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Updated QB Power Rankings After NFL Week 10
November 12, 2013Updated QB Power Rankings After NFL Week 10
Week 10 of the NFL created some major shakeups in the top half of QB power ranking.
Replacement starters like Nick Foles, Jason Campbell and Case Keenum have shockingly combined for 28 touchdowns without a single interception thus far.
For these rankings, every current starting quarterback in the NFL will be considered and valued through numerous categories, each weighted differently as the season progresses.
Each week, I factor in several key attributes for the quarterback position, such as intelligence, arm strength, accuracy, athleticism and leadership.
Wins will also give quarterbacks a slight boost in addition to their individual performances. The statistics used come exclusively from ESPN.com, NFL.com and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) unless stated otherwise. Personal observation and opinion will play a key role as well.
Note: Total QBR is a scoring system that assesses everything a quarterback does on the field. It can be explained further via ESPN by clicking the link above.
Starters from Previous Weeks Who Didn't Start in Week 10
Jeff Tuel, Buffalo Bills
Why he didn't start: Returned to backup role
Last ranked: 32nd
Replacement: EJ Manuel
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Why he didn't start: Fractured collar bone
Last ranked: Third
Replacement: Seneca Wallace
Josh McCown, Chicago Bears
Why he didn't start: Returned to backup role
Last ranked: 22nd
Replacement: Jay Cutler
Thaddeus Lewis, Buffalo Bills
Why he didn't start: Returned to backup role
Last ranked: 28th
Replacement: EJ Manuel
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
Why he didn't start: Hamstring
Last ranked: 21st
Replacement: Nick Foles
Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns
Why he didn't start: Benched
Last ranked: 31st
Replacement: Jason Campbell
Josh Freeman, Minnesota Vikings
Why he didn't start: Concussion and then benched
Last ranked: 32nd
Replacement: Christian Ponder
Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
Why he didn't start: Injured knee (out for the season)
Last ranked: 20th
Replacement: Kellen Clemens
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans
Why he didn't start: Returned to backup role
Last ranked: 29th
Replacement: Jake Locker
Matt Flynn, Oakland Raiders
Why he didn't start: Demoted, then released by the team
Last rank: 30th
Replacement: Terrelle Pryor
Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars
Why he didn't start: Benched
Last rank: 32nd
Replacement: Chad Henne
32. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars
High: 30th
Low: 32nd
Last Week: 30th
The Jaguars may have won their first game of the season, but it wasn’t because of any improvements at the quarterback position. In fact, Chad Henne played rather poorly against the Titans as he threw for less than 200 yards to go with a pair of interceptions.
On the season his 26.4 Total QBR is one of the worst in the league.
Perhaps it’s time for Jacksonville to consider alternatives at the quarterback position.
31. Geno Smith, New York Jets
High: 26th
Low: 31st
Last Week: 29th
Geno Smith and the Jets enjoyed a much-needed bye in Week 10.
Despite having a rookie quarterback under center, they’ve managed to stay relevant in the hunt for a postseason appearance. Smith is the lowest-ranked QB on the list with at least five wins thus far. Turnovers have been his primary weakness, but he has still managed to impress with his deep balls down the field.
With little help from his supporting cast on offense, Smith has been greatly appreciated by Jets fans much more than his paltry statistics would justify.
30. Kellen Clemens, St. Louis Rams
High: 30th
Low: 32nd
Last Week: 30th
Of all the quarterbacks who started in Week 10, none have a lower completion percentage this season than Kellen Clemens’ 53 percent. But with that said, he did manage to orchestrate one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, beating the Indianapolis Colts 38-8.
Kellen completed only nine passes on the day but had a large amount of splash plays to make the most of every completion.
More importantly, Clemens had two touchdown passes, both to rookie Tavon Austin, while avoiding any costly turnovers.
29. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills
High: 22nd
Low: 29th
Last Week: N/A
EJ Manuel returned to action on Sunday for the first time since Week 5. He was dealing with a minor knee injury that forced him to sit and watch a few games.
His ability to produce against the Steelers defense was limited as the Bills were held to just 10 points on the day. Furthermore, throwing 39 passes for only 155 yards through the air demonstrates the nature of his struggles on the day.
On the season, his six touchdown passes to four interceptions is impressive for a rookie quarterback.
Currently, Manuel is ranked the lowest he's been all season, but expect him to improve as we head into the final stretch of the 2013 NFL season.
28. Seneca Wallace, Green Bay Packers
High: N/A
Low: N/A
Last Week: N/A
Seneca Wallace was technically the starting quarterback for Week 10 although he left the game early with a groin injury after attempting just five passes.
In the last two weeks Wallace has completed 66 percent of his passes for 139 yards and one interception for a passer rating of 64.4 so far. He will likely sit in Week 11 in favor of the third-year Wisconsin product Scott Tolzien.
27. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
High: 27th
Low: 31st
Last Week: 27th
Rookie quarterback Mike Glennon made his Monday night debut against the potentially distracted Miami Dolphins and pulled off Tampa's first victory of the season.
It comes as a bit of a surprise to have Glennon as the highest-ranked rookie QB in the league thus far. He’s definitely shown off his impressive arm strength but needs to learn how to handle pressure in his face along the way.
On the season he’s thrown nine touchdowns to only four interceptions. His passer rating is 81.8, and he’s definitely looking like he has the potential to be the Buccaneers quarterback of the future.
26. Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders
High: 15th
Low: 31st
Last Week: 24th
Pryor is starting to feel the aches and pains of a scramble-first QB in the NFL. Apparently he’s dealing with a sprained MCL in his left knee that significantly hampered his effectiveness in Sunday’s loss against the Giants.
Pryor rushed for a career-low 19 yards and was sacked four times against New York’s defense.
Unfortunately, Terrelle Pryor is not nearly as dangerous when he cannot threaten defenses with his legs and uncanny movement in the pocket.
His struggles in the pocket date back longer than his injured knee; over the last four games he has completed 61-of-120 (50.8%) for 714 yards (5.95 YPA) for one touchdown and eight interceptions. Furthermore, he has taken 18 sacks during that time.
25. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings
High: 25th
Low: 30th
Last Week: 28th
Currently Christian Ponder is ranked higher than he has been all season and is actually playing pretty decent football. His Total QBR rating of 58 is higher than Cam Newton (53) and Tom Brady (56). He is also tied for the most rushing touchdowns of any QB in the NFL right now.
Ponder played efficient in his Thursday night win over the Redskins, completing 17-of-21 passes for 174 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception.
With the win, the Vikings move to 2-7 on the year and should stick with Ponder for the remainder of the season. It was thought that Josh Freeman would eventually take over as the starter once they acquired him, but now it looks like Ponder’s play as of late is buying some more opportunities to show what he can do.
24. Eli Manning, New York Giants
High: 10th
Low: 28th
Last Week: 26th
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning finished the game on Sunday with a 15.2 Total QBR. That’s the lowest for him in any win since 2007, when he beat the Buffalo Bills with a 2.7 Total QBR. Manning’s Total QBR was the third lowest by any quarterback in a win this season.
Eli’s monumental struggles this season have been well chronicled yet not entirely understood. Sure, his offensive line has struggled, but that’s nothing new for the veteran QB.
It’s hard to say what has gone so wrong for the Giants this year, but at the very least they’ve won three in a row after starting out the season 0-6.
Technically the G-Men are not out of the playoffs just yet, but I would be surprised if they even came close to a postseason appearance. Manning has played the worst football of his entire career this year and may just want to put it all behind him.
23. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
High: 13th
Low: 23rd
Last Week: 23rd
The Ravens came close to another disappointing loss but managed to close the deal in overtime against the Bengals.
Joe Flacco has continued to struggle this season and remains ranked 23rd in the power ranking. According to Pro Football Focus (paid site), Flacco has a grade of -12.7 for the year which is 62nd out of 65 quarterbacks who have thrown a pass this year.
On Sunday, he couldn’t even exceed 150 yards through the air despite having 36 pass attempts.
22. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
High: 22nd
Low: 26th
Last Week: 25th
Palmer is the second-lowest-rated quarterback in the league, in front of only Geno Smith, to have orchestrated at least five wins. Obviously this is not what the Cardinals had in mind when they retained his services in the offseason.
The question now becomes whether or not Arizona can make it to the playoffs in an already crowded division. In my opinion, they’ll never make the playoffs with Carson Palmer as their starting quarterback.
So far this season only Eli Manning has thrown more interceptions (16) than Carson Palmer’s (15). That makes three more picks than he has touchdown passes.
21. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
High: 14th
Low: 28th
Last Week: 18th
This should be the last time Jake Locker makes an appearance on the QB power rankings, as he is likely done for the season with a foot injury.
Locker becomes only the second starting quarterback after Sam Bradford to miss the remainder of the 2013 season because of injury.
Has he shown the Titans enough to maintain his position as the quarterback to build the franchise around?
20. Case Keenum, Houston Texans
High: 20th
Low: 27th
Last Week: 20th
Case Keenum may not have won a game for the Houston Texans yet, but many believe they've found their quarterback of the future in this undersized, second-year pro.
On the season, Keenum has thrown seven touchdown passes and no interceptions with a passer rating of 105.1. One area he will need to improve upon is his accuracy and consistency. He's currently completing 55 percent of his passes, which, like his size, is well below the NFL average.
19. Jason Campbell, Cleveland Browns
High: 19th
Low: 25th
Last Week: 21st
The Cleveland Browns and their new starting quarterback, Jason Campbell, enjoyed some time off this week after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in their last matchup.
Believe it or not, the Browns actually have a shot at winning the division with Campbell as their starting quarterback.
Campbell played fantastically in the Browns' win over the defending Super Bowl champs, completing 23 of 35 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. He also resisted costly mistakes by finishing his second start without an interception.
His passer rating is an impressive 106.6.
It seems safe to assume Brandon Weeden will not be returning to the lineup anytime this year unless an injury forces their hand.
18. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
High: 11th
Low: 25th
Last Week: 15th
Is there any quarterback in the NFL this year playing more inconsistently than Andy Dalton? I think not.
In Weeks 6 through 8, Dalton had an impressive 11 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Yet over the last two games he has had six interceptions and only two touchdown passes.
You might be surprised to know Andy Dalton has more pass attempts (383) than any other QB in the NFL so far this season, which means the Bengals are struggling to create balance on offense.
Cincy moves to 6-4 following the overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Dalton will need to be more reliable down the stretch if the Bengals have any hope for postseason glory.
17. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
High: 11th
Low: 18th
Last Week: N/A
Jay Cutler threw for 250 yards and a touchdown in his first action since he injured his groin last month. However, the nicked-up quarterback continued to struggle as the game wore on and exited prematurely with a high ankle sprain.
Cutler is now expected to miss some more time trying to heal yet another injury.
He is the lowest-rated quarterback with a Total QBR in the 60s.
16. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
High: 15th
Low: 19th
Last Week: 17th
With a depleted offensive line and a world of distractions this week, Ryan Tannehill did his best to will his team to a victory. Although he looked inconsistent at times, he threw for 229 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception.
Tannehill and the Dolphins fall to 4-5 after giving the Bucs their first win on the season.
So far in his career the second-year QB appears to be the embodiment of a middle-of-the-road starter. He does not seem to show any progression as he gains experience.
15. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
High: 6th
Low: 17th
Last Week: 12th
Colin Kaepernick has been missing a lot in his reads this season and seems to lack the ability to project passing windows at this stage in his career. Furthermore, Kaep appears to hesitate too much while feeling pressure that isn’t always there. This throws off his timing and causes issues with his accuracy.
Against the Panthers on Sunday, Kaep and the 49ers allowed six sacks.
He was also 0-6 on throws deeper than 10 yards downfield.
According to Pete Damilatis of Pro Football Focus, Kaepernick’s worst PFF grade last season was -2.8. This season he has graded below that number on four occasions.
14. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
High: 12th
Low: 18th
Last Week:16th
Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs were given a much-needed opportunity to rest and recover this weekend while preparing themselves for their toughest challenge of the season. Next week they take on the Denver Broncos.
As I mentioned last week:
Alex Smith has only turned the ball over four times all season. This is a big reason why the Chiefs are the only remaining undefeated team at 9-0 despite a lackluster offense. To the latter point, Smith is also responsible. He has the lowest yards-per-pass average out of all quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts.
13. Robert Griffin III, Washington
High: 9th
Low: 20th
Last Week: 19th
Robert Griffin III may not have been able to pull off the victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, but he does seem to be returning to the type of star we’ve come to expect from last year.
He completed 24-of-37 passes for 281 yards and three touchdown passes. Furthermore, Griffin did not throw a single interception all day. So how did they end up losing this one?
The season is not yet over for Washington, but it should be in playoff mode from here on out.
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
High: 6th
Low: 18th
Last Week: 14th
Ben Roethlisberger has had a wide range of fluctuation this year, ranking as high as sixth overall to dropping all the way down to 18th. The win over the Buffalo Bills helped keep their playoff hopes alive as they move to 3-6 on the year.
Big Ben did not wow with his performance but did enough to get the “W.” He completed 18-of-30 passes for only 204 yards.
Recently Roethlisberger's name has been associated with trade rumors although the validity of such gossip remains in question.
11. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
High: Third
Low: 16th
Last Week: 11th
At one point a few weeks ago, Tom Brady was actually ranked 16th in the QB power rankings. Now, he’s on his way back up the totem pole.
It has been an up-and-down year for Tom and the New England Patriots, yet through it all they’ve done a terrific job finding ways to win football games.
No quarterback in the NFL this year has had to contend with more flux and inexperience at the receiver position than Tom Brady. This is evidenced in the league-leading 32 dropped passes his targets have had. Perhaps this is what contributed to his emotional outbursts earlier in the season.
9. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
High: Eighth
Low: 19th
Last Week: Eighth
Cam Newton started the game completing 2-of-11 passes for 13 yards with an INT. At that point it seemed like it was going to be a long day for the Panthers.
As the game wore on you could see Newton getting a bit more comfortable and avoided trying to force unnecessary plays.
Newton posted his lowest Total QBR in a win in his career (19.3), but the Carolina Panthers did win their fifth straight by beating the San Francisco 49ers. Newton’s numbers may not have been impressive, but he made some big plays with his arm to keep the chains moving on critical drives.
8. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
High: Fourth
Low: 10th
Last Week: 10th
After several weeks of decline, Matt Ryan finally made a push to move back up in the rankings despite a one-sided loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Ryan has been completing 67 percent of his passes and finally avoided throwing any interceptions after a string of turnover-laced outings. In the two weeks prior to last Sunday, Matty Ice was anything but, combining for seven interceptions.
The Falcons are a disappointing 2-7 so far, making Matt Ryan the best quarterback in the league to only have two wins.
7. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
High: Fifth
Low: 12th
Last Week: Eighth
Tony Romo struggled in the first half of the Saints game with only three completions, but his day didn’t get much better as the Saints secondary held Dez Bryant to only one catch on the day. Without his primary target, Romo was off balance and essentially rendered ineffective.
For the season, Romo has played proficient with a passer rating of 98.3. He’s also third in touchdown passes with 21.
Hopefully for Dallas fans, the Saints didn’t reveal a game plan that can be duplicated by other opponents to the same success. Clearly this team was frustrated all day and had no answers to Rob Ryan’s defense.
6. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
High: Fifth
Low: Ninth
Last Week: Sixth
As far as Total QBR is concerned, Sunday’s loss against the St. Louis Rams was the worst game of Andrew Luck’s brief NFL career, finishing with a 13.6 QBR on the day. His struggles all day against the blitz were evident as he completed only 3-of-11 passes for 16 yards with an interception and two sacks when the defense rushed at least five guys, per Doug Clawson of ESPN.
On the season, he’s only completing 58.8 percent of his passes, but his PFF grade (11.7) and Total QBR (65) are among the best in the league.
Luck’s struggles may continue for the remainder of the season as he looks to find a suitable replacement for Reggie Wayne. Unfortunately there’s no replacing a guy like that on such short notice and it shows.
5. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
High: Fifth
Low: 21st
Last Week: Ninth
Matthew Stafford is currently ranked the highest he has been all season and has cracked the top five overall. He has moved ahead of Andrew Luck and should have a place in the top 10 for the remainder of the season.
Stafford’s 94 passer rating and 19 touchdowns are impressive, plus the Lions are finding ways to win games. They could end up stealing the division while Green Bay and Chicago coup without their franchise quarterbacks in the lineup.
Last Sunday Matt threw three touchdown passes in his 21-19 win over the Bears.
This is definitely the most complete season in Matthew Stafford’s brief yet statistically dominant career.
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
High: Fourth
Low: 26th
Last Week: Fourth
Nobody expected to see Philip Rivers play so well this season after two years of turnover-plagued performances and disappointing losses. These days he’s holding steady to the fourth spot among NFL quarterbacks, which should legitimately open up the question as to whether or not Rivers is an elite QB.
Rivers and Peyton Manning are the only two quarterbacks this year completing over 70 percent of their passes. That accomplishment alone is impressive, but to complete such a high percentage of your passes while averaging 8.3 yards per pass attempt is incredible.
Rivers was significantly overshadowed Sunday against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but he did manage to keep the game competitive.
3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
High: Third
Low: 11th
Last Week: Fifth
It’s not always big plays and gaudy statistics that have made Russell Wilson such a success two years in a row—a large reason he has ascended to third place in the rankings is his ability to close out games. Wilson plays an intelligent style of football paired with an ultra-competitive nature that's allowed him to thrive in his first two years as a pro.
He has had seven games in the last two seasons with a Total QBR of 90 or above. His 287 yards passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions against Atlanta gave him the boost he needed to surpass Philip Rivers for third place in the ranking.
He is the only quarterback in the NFL right now to have a passer rating over 100 while rushing for at least 30 yards a game. Completing 63 percent of your passes isn’t bad either.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
High: Second
Low: Fourth
Last Week: Second
In Sunday’s matchup against a beat-up Cowboys defense, Drew Brees had a Total QBR of 91.8. In their 49-17 win, the Saints set an NFL record for the most first downs in a game with 40.
Brees is ranked second in the NFL in his plus-18 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
With Aaron Rodgers sidelined due to injury and Peyton Manning hobbled with bad ankles, Brees could end up jumping his way into the top spot before this season is over.
1.Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
High: First
Low: Second
Last Week: First
The 37-year old Peyton Manning is beginning to feel the wear and tear of the season, which is taking its toll on the old man’s body. Every time he hits the ground could potentially be his last.
Peyton Manning was 9-for-9 for 187 yards and three TDs using play action vs. the Chargers. He leads the NFL with 1,317 yards on play action this season, 431 more than the next-closest passer (Brady).
He may be having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, but it’ll be interesting to see if he has the durability to withstand the winter months of an NFL season.
Ryan Riddle is a former NFL player and currently covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.
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