NFL Week 2: Quarterback rankings
After the first week of the NFL season, Matt Verderame re-ranks all 32 quarterbacks.
Well, that was interesting. We had four quarterbacks making their first NFL starts, and all but one of them cam away with the win. We saw Alex Smith throwing for 363 yards while Andrew Luck tossed four touchdowns and lost.
Here are the rankings from last week, to give you an idea of who things changed after the first week. Let’s get after it.
Todd Bouman Division
32. Case Keenum
Keenum looked absolutely horrible against one of the league’s worst teams. On Monday night, Keenum laid the ultimate egg by being shut out at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, throwing two interceptions while completing just 17-of-35 throws. This had to be the worst performance of the week.
31. Robert Griffin III
This is clearly going to either be a long road to success or a complete mess. Griffin was 12-of-26 against a bad Eagles defense. Griffin was also battered behind a sub-par offensive line, with few weapons around him. This is just an ugly team.
Hugh Millen Division
30. Tyrod Taylor
If the Buffalo Bills are ever going to reach the playoffs again, Taylor needs to step up. On Sunday, Taylor threw for 111 yards, the least of any starter this week. Against the Ravens, that’s laughably bad. Baltimore has no secondary, and yet Buffalo could do nothing.
29. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick came back to the New York Jets with the notion that he could make more beautiful music with Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. Despite facing a depleted Bengals team, Fitzpatrick only hit them five times, combined, The Jets need much, much more.
28. Trevor Siemian
Siemian looked exactly like a backup quarterback filling in against the Carolina Panthers. He made some mistakes (two interceptions) and he showed poise with a comeback in the fourth quarter. Siemian will clearly go as the running game goes.
27. Blaine Gabbert
Gabbert is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, but he played decently against the Los Angeles Rams. Gabbert led a putrid offense to a 28-0 win on Monday night, hitting on 22-of-35 throws for 170 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for a tiny 4.9 yards per attempt. This was nothing special, but better than normal.
Todd Collins Division
26. Dak Prescott
The Cowboys got all you could possibly ask for from Prescott in his NFL debut. The rookie was under control throwing for 227 yards and avoiding interceptions. Still, he only completed 55 percent of his throws while mostly aiming for shallow targets. He wasn’t a problem, but was also not the solution for Dallas.
25. Shaun Hill
Hill isn’t going to be starting for much longer, provided Sam Bradford can stay upright. He was decent against a very suspect Tennessee defense, throwing for 236 yards on 33 attempts. His effort was good enough Week 1, but it won’t be cutting it against better foes.
24. Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill deserves some credit for keeping the Dolphins close against the Seahawks on the road. Still, the offense scored 10 points and Tannehill only threw for 186 yards. To be fair, Kenny Stills also dropped an 80-yard touchdown pass, so this ranking is better if Stills has hands.
23. Jay Cutler
Cutler is a tough guy to grade. He was sacked five times by the Texans, behind an offensive line that continues to be terrible. Houston has a solid secondary, but a 55 percent completion rate and an interception will land you low on this list.
22. Brock Osweiler
Osweiler won his debut against the Bears, but didn’t do much to distinguish himself. Osweiler is learning a new offense and should be better as the year goes on. Still, two touchdowns and an interception to go with a 6.60 yards per attempt is decent, but nothing great.
21. Kirk Cousins
After the season opener, the Redskins might be very happy they only gave Cousins a franchise tag and not a long-term deal. The Michigan State product looked completely out of sorts. While Cousins threw for 329 yards, most of that came in garbage time. He tossed two picks and even many of his completions were poorly placed.
20. Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy freakin’ G. Nobody gave the Patriots much of a chance going into Glendale, and yet Garoppolo did a terrific job. The youngster made his first NFL start and threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, while showcasing excellent pocket awareness. Garoppolo can play.
Lynn Dickey Division
19. Marcus Mariota
Mariota was uneven in the first game of his second season. The Vikings have a great defense, and Mariota paid dearly for his pick-six, putting Minnesota ahead for good. The Titans need their signal-caller to be better but this wasn’t a bad start sans one horrible throw.
18. Carson Wentz
This might have been the story of the quarterbacks in Week 1. Wentz threw for a 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his debut, a moment many thought would be too big for the kid. Wentz has to prove he can slide up better teams than Cleveland, but it was a hell of a start.
17. Eli Manning
Manning fell down the list because despite having three excellent receivers, going against a putrid defense, he only connected for 207 yards. However, Manning did get a road win and tossed three touchdowns, albeit with one pick. He should move up the rankings next week against the Saints.
16. Carson Palmer
This is the perfect spot for Palmer. He always seems to make some great throws but then leaves you scratching your head with a few horrendous attempts. Against New England, Palmer had a ho-hum game with 271 yards on 39 attempts.
15. Joe Flacco
In his first game back following a torn ACL and MCL last season, Flacco played well against a decent Bills defense. The pairing of Mike Wallace and Flacco could be excellent, with the Ravens’ signal-caller having one of the great deep balls in the game.
Ken Anderson Division
14. Blake Bortles
Bortles went against a good Packers defense and played well, save for one interception. That said, Bortles has to stop forcing throws into coverage. Now in his third year, churning out a ton of yardage is great, but not if it comes with too many misreads and mistakes.
13. Matt Ryan
Ryan continues to put up huge numbers, torching the Buccaneers for 334 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 69 percent of his throws. So why isn’t he higher? The Falcons lost at home to a mediocre team. Fair or not, Ryan has to find a way to win that game.
12. Matthew Stafford
Speaking of finding ways to win, Stafford was sublime in his last-minute comeback to beat the Colts. The Lions had to keep scoring and ended up with 39 points, while Stafford threw for 340 yards and completed an absurd 79 percent of his throws.
Jim Kelly Division
11. Alex Smith
Smith has often been labeled a game-manager, but he channeled his inner Joe Montana on Sunday. Trailing 27-10 in the fourth quarter against San Diego, Smith led a massive comeback with 363 yards, a rushing score and two throwing touchdowns. It was his finest day with the Chiefs.
10. Derek Carr
In a game with all kinds of offense, Carr held his own for the Raiders down in New Orleans. With such lofty expectations on his shoulders, Carr threw for 319 yards and a score, leading multiple comeback drives in the second half. Raiders fans should be very excited.
9. Jameis Winston
Winston is going to be an absolute stud this season. Against a horrific Falcons defense, Winston went off for four touchdowns and 281 yards. Perhaps the most impressive part of the game was his 69 percent completion rate. If Winston can keep throwing for big days, the Buccaneers will compete for a playoff spot.
8. Philip Rivers
Rivers has to be feeling awful after watching his team blow a three-touchdown lead against the Chiefs, but it wasn’t his fault. Rivers hit on 69 percent of his throws and went for 243 yards and a touchdown. However, things are about to become more difficult with Keenan Allen out for the season.
7. Andy Dalton
Dalton was sacked seven times and threw an early interception before going off against the Jets. In his first game back after breaking his thumb in Week 14 last year, Dalton threw for 366 yards on 23-of-30 passing and a touchdown. Cincinnati remains very dangerous with Dalton at the helm.
Brett Favre Division
6. Russell Wilson
Wilson wasn’t great on Sunday. He had a very difficult time finding holes in a middling Miami defense, but found a way to lead the game-winning drive in the final minute. Wilson’s stats are never eye-popping from a passer perspective, but his talents are undeniable.
5. Cam Newton
Newton was solid against the Broncos, and was only a missed field goal away from knocking off the defending champs. While Newton only threw for 194 yards while completing 54.5 percent of his throws, he also ran for 51 yards and took a ton of huge hits. Give credit for Newton keeping Carolina in the game.
Joe Montana Division
4. Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers only threw for 199 yards, but he played insanely well. The former NFL MVP hit Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb for touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville on the road. The Packers are going to need more out of Rodgers down the line, but he did the job in Week 1.
3. Ben Roethlisberger
There is nothing more to say about Roethlisberger, other than that he is constantly underrated. Time and again, the Steelers rely on their offense to carry the day and Big Ben comes through. On Monday night, Roethlisberger had Antonio Brown and nobody else, and threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
2. Andrew Luck
Luck has no luck. The fifth-year pro went out and cut up the Lions to the tune of 385 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort. After looking so bad in 2015, Luck came back time and again, albeit against a bad defense. If Luck can continue playing like this, maybe Indianapolis hangs around in the AFC South.
1. Drew Brees
The Saints are another terrible team like the Colts, but the quarterback is something special. Brees went and took the Raiders apart for 423 yards and four touchdowns, and somehow lost the game. At this point, the only reason New Orleans is worth watching is to see if he throws for 5,000 yards again.