NFL Power Rankings Week 15: The 32 Starting QBs and a Brett Favre Farewell
Brett Favre spent Monday night the last place anyone imagined he would be: the sideline.
It's hard to imagine ranking quarterbacks without Brett Favre, but after the old gunslinger sat for the first time in his career on Monday night, it's time to move on to life without No. 4 in my weekly quarterback power rankings.
Please keep in mind that these rankings are not based on careers, including what the quarterbacks have done in the past. For example, Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb may be better quarterbacks than Michael Vick, but in all reality, if those guys aren’t as productive as the other guys are, then they are going to sit lower on this poll.
In addition, we aren’t looking at potential; instead we are looking at real, tangible production.
We just need to keep in mind that this is not an “overall” talent poll. What Peyton Manning did last year was incredible but doesn’t factor into this poll. He may be more gifted than a guy like Vick, but if Vick is more productive and means more to his team, then he will rank higher.
Let the debate begin...
The Bottom of the Barrel
1 of 22
32. John Skelton
Does anyone in Arizona still have Kurt Warner on speed dial?
31. Jimmy Clausen
Another week, another interception, another touchdown-less performance for Clausen. The golden boy of Notre Dame looks more like fool's gold in the NFL...at least at this stage.
30. Jake Delhomme
Cleveland's game against the Bills on Sunday proved that Peyton Hillis can't carry this team alone. Browns fans are anxiously awaiting the return of Colt McCoy...anxiously.
29. Carson Palmer
After starting off red-hot, Palmer quickly went ice-cold against the Steelers and finished with three costly interceptions. Of course, that was no second-rate defense he was playing against, but Palmer isn't doing himself any favors with his poor performances.
28. Tarvaris Jackson
There's not much cause for optimism in Minnesota for life after No. 4, especially not for Visanthe Shiancoe, who was quick to point out that such a talented offense should be scoring more than three points regardless of the quarterback. Jackson completing just 50 percent of his passes and throwing one to the wrong color jersey won't get them anywhere near where they were last year with Favre.
27. Matt Hasselbeck
Piling on the yards against the 49ers isn't exactly bragging rights, especially when being intercepted four times. I'd be surprised to see any team compensate for that many interceptions to come out with a win.
The Creme of the Crap
2 of 22
26. Chad Henne
The Dolphins are 7-6, but it's no thanks to Chad Henne. The Dolphins quarterback completed 28 percent of his passes, going 5-of-18 for 55 yards and a touchdown to Brandon Marshall. Most importantly, though, he fumbled the ball twice and lost both of them. It's clear that the Dolphins have a quarterback problem to address in the offseason.
25. Alex Smith
After a five-week hiatus from starting quarterback duty, Alex Smith had a triumphant return, albeit against the 30th-ranked Seahawks defense. 255 yards and three touchdowns later, it's like he never should have left, though I have a feeling the quarterback controversy in San Fran is far from over.
24. Kyle Orton
I won't say it's easy to throw for 3,653 yards, but it's a lot easier when you're throwing the ball as much as Orton. The yards aren't the problem, though; it's the lack of touchdowns. This week, it was interceptions and under 50 percent completions. Against the Cardinals...
23. Mark Sanchez
I make no apologies for this ranking. Mark Sanchez entered the season with considerable questions around his leadership and seemed to shake them off with late-game drives. Since then, he's done nothing to disprove the earlier theories that he's a front runner. 17-of-44 won't cut it against anyone in today's NFL.
22. Donovan McNabb
Completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns was big for McNabb after what have been a tough past few weeks for the former franchise signal caller. If only the Redskins didn't blow the game-tying PAT...
21. Drew Stanton
The Packers defense is tough and held the Lions to just seven points. Those points, however, came on Drew Stanton's arm. They could have had more if he hadn't turned the ball over twice.
20. Kerry Collins
3 of 22
Collins was able to rally the Titans within two points of the Colts, completing 71.7 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdowns.
He proved that he can really get it done, even outside the "game manager" role, when the Titans are able to move the ball on the ground.
Last week: 24
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
19. Jason Campbell
4 of 22
Although his exceptional performance came against the Jaguars, Jason Campbell was nearly able to put the team on his shoulders and lead them to victory.
21-of-33 for 324 yards and two touchdowns are some great numbers for anyone, especially, it would seem, for a quarterback wearing silver and black.
Last week: 23
18. Jay Cutler
5 of 22
Comparing Jay Cutler to one of the best cold-weather quarterbacks of all time may be an unfair assessment, but completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions is cause for concern, especially since this isn't the last time the Bears will play in these conditions.
He can't take all the blame for the rout, as the offensive line didn't do much to block for him. Still, he proved that he's as prone to mistakes as he ever was, despite coming off his first two-game stretch without an interception as a Bear.
Last week: 17
17. Jon Kitna
6 of 22
Completing just under 69 percent of his passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, Kitna was almost able to engineer a victory. His two interceptions, however, proved costly in a three-point loss.
Kitna has done as good a job as any backup could be expected to do, considering the woeful circumstances of the Cowboys.
Last week: 16
16. Ryan Fitzpatrick
7 of 22
Sometimes, the best thing you can do as a quarterback is simply manage the game. There's no better time to prove that you can do that than when both teams score less than two touchdowns and the difference is just one score.
That's exactly what Ryan Fitzpatrick did on Sunday, albeit against the Cleveland Browns. Going 14-of-23 for 142 yards and the Bills' lone touchdown was just enough for the win, and he didn't put his team in any bad spots.
The Bills may end up with a high draft pick, but Fitzpatrick is doing everything in his power to ensure that it's not a quarterback they take.
Last week: 18
15. Sam Bradford
8 of 22
It was to be expected that the rookie Sam Bradford, surrounded by so little talent, would eventually hit a slump in his first season in the NFL. Completing 56 percent of his passes isn't bad; it was the two interceptions that put his team in a hole.
This was on a day where Steven Jackson was averaging a whopping six yards per carry.
Last week: 13
14. Josh Freeman
9 of 22
The game manager is at it again. By completing exactly 60 percent of his passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, Freeman led his team to another close victory.
Sure, it came at the hands (or rather, on the foot) of the quintessential Redskins play in 2010, a missed PAT that would have sent the game into OT.
He's totaled 17 touchdowns and six interceptions this season, and he's completing 58.5 percent of his passes. None of those numbers are stellar, but all show a marked improvement from last season. It's clear that he's headed in the right direction in terms of his development.
Last week: 15
13. David Garrard
10 of 22
Completing 50 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdowns is hardly cause for piling on the praise when taking into consideration that those numbers came against the Raiders defense. They've given up 25 touchdowns, ranking 29th in the league in that category.
Still, he put up enough points to lead the team to victory, and that much is deserving of praise.
Last week: 14
12. Matt Cassel
11 of 22
At 0-10 as a starter, Brodie Croyle is proving he's not worthy of anything but the label "backup." Thus, Matt Cassel hangs at his previous spot for another week. The Chiefs had better hope they get him back this coming Sunday, or Croyle could be looking at an 0-11 record very soon.
Last week: 12
11. Matt Schaub
12 of 22
It's been the story of the year for the 2010 Texans: Fall behind by a couple scores, put the ball in Matt Schaub's hands and rally to a tie, only to fall short and lose the game.
Schaub can be fully credited with the team even having a chance in this one, as he drove them 99 and 95 yards on two touchdown drives that tied a game in which the Texans were down by 15 points.
He can also be credited with the team's loss in overtime, though, after throwing it right into the hands of a waiting Ravens defender, who took it back for a touchdown.
That one stings.
Last week: 11
10. Eli Manning
13 of 22
Eli might have fallen victim to the adverse scenarios presented by the collapse of the Metrodome, combined with an extra day of travel. He did little to shake his reputation as an interception machine, though, and threw two more of them while only throwing one touchdown against the Vikings.
His rush attack bailed him out with a monster performance, though I'm sure the Giants would like to see him return to the ball control mentality that helped them win a Super Bowl three years ago...
Last week: 9
9. Joe Flacco
14 of 22
We're all really waiting for Joe Flacco to prove that he can get it done in clutch situations. There's no denying he's a great quarterback, but with late-game chokes against the Patriots and Steelers and a near-collapse against the Texans, it's time for Flacco to get it done when it counts.
Still, completing 22 of his 33 passes for two touchdowns is great, and without a turnover is even better.
Last week: 10
8. Ben Roethlisberger
15 of 22
Roethlisberger had an efficient performance, completing 63.6 percent of his passes. He didn't throw a touchdown, but with his defense playing stellar all day long, he didn't need to.
He's done the bulk of the work in past weeks, so he's more than earned a spot in the top 10 at this stage.
Last week: 7
7. Peyton Manning
16 of 22
After three weeks of bizarro Manning, the real Peyton Manning finally suited up for the Colts. It wasn't anything we're not used to seeing from him, just the par-for-the-course 300-plus yards, 65-plus completion percentage, two-plus touchdowns and turnover-free football we've come to know over the past decade.
Colts fans must be very thankful to get him back in time for the stretch run.
Last week: 8
6. Aaron Rodgers
17 of 22
Sure, the loss doesn't fall on Rodgers' shoulders. After all, he came out of the game with a concussion after just the second quarter, but he was relatively ineffective before that. He was just 7-of-11 for 49 yards and an interception before his concussion.
Against the Lions? Sorry, that's unacceptable. I don't care if you're on the road.
He still has to be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league (duh), so the Packers better count their lucky stars and hope they get him back in time for their big game on the road against the Patriots on Sunday night.
Last week: 4
5. Matt Ryan
18 of 22
An unspectacular performance from Matt Ryan against the Carolina Panthers wasn't enough to knock him out of the top five. He's still got to be considered one of the finest young signal callers in the game.
Completing 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,147 yards, 22 touchdowns and just eight interceptions are great numbers for a quarterback just in his third year in the league. The sky is the limit for Matt Ryan in the Falcons' offense.
Last week: 5
4. Drew Brees
19 of 22
It's become almost a foregone conclusion that Drew Brees will pass the ball at least 35 times per game, but why not when the Saints have one of the better pass attacks in the league? He lit up a defense that many had considered to be on the come-up under Steve Spagnuolo.
Sure, he was picked off twice, but one of those came in garbage time, when the game was out of hand to the tune of 34-6 in the fourth quarter. However, these turnovers are becoming something of a trend with Brees. He'll need to eliminate them if the Saints are to make another run at the Super Bowl.
Last week: 6
3. Michael Vick
20 of 22
Look at it this way: Without DeSean Jackson turning on the burners for a 91-yard catch-and-run on a simple out route, Vick's numbers could have been a lot worse—and the Eagles probably would have lost. He accounted for 210 of Vick's 270 yards passing and one of his two touchdowns.
Vick's stat line on the night—16-of-26, 270 yards, two touchdowns and two picks—looks pretty paltry when reminiscing on the days of just two weeks ago, when Vick had yet to throw an interception. Just like every quarterback at the top of this list, the only thing that proves is that he's human.
Last week: 2
2. Philip Rivers
21 of 22
After several weeks of fading from his record-setting pace, Rivers seemed to pick back up right where he'd left off. Sure, it was just the Chiefs, but it was a necessary performance against the division leaders. Rivers went off for 226 yards and two touchdowns, completing a whopping 75 percent of his passes.
This Chargers team lives and dies by the performance of Rivers.
Last week: 3
1. Tom Brady
22 of 22
Brady proved that he is as uncanny as the X-Men in the snow. His talent is almost supernatural when nature takes its toll on the playing field.
27-of-40 for 369 yards and two touchdowns would have been a phenomenal stat line against the Bears' third-ranked defense anyhow. Factor in the wintry mix and it becomes just short of unbelievable.
The MVP award is all but inevitable at this stage.
Last week: 1
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")