NFL quarterback rankings, Week 4: Kirk Cousins moves up, Philip Rivers sinks

Lynn Dickey Division

21. Cam Newton (Prev: 17)

At what point are we worried about Newton? He was awful last season, hitting on 52.9 percent of his throws. On Sunday, he completed 17-of-26 for 167 yards with three touchdowns against the Saints’ defense. THE SAINTS. For the year, the former MVP has 566 yards and two touchdowns. He’s been bad.

20. Carson Palmer (Prev: 22)

Palmer is an average quarterback at this point, but he continues to compile stats. The grizzled vet threw for over 300 yards for a second straight week, but it came in a losing effort. Without David Johnson and dealing with a horrid offensive line, it appears this could be a long year.

19. Jay Cutler (Prev: 16)

Cutler looked solid in Week 1, but then completely fell apart against the Jets on Sunday. While he ended up throwing for 220 yards (albeit on 44 attempts), almost 200 of that came in garbage time. Through three quarters, Cutler threw for 75 yards and an interception.

18. Tyrod Taylor (Prev: 20)

Taylor did a terrific job against an excellent Broncos defense. The Virginia Tech product hit on 20-of-26 for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Taylor typically isn’t the type of quarterback you build a Super Bowl contender around, but you can also do much worse.

17. Eli Manning (Prev: 15)

Manning came alive in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, throwing for a trio of touchdowns along with a 366-yard day. So why does he move down? Because for the first three quarters, Manning was mediocre at best. The Giants need more from him, but he may not have anything left to give.