NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Rating the NFC QB Performances
Another week of some awesome NFL action resulted in ultimate uncertainty in the NFC, which is certainly proving the weaker conference so far.
It doesn't seem as if any team is capable of running away with anything. Teams that were expected to struggle have surged in the Bucs and Seahawks, while teams once considered playoff locks are struggling mightily; just look at the Vikings, Saints and Cowboys.
The most inconsistency has come from the quarterbacks in this league, with nobody really having a great season so far. Week 7 saw some great QB performances and some head-scratching throws. Matt Ryan lit up the field; meanwhile, Drew Brees threw three picks against the vaunted...Cleveland Browns?
It's tough to tell exactly why some guys have been struggling so much thus far. Whatever the reasons are, QB power rankings have certainly shifted a great deal since the preseason.
The power rankings have been shaken up after a series of tight games on Sunday. Here are the power rankings of all NFC QBs and their Week 7 performances recapped.
16. Derek Anderson
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The season has been up and down so far for Derek Anderson, mostly down. He was given the starting job after the Cardinals lost all faith in Matt Leinart, but Anderson failed to produce. He was reinserted as the Cards QB this week, replacing the equally incompetent Max Hall.
After being put in the game in the third quarter, Anderson did little to impress. He was a meager 8-of-17 for just 96 yards and a QB rating of 64.8, which to his credit is actually higher than his previous ratings from this season.
The old saying goes that when you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. This appears to be the case in Arizona, where the Cardinals are searching high and low for an adequate QB to replace future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Neither of the guys they currently have appears capable of such a feat.
Whether Anderson makes it all the way through the season as the starter or Hall reappears at some point, it is clear the Cards will be scouting almost every QB in this upcoming draft to find somebody who can at least keep the job.
15. Brett Favre
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Could it be? Yup, last year's big arm for the Vikings appears to have finally hit the wall.
Formerly, we were given the impression that Brett Favre was ageless and borderline immortal. Well, he's mortal, and boy has he aged. The man Brad Childress begged to come back for another year has now been thrown under the bus by his coach after a miserable Week 7 performance in Green Bay.
Favre was over 50 percent completions, going 16-of-29, but three of those incompletions were interceptions—and two of those interceptions were really bad. Add in Favre's one TD pass and it brings his Week 7 QB rating up to a whopping 50.4.
Favre finally looks as if his age has caught up with him. His completion percentage hasn't been this low since 2000. He has already thrown three more picks this year than last year. And to be honest, he doesn't look like the same fun-loving guy.
Brett has never let his personal life reflect his on-field performance, but maybe this one has hit home, though his bad play did start before the accusations.
Whatever the reason, ultimately it is his ankle that will sideline him for at least this week, which brings his NFL record for games started consecutively to an end.
14. Matt Moore
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If Matt Moore continues to play like he did in Week 7, he won't be at the bottom of this list for very long. Upon being put back into the starting QB role, Moore quickly found a new favorite target in young wideout David Gettis.
The former Oregon State QB had his way with the San Francisco secondary, amassing 308 yards on 28-of-41 passing and two touchdowns. His performance was a big reason the Panthers walked away with their first win of the season and possibly a renewed faith in the starting quarterback.
His QB rating was 96.4, almost doubling his previous outings this season.
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13. Alex Smith
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The former No. 1 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers has worn out his welcome in the Bay Area. He has always shown flashes of the talent that got him drafted No. 1, and it was always just enough to keep his job. But this injury may be it for Smith in SF.
He started out a decent 9-of-19 passing with a TD and 0 INTs, but an injury suffered in the first half forced David Carr to take over.
Smith is currently listed as questionable for this Sunday against Denver with a shoulder injury, but the way his season has gone so far, he may need the week off as it is.
12. Sam Bradford
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Bradford has looked pretty good in his first season under center for the Rams. He certainly has impressed me with his arm strength and accuracy, which were rarely on display in college due to injury.
He is still a rookie, so there will be a learning curve, but they have trusted him with some tough throws, and he has been everything they thought he was and more so far. That continued in Week 7 for Bradford and the Rams, who lost a really tight one to the Buccaneers.
Bradford went a subpar 13-of-26 for 126 yards but did throw two TD passes without being intercepted. He also had one turnover on a lost fumble. If he continues to progress, there is no reason he can't be in the top 10 QBs in the NFC by season's end.
11. Matt Hasselbeck
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Hasselbeck has show the Seahawks and Pete Carroll that he still has plenty in his arm. Since a miserable start against Denver in Week 2, Hasselbeck has the Seahawks at 3-1, throwing just two INTs in those four games.
He has been good without being great, but the way the offense is built Hasselbeck doesn't need to be great. Week 7 was a perfect example of this. Hasselbeck went a lackluster 20-of-38 for 192 yards passing with just one touchdown, but it was good enough to get the Seahawks a win, which is obviously most important.
If he can stay upright and healthy, he has just enough left to get this team a postseason berth.
10. Donovan McNabb
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Donovan may not be the quarterback he was at one time in Philly, but he still has enough left in him to win. His TD:INT ratio leaves a little to be desired so far at just 6:7. However, he has stepped up with his legs and shows the big arm every now and again.
In a turnover frenzy of a game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Donovan put up 200 yards on 17-of-32 passing with a TD pass and two picks. Those numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but Donovan had enough consistency to keep Washington in the game to pull out the win in the end.
I don't know what was with all the turnovers from this game, but through all of it, McNabb got his team a win, and they now sit at a respectable 4-3 and are right in the hunt for the NFC East title.
9. Jay Cutler
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To be fair, it's not all Jay Cutler's fault. Of course, it never seems to be Cutler's fault when it comes to his superfluous array of turnovers. He is playing behind one of the shoddiest offensive lines in recent memory and is constantly pressured.
With that being said, Cutler has made some awful throws the last couple of weeks and is quickly sliding down this list.
Cutler's Week 7 against Washington started out pretty good with some good numbers and a TD pass early. After that, it all went splat. Cutler completed four passes to DeAngelo Hall in the second half. The problem? DeAngelo Hall is a cornerback for the 'Skins.
Cutler's turnovers won't get him pulled because he is without a doubt their best available option at quarterback, but they will cause quite a few losses and a big drop in Cutler's power ranking.
8. Matt Stafford
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Stafford was hurt in the first game of the season and will be making the start for the Lions in Week 8, following their bye week.
Shaun Hill has filled in more than respectably in the meantime, but Stafford is their franchise guy. The jury is still out on him this season, which is why he starts in the middle of the pack.
7. Michael Vick
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Vick would likely be a lot higher on this list had he never gotten hurt. The former All-Pro appeared back on form this season, putting up big numbers on the ground and through the air.
Vick was 59-of-96 for 799 yards with six TDs and 0 INTs so far before going down. His QB rating would be good for first among starters if qualified, but he will return sooner than later.
He will get the start for the Eagles following the bye week.
6. Tony Romo
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Despite the Cowboys' struggles so far this season, Tony Romo was actually having a very good year with a QB rating above 90 and the fewest sacks taken all season.
That was until Tony went down with a broken collarbone Monday night against the Giants. It is unclear exactly how long Romo could be out, but it may be all season.
Romo looked like he was on pace for another great game on Monday. Before being injured, Romo was 5-of-7 for 39 yards and a TD, but he didn't get the chance to finish that game. Jon Kitna now takes the reins for the 'Boys.
While it may be a long season for Jerry Jones, it could be a very short one for Wade Phillips.
5. Drew Brees
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Super Bowl hangover? Maybe. Madden curse? Perhaps. Whatever the reason is, Drew Brees simply does not look like the same quarterback that led this team to their first ever Super Bowl last year.
Brees hit a season low on Sunday against the Browns. He was 37-of-56 for 356 yards passing and two TDs. Those would be great number if not for the four INTs he threw to the young Browns secondary.
Last year's Brees would have put up five TDs on a defense like this, but last year's Brees also had two healthy running backs.
The lack of a running game has caught up with the Saints, who are struggling to find an answer for the abnormal number of INTs out of their franchise passer.
4. Josh Freeman
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Who is Josh Freeman? He's only the best quarterback in the NFC that nobody knows about.
Last year's first-round pick out of Kansas State is really coming into his own and has led a young Tampa Bay team to a 4-2 record, prompting his coach to say, "We're the best team in the NFC."
That's hard to argue with right now, especially with the level of play they are getting out of Freeman at quarterback. Struggling most of the day against the Rams in Week 7, Freeman went 23-of-40 with 212 passing yards but threw his only TD pass with 10 seconds left to bring Tampa its fourth victory.
Game-winning drives are exactly what you want to see out of your young QB, and Raheem Morris couldn't be prouder of Freeman's quick development. If he continues to improve and the Bucs keep winning, Freeman could end up in the discussion for MVP.
3. Aaron Rodgers
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His mediocre, by his standards, performance on Sunday night was masked by the abysmal play of his counterpart in Brett Favre. Rodgers is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL, and his deep ball is second only to Peyton Manning's.
He had an up and down game against the Vikings in Week 7, throwing for 295 yards on 21-of-34 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He is constantly under massive amounts of pressure, which accounts for some of the reasoning on his two errant passes, but they did look pretty bad.
When it all comes down to it, the Pack got the win and Rodgers looked good doing it with a fourth quarter TD pass to Greg Jennings that put the Packers on top to stay.
2. Eli Manning
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Little bro finally looks like it's his time to shine. Yes, Eli won a Super Bowl with the Giants, but he wasn't half the passer then that he is today. His season thus far has been brilliant, forgiving the first three games.
Manning has soared up this list in recent weeks. The thing that impressed me the most is the way Manning bounced back quickly from the two early picks he threw on his first four passes. After those two INTs, Manning went 25-of-31 for 306 yards and four TDs with just one more INT. He picked apart the Cowboys' D all night and didn't get rattled after being rocked early.
If Eli keeps up this level of play and the Giants continue to get after the QB, we could be looking at the Super Bowl team out of the NFC.
1. Matt Ryan
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The most consistent quarterback in the NFC this season finally had a breakout game in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Up until this week, Ryan had just done enough to get the Falcons to 4-2 and contend in the NFC. But Sunday was Matt Ryan's day.
Ryan went 24-of-33 for 299 passing yards and three TDs with just one miscue. Ryan now boasts a QB rating a hair under 90 on the season, and his team looks poised for a big run. His talent is beginning to emerge.
When at his best, Ryan can sling it with the best of them. Keep an eye out for Ryan to keep up his spectacular play. He is also blessed with a great ground attack and receivers with great hands.
Ryan is bouncing back well off a subpar sophomore campaign, but so far this season he has proved his worth in this league. Ryan has the talent to compete with anyone in the league.
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