that he took the longest plunge of any quarterback in the rankings. I ultimately believe that he'll climb back up these rankings, but he certainly can't have another five-interception game anytime soon.

15. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Last Week Ranking: 16

Week 4 Statistics: 15-of-24, 215 yards, two touchdowns, 86 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

This week's performance from Cam Newton was as gutsy as any other performance from a quarterback this week.

Yes, the Carolina Panthers lost, but Newton did everything in his power to get his team a victory on the road against one of the best teams in the NFL. Had Newton not fumbled late in the fourth quarter, he likely would have made an even bigger leap up these rankings. 

Few quarterbacks have gotten as much criticism as Newton has this year, and this game showed that he is more than capable of handling that criticism.

14. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

Last Week Ranking: 17

Week 4 Statistics: 18-of-24, 275 yards, two touchdowns, one fumble lost

So, this is what Jay Cutler is capable of when he actually has time to throw the football.

While the Dallas Cowboys were able to get some pressure on Cutler, they only sacked him twice on the night. Cutler had plenty of time to get the ball downfield and find receivers with ease.

He finally got Brandon Marshall back into the offense, finding his top receiver seven times for 138 yards and a touchdown. If Cutler can continue to get time in the pocket and pick apart defenses, the Chicago Bears will be competitive in every game they play.

13. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

Last Week Ranking: 11

Week 4 Statistics: 12-of-21, 143 yards

When your team wins 34-0 thanks to a stifling defense, your quarterback doesn't need to do much. However, for Alex Smith to remain as one of the better quarterbacks in the league, he can't have a performance like this again.

He completed less than 60 percent of his attempts and had a pedestrian amount of passing yards. Games like this are why Smith earned the label as simply just a game manager.

The 49ers may not need more from Smith to win games this year, but if he wants to remain in the top half of the quarterback rankings, he'll need to play better.

12. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Last Week Ranking: 15

Week 4 Statistics: 28-of-46, 356 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one rushing touchdown

After starting the season much lower in these rankings, Joe Flacco has strung together a few impressive performances in back-to-back weeks.

He now has over 1,200 passing yards and seven touchdowns on the season to go along with a solid 95.8 passer rating. He's added a whole new dimension to the Baltimore Ravens offense and has made them one of the more dangerous units in the league.

The Ravens look like one of the premier teams in the league, and the improved play of Flacco is a big reason why.

11. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Last Week Ranking: 14

Week 4 Statistics: 20-of-31, 244 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown

Andy Dalton continues to play at an extremely high level to start his second season in the NFL. He's thrown eight touchdown passes to only four interceptions and has a 103 passer rating on the season.

While his relationship with A.J. Green continues to grow, Dalton is also doing a great job of making the rest of his receiving corps look good. Both Andrew Hawkins and Armon Binns have had a great start to the season, and that is thanks to the play of Dalton.

The Cincinnati Bengals are becoming one of the better teams in the league just as Dalton is becoming one of the better quarterbacks in the league.

10. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins

Last Week Ranking: 13

Week 4 Statistics: 26-of-35, 323 yards, 43 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

The only word to describe the way that Robert Griffin III is playing right now is incredible. 

Not only has Griffin been the best offensive rookie in the NFL so far this season, but he continues to make his mark as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Watching him play these first four weeks has been an absolute joy.

If Griffin can continue to keep this impressive pace up it won't be long before he will have to be considered a top-five quarterback in the league.

9. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Last Week Ranking: 8

Week 4 Statistics: 18-of-23, 209 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

It was another efficient performance from Philip Rivers on Sunday as the San Diego Chargers destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs.

He didn't need to do too much to beat the Chiefs, as the Chargers were really carried by the play the backfield trio of Ryan Mathews, Jackie Battle and Ronnie Brown. However, if San Diego really wants to make a splash this year, it'll need to be on the arm of Rivers.

He's definitely got the talent to lead this team to a Super Bowl, he just needs to figure out how to play to his potential on a consistent basis. The good news for San Diego is that he's done that through the first four games of the season.

8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Week Ranking: 7

Week 4 Statistics: N/A (The Pittsburgh Steelers had a bye week in Week 4)

The continued impressive play of Matt Schaub bumped Ben Roethlisberger down this week during his bye week.

It'll be hard for him to make a move back up these rankings, but an impressive performance in Week 5 could certainly do it.

7. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Last Week Ranking: 10

Week 4 Statistics: 20-of-28, 202 yards, two touchdowns

Even though Matt Schaub never looks spectacular on the football field, there are few quarterbacks as consistently superb as Schaub is.

Each week, he comes out and plays the exact type of football that the Houston Texans need to win football games. And win they've done this year, as Schaub is currently leading the best team in football.

It's hard to imagine the Texans getting beat this year with the way they are playing, and this is especially true if Schaub continues to play at such a high level.

6. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Last Week Ranking: 5

Week 4 Statistics: 35-of-54, 446 yards, three touchdowns

Let me start by saying that Drew Brees played incredibly well on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. However, it is hard to justify keeping a quarterback in the top five when his team is 0-4 on the season.

Very little of the New Orleans Saints' woes fall on the shoulders of Brees, but he still deserves to fall a little in these rankings for being without a win on the season. I feel confident that Brees will fight his way back up the rankings, but until he starts winning games, he'll continue to slide.

5. Eli Manning, New York Giants

Last Week Ranking: 4

Week 4 Statistics: 24-of-42, 309 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Eli Manning finally falls behind his big brother in the quarterback rankings. This wasn't so much due to a poor performance from Eli, but rather a spectacular performance from Peyton Manning.

It was a difficult loss for Eli to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, especially since he drove his team into position to ultimately win that game. However, he could have done more earlier in the game to ensure his team was never in that position.

Eli will continue to be considered a top-five quarterback in the NFL until he strings together some pretty horrid games. Since that isn't likely to happen anytime soon, get used to seeing him considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

4. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

Last Week Ranking: 6

Week 4 Statistics: 30-of-38, 338 yards, three touchdowns

This was the exact type of performance that the Denver Broncos were hoping they'd get from Peyton Manning when they signed him in the offseason. 

He had no difficulties finding open receivers and moving the ball down the field against the Oakland Raiders. He finished the game with a passer rating of 130 and easily had the best game of his short career in Denver.

If Manning can continue to play like he did in Week 4, the Broncos will be a tough team to beat come playoff time.

3. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Last Week Ranking: 2

Week 4 Statistics: 22-of-36, 340 yards, three touchdowns, one rushing touchdown

I understand that Tom Brady had a spectacular performance on Sunday, but the players ahead of him in the rankings had better and more clutch performances.

He went on a complete rampage in the second half against the Buffalo Bills, as he put up 35 straight points to officially put the game out of reach. There was little difficulty in finding open man after open man, and he did a great job of spreading the ball around.

It is going to be hard for another quarterback to surpass Brady as one the three best in the league, especially if he continues to put up statistics like he did on Sunday.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Last Week Ranking: 1

Week 4 Statistics: 31-of-41, 319 yards, four touchdowns, one interception

I'll admit that it was hard to drop Aaron Rodgers from the top spot, especially after the game he had against the New Orleans Saints.

This was easily the best game that Rodgers has had this season, and it reminded us of why Rodgers was considered the top player in the league at the start of the season. He was methodical in tearing apart the Saints' defense and led what turned out to be the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

The Green Bay Packers hadn't looked good on offense up until this game, but if Rodgers starts to play like this on a consistent basis, they'll be awfully difficult to beat as the season progresses.

1. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Last Week Ranking: 3

Week 4 Statistics: 25-of-40, 369 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

How could I not move Matt Ryan to the top spot in these rankings after his performance on Sunday?

Not only did he beat the Carolina Panthers, but he did it in epic fashion. With time running out and the Atlanta Falcons backed up to their own 1-yard line, Ryan moved his team down the field and into field-goal position.

It was the perfect example of why few quarterbacks are as clutch as Ryan and why he absolutely deserves to be considered the best quarterback in the league right now.