NFL quarterback rankings, Week 4: Drew Brees is losing to time
The New Orleans Saints. have Super Bowl aspirations, but Drew Brees is no longer the beacon of hope. In fact, he might be the biggest issue.
In the 2020 FanSided NFL quarterback rankings — which go live here every Tuesday morning throughout the regular season — we use a weighted average of current and past performances, with the former meaning more than the latter.
Away we go.
Scouting Report. Denver Broncos. Jeff Driskel. 45. Pick Analysis. QB. 32. player
2020 stats: 432 yards | 54.7 completion % | 3 TDs | 2 INTs | 6.8 YPA | 38.2 QBR
Last Week: 32
Driskel is a middling backup masquerading as a starter. He’s fighting with Brett Rypien to keep his job. It’s been ugly, and that’s the theme in Denver for 2020.
New York Jets. 31. player. Sam Darnold. 30. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB
2020 stats: 562 yards | 61.5 completion % | 3 TDs | 4 INTs | 5.9 YPA | 28.8 QBR
Last Week: 31
Two pick-sixes in Indianapolis sum it up for Darnold and the Jets. He’ll make the occasional great play, but most quarterbacks do. The difference is what is done between them. Darnold makes way, way too many mistakes.
Scouting Report. Dwayne Haskins. 30. player. 58. Pick Analysis. QB. Washington Football Team
2020 stats: 625 yards | 56.4 completion % | 4 TDs | 3 INTs | 6.2 YPA | 28.3 QBR
Last Week: 30
Head coach Ron Rivera has said there’s a threshold for moving on from Haskins this year. One wonders if we’re getting close. He’s been inaccurate, turnover-prone and doesn’t stretch the field. In Cleveland, Haskins threw three picks and only completed four passes more than nine yards in the air.
Pick Analysis. San Francisco 49ers. 29. 42. Scouting Report. QB. Nick Mullens. player
2020 stats: 414 yards | 70.2 completion % | 1 TDs | 1 INTs | 8.8 YPA | 64.0 QBR
Last Week: NA
Give Mullens credit. The 49ers are essentially playing their second team and while the Giants are a disaster, San Francisco scored 36 points while Mullens threw for 343 yards and a score. It was a nice performance that will keep Jimmy Garoppolo from being rushed back.
Pick Analysis. QB. New York Giants. Daniel Jones. player. Scouting Report. 28. 31
2020 stats: 699 yards | 60.2 completion % | 2 TDs | 4 INTs | 6.2 YPA | 50.0 QBR
Last Week: 28
The turnovers are becoming an unbearable problem. Look, the Giants stink. Jones has little talent around him and a shoddy offensive line. Still, he can avoid the lost fumbles (one on Sunday) and the interceptions (one right before halftime against the Niners). Teams can’t recover from those errors.
27. player. Pick Analysis. QB. Philadelphia Eagles. Carson Wentz. Scouting Report. 54
2020 stats: 737 yards | 59.8 completion % | 3 TDs | 6 INTs | 5.6 YPA | 35.4 QBR
Last Week: 24
The Eagles won’t bench Wentz, but only because of his contract. Head coach Doug Pederson clearly has no faith, evidenced by his inexplicable decision to punt in overtime with 19 seconds left from midfield. Philadelphia is terrified of Wentz making a mistake, and so far, that’s all he has done.
QB. Chicago Bears. 26. player. 57. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Nick Foles
2020 stats: 188 yards | 55.2 completion % | 3 TDs | 1 INTs | 6.5 YPA | 65.9 QBR
Last Week: NA
Finally, the Mitch Trubisky era ends. Foles is a good backup and a serviceable starter, who made a good first impression on Chicagoans with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat the Falcons.
25. 60. Scouting Report. Minnesota Vikings. QB. Kirk Cousins. player. Pick Analysis
2020 stats: 623 yards | 59.0 completion % | 5 TDs | 6 INTs | 8.0 YPA | 37.0 QBR
Last Week: 21
Outside of a quietly YPA, Cousins has been a disaster in 2020. On Sunday against Tennessee, Cousins threw 27 times and completed just four passes over 10 air yards — ironically three coming for touchdowns. If he’s not going to gain chunk yardage and still turn the ball over, it’s a recipe for Minnesota earning a top-10 pick.