NFL quarterback rankings, Week 7: Dak Prescott enters MVP talk
The Dallas Cowboys are 5-1, and quarterback Dak Prescott has been sublime this season in his comeback from a devastating injury.
Our 2021 FanSided NFL quarterback rankings go live each Tuesday morning throughout the regular season, and we use a sliding scale incorporating current and past performances, with the former meaning more as the year goes on.
QB. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 32. 30. New York Jets. Zach Wilson
2021 stats: 1,117 yards | 57.3 comp % | 4 TD | 9 INT | 6.5 YPA | 22.6 QBR
LW: 32
At least Wilson didn’t throw an interception this weekend. Next up, Bill Belichick in Foxboro.
Pick Analysis. 31. player. 10. Scouting Report. QB. Houston Texans. Davis Mills
2021 stats: 912 yards | 63.3 comp % | 5 TD | 7 INT | 6.6 YPA | 31.8 QBR
LW: 31
Mills has no chance in this offense. The Texans can’t block and outside of Brandin Cooks, have no talent around him.
Pick Analysis. San Francisco 49ers. 30. 42. Scouting Report. QB. Trey Lance. player
2021 stats: 354 yards | 52.1 comp % | 3 TD | 1 INT | 7.4 YPA | 41.5 QBR
LW: 30
Will Lance start on Sunday night against the Colts? Huge opportunity in primetime if so.
Scouting Report. 36. player. Pick Analysis. QB. Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith. 29
2021 stats: 640 yards | 67.3 comp % | 2 TD | 1 INT | 6.9 YPA | 34.6 QBR
LW: 28
Smith is a veteran backup who looked the part on Sunday night. It’ll be tough for the Seahawks to stay afloat with him at the helm.
Pick Analysis. QB. Justin Fields. player. Scouting Report. Chicago Bears. 28. 57
2021 stats: 632 yards | 53.3 comp % | 2 TD | 3 INT | 6.4 YPA | 23.2 QBR
LW: 29
Fields has started four games, and he’s struggled in three of them. An egregious missed offsides call cost the rookie an interception on Sunday, but we need more chunk plays from him and the Bears.
27. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB. 59. Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa. player
2021 stats: 544 yards | 64.1 comp % | 3 TD | 2 INT | 7.0 YPA | 42.1 QBR
LW: NA
Hard to make a case for Tagovailoa as a long-term starter based on what we’ve seen. Now, he hasn’t started a full season’s worth of games yet, but it hasn’t been pretty. Just no ability to push the ball consistently.
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Washington Football Team. Taylor Heinicke. 26. player. QB. 58
2021 stats: 1,390 yards | 63.6 comp % | 9 TD | 6 INT | 7.0 YPA | 46.2 QBR
LW: 25
Heinicke is a good backup, but he’s a lousy starter. Against a horrid Chiefs defense, Heinicke averaged less than 5.0 yards per attempt with only 13 points.
52. Scouting Report. Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville Jaguars. 25. player. Pick Analysis. QB
2021 stats: 1,465 yards | 59.7 comp % | 7 TD | 8 INT | 6.8 YPA | 38.4 QBR
LW: 27
Lawrence has the tools to bean elite quarterback, but a bad system and shoddy offensive line aren’t helping. Still, the Jaguars got a win this weekend, and after 20 straight losses, time to party.
QB. Jared Goff. Detroit Lions. 24. player. 50. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
2021 stats: 1,505 yards | 66.8 comp % | 7 TD | 4 INT | 6.3 YPA | 32.9 QBR
LW: 24
It’s been written before in this space, but it’s tough to crush Goff this season. The Lions have the worst receivers in football and are constantly trailing. He’s not a terrific quarterback, but the numbers are unkind to his actual skill level. He’s a mid-tier starter.
55. 23. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB. Pittsburgh Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger
2021 stats: 1,515 yards | 64.1 comp % | 7 TD | 4 INT | 6.4 YPA | 41.8 QBR
LW: 23
Roethlisberger is beyond washed up at this juncture. It’s impossible to go another direction. Pittsburgh should be dreaming about how the offense can improve this offseason.
Daniel Jones. 31. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB. New York Giants. 22. player
2021 stats: 1,542 yards | 62.5 comp % | 4 TD | 4 INT | 7.3 YPA | 47.8 QBR
LW: 18
Three interceptions for Jones this weekend in a blowout loss, and suddenly we’re back to the turnover-prone issues of his first two seasons. The Giants need him to be great to have a chance, and he’s not capable with this situation.
Pick Analysis. QB. 21. Scouting Report. Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts. player. 54
2021 stats: 1,480 yards | 62.5 comp % | 8 TD | 4 INT | 7.1 YPA | 37.0 QBR
LW: 21
Hurts struggled mightily against the Bucs, which is concerning considering how bad their pass defense has been. The upside is clear, but Hurts has to eliminate the bad plays as the season goes on.
Carolina Panthers. player. QB. Sam Darnold. 20. 87. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
2021 stats: 1,573 yards | 61.2 comp % | 7 TD | 7 INT | 7.0 YPA | 47.1 QBR
LW: 17
The wheels have come off. Against the Cowboys, Eagles and Vikings — no great defenses in that group — Darnold has thrown six interceptions and the Panthers are 0-3.
QB. Denver Broncos. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Teddy Bridgewater. 19. 45
2021 stats: 1,514 yards | 70.2 comp % | 10 TD | 4 INT | 7.6 YPA | 52.4 QBR
LW: 16
Bridgewater tossed three interceptions on Sunday and missed a slew of deep shots. The Broncos have to be thinking about Drew Lock (they shouldn’t do it) if things continue to spiral.
46. Pick Analysis. Carson Wentz. player. Scouting Report. QB. Indianapolis Colts. 18
2021 stats: 1,545 yards | 64.2 comp % | 9 TD | 1 INT | 8.0 YPA | 54.5 QBR
LW: 22
Wentz is playing better football than people realize. He was great against the Ravens and backed it up by smoking Houston. Most importantly, he’s protecting the football.
Scouting Report. Cleveland Browns. player. Pick Analysis. QB. Baker Mayfield. 17. 53
2021 stats: 1,474 yards | 67.1 comp % | 6 TD | 3 INT | 8.5 YPA | 41.5 QBR
LW: 14
It might be time to sit Mayfield down. Not because he’s deserving of a demotion, but he looks hurt. Three more turnovers for the former No. 1 overall pick and a QBR barely over 40. It’s been really ugly.
QB. Atlanta Falcons. Pick Analysis. Matt Ryan. 16. player. 44. Scouting Report
2021 stats: 1,332 yards | 69.1 comp % | 10 TD | 3 INT | 6.5 YPA | 53.4 QBR
LW: 20
Ryan has been solid thus far, and this weekend takes a trip to Miami for a game against the reeling Dolphins. If the Falcons can win, they’re suddenly 3-3.
Jameis Winston. player. Scouting Report. QB. New Orleans Saints. 15. Pick Analysis. 15
2021 stats: 892 yards | 60.3 comp % | 12 TD | 3 INT | 7.7 YPA | 64.3 QBR
LW: 15
Winston comes out of the bye and draws a dreadful Seattle defense. This is a good spot to start racking up a bit more yardage.
Pick Analysis. QB. Mac Jones. 47. Scouting Report. New England Patriots. 14. player
2021 stats: 1,472 yards | 71.1 comp % | 7 TD | 6 INT | 7.0 YPA | 50.1 QBR
LW: 19
Jones shocked everyone with a 75-yard bomb that almost beat the Cowboys on Sunday in the fourth quarter. It would be nice to see more aggressive play-calling from Josh McDaniels.
35. QB. Tennessee Titans. 13. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Ryan Tannehill
2021 stats: 1,467 yards | 63.6 comp % | 6 TD | 4 INT | 7.2 YPA | 54.9 QBR
LW: 12
Tannehill didn’t do anything special in Tennessee’s dramatic win, but he made all the throws in the second half — mostly to A.J. Brown — that were needed. A nice job managing the game when Derrick Henry wasn’t running wild.
Pick Analysis. QB. Scouting Report. Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow. 12. player. 56
2021 stats: 1,540 yards | 70.7 comp % | 14 TD | 7 INT | 8.9 YPA | 55.8 QBR
LW: 13
Burrow gets knocked for not having elite arm talent, but he’s taking shots to Ja’Marr Chase often while still completing more than 70 percent of his throws. If he tones down the turnovers, he’ll move up further.
Scouting Report. QB. Minnesota Vikings. Pick Analysis. Kirk Cousins. 11. player. 60
2021 stats: 1,769 yards | 69.5 comp % | 13 TD | 2 INT | 7.4 YPA | 56.5 QBR
LW: 11
Cousins is quietly playing really well for Minnesota. At 3-3, the Vikings are in the chase for a playoff berth and the quarterback play is driving most of their success. Only two interceptions while taking shots downfield.
Pick Analysis. QB. Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers. Scouting Report. 10. player. 49
2021 stats: 1,436 yards | 66.7 comp % | 12 TD | 3 INT | 7.7 YPA | 65.5 QBR
LW: 9
Rodgers isn’t throwing for much yardage, but he’s extending plays and drives at a tremendous clip. The Packers are 5-1 and while there’s little chance he nabs consecutive MVPs, Rodgers remains elite.
Pick Analysis. QB. Las Vegas Raiders. Derek Carr. 9. Scouting Report. player. 28
2021 stats: 1,946 yards | 64.2 comp % | 10 TD | 4 INT | 8.4 YPA | 59.5 QBR
LW: 10
After a few rough games, Carr bounced back and went for more than 300 yards in a key victory over Denver. If the Raiders make the playoffs, it’ll be because Carr and the pass rush stepped up.
13. Scouting Report. Justin Herbert. 8. Pick Analysis. QB. Los Angeles Chargers. player
2021 stats: 1,771 yards | 65.4 comp % | 14 TD | 4 INT | 7.2 YPA | 61.6 QBR
LW: 5
Herbert had a real clunker against the Ravens, posting a QBR of 18 while throwing for 195 yards on 5.0 yards per attempt. The Chargers remain a contender and Herbert is having a terrific year overall. Expect a rebound after the bye week.
QB. Buffalo Bills. 7. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Josh Allen. 16
2021 stats: 1,723 yards | 62.3 comp % | 15 TD | 3 INT | 7.5 YPA | 65.8 QBR
LW: 8
Allen was spectacular in the loss to the Titans, throwing for 353 yards and three scores. Since starting the season with two poor performances, Allen has been dialed in, finding Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs and Emmanuel Sanders relentlessly.
Pick Analysis. Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes. 6. 124. Scouting Report. QB. player
2021 stats: 1,887 yards | 69.0 comp % | 18 TD | 8 INT | 7.8 YPA | 70.9 QBR
LW: 4
What to do with Mahomes? He’s leading the league with eight interceptions, including one of the worst you’ll ever see from Sunday. However, he’s first in touchdowns, third in yards and second in QBR while leading the NFL with 7.0 yards per carry. He’s a conundrum.
Pick Analysis. QB. Dallas Cowboys. 5. player. 123. Scouting Report. Dak Prescott
2021 stats: 1,813 yards | 73.1 comp % | 16 TD | 4 INT | 8.4 YPA | 55.4 QBR
LW: 7
Prescott torched a Bill Belichick-coached defense for 445 yards in a 35-29 overtime win. The Cowboys are a contender at 5-1, and it’s because Prescott is having a fantastic season.
Pick Analysis. Baltimore Ravens. 4. Scouting Report. QB. Lamar Jackson. player. 26
2021 stats: 1,686 yards | 67.5 comp % | 9 TD | 5 INT | 8.7 YPA | 62.6 QBR
LW: 6
Jackson elevates two more spots. He didn’t have a great game against the Chargers, throwing two interceptions in a 34-6 win. However, his legs are the most dangerous in football and his passing presence has shot up in 2021.
Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford. 3. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB. 51
2021 stats: 1,838 yards | 69.5 comp % | 16 TD | 4 INT | 9.2 YPA | 75.0 QBR
LW: 3
Stafford was expected to be a star in Los Angles, and he hasn’t disappointed. The Rams are 5-1 and Stafford’s numbers are phenomenal across the board, pacing the NFL in YPA and QBR.
player. 32. Scouting Report. Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray. 2. Pick Analysis. QB
2021 stats: 1,741 yards | 73.8 comp % | 14 TD | 4 INT | 8.9 YPA | 68.0 QBR
LW: 2
Murray and the Cardinals are playing elite football. The former No. 1 overall pick is completing more than 73 percent of his throws while ranking second in the NFL in yards per attempt. An MVP-caliber beginning to his year.
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. player. QB. Tom Brady. 1. 48
2021 stats: 2,064 yards | 68.5 comp % | 17 TD | 3 INT | 7.7 YPA | 66.4 QBR
LW: 1
This man is 44 years old. Have fun squaring that mentally.