NFL QB Rankings entering Week 8: J.J. McCarthy surprises, Brock Purdy loses steam

There were several standout performances on the quarterback front in Week 7, from J.J. McCarthy's sterling New York Giants debut in Houston, to potential MVP statements from Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, Chicago's Caleb Williams and Detroit's Jared Goff.

As always, there were a few stinkers as well. Let's dive into our updated QB rankings, with notes on McCarthy, the MVP race, the NFC South and more:

NFL quarterback rankings entering Week 8

J.J. McCarthy has found new life with the Giants

The Minnesota Vikings effectively gave up on J.J. McCarthy before the season even started. Was that a mistake? McCarthy made his first New York Giants start on Sunday in a rousing OT win over the Texans. He completed 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards, without a turnover. That comes after he subbed in for the fourth quarter of last Sunday's near-comeback against New Orleans, in which he set an NFL record with 243 passing yards in 11 minutes of game time.

McCarthy looks completely viable right now. It's a shock to the system, honestly. To fail in Minnesota's offensive ecosystem — after all the transformative success of Sam Darnold before him — felt like a death knell for his NFL career. Surely the Giants, with their injury proneness and the play call stylings of Matt Nagy, wouldn't be any better.

And yet... McCarthy's talent, which popped so frequently at Michigan and during the pre-draft process, despite his relative youth and inexperience, is right at the forefront in New York. He's confident and composed in the pocket. He's layering passes all over the field and generating explosive plays. The Giants are in the driver's seat to win the NFC East at this point. If McCarthy continues on his current arc, not only will he rise up these rankings; he could leave New York with a tough decision in the offseason.

Brock Purdy slips in MVP race with dud against Atlanta

Brock Purdy was the MVP frontrunner through six weeks, but his track record is one of consistent goodness, not greatness. Purdy has long outperformed expectations as a former seventh-round pick, but there was always a sense of squandered opportunity with the San Francisco 49ers quarterback; it was as if the Niners committed to a QB who never quite moved the needle.

It can be difficult to properly judge QB value in a Kyle Shanahan offense. Even after all these years, he's the standard by which so many offensive playcallers are judged. He made Mac Jones look like a star when the majority of NFL media was ready to write up the career obituary. Even with all the injuries San Francisco has suffered over the years, Purdy (and his QB counterparts) have found ways to exceed individual expectations. Simply put: Purdy has been dinged with the age-old description of "system QB."

This has been Purdy's most impressive individual campaign to date. He was damn near flawless through six weeks; as were the Niners, who entered Sunday's bout in Atlanta with a 6-0 record. The Falcons were able to hand San Francisco its first loss of the season, however. An offense — and a quarterback — that protected the football and relentlessly moved the chains all year was suddenly frazzled against a defense of middling acclaim. Purdy threw two costly interceptions in key spots. He still completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 288 yards, so it was far from a catastrophic performance. It was, however, his first real setback in the MVP race, and perhaps a reminder of Purdy's limitations.

Jared Goff is flying under the radar

We should talk about Jared Goff more. The Detroit Lions are back in the postseason hunt and Goff, really, should be getting more love as an MVP candidate. The veteran quarterback isn't necessarily the flashiest player, so it's easy enough to sideline him in conversations around more "dynamic," dual-threat weapons like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or even the once-undefeated Brock Purdy.

Goff is playing damn near perfect football, though. He has completed 67.3 percent of his throws this season for 1,788 yards (sixth in the NFL). He also has 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions — the first quarterback in league history to achieve such a milestone through six starts.

He's not completely without blemish, of course. Goff leads the NFL with six fumbles, which is something to clean up. Given his composure and efficiency in the pocket, however — with the Lions now 4-2 in a tough division — it's hard not to stump for Goff as an MVP candidate. He currently has the eighth-best odds (+2500) at FanDuel, which feels almost disrespectful. Goff was brilliant in Detroit's gutsy 20-17 win over the Packers on Sunday afternoon, which could prove critical in the NFC North race.

NFC South QB rankings: What is going on here, exactly?

The NFC South is the gift that keeps on giving. Just when you think a team might separate from the pack, reality strikes back. There is no such thing as a "frontrunner" in the NFC South. Only a momentary peak in a season full of valleys.

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers were easily the most impressive QB and team — on paper — in the NFC South through Week 6. In Week 7, Young hit a snag and Carolina lost 43-13 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Baker Mayfield's return. Mayfield completed just seven passes for 67 yards, but the Bucs found other ways to produce points, which was largely a result of Young's three turnovers.

Tyler Shough has performed well all season for a New Orleans Saints team that can't seem to win games. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are the hottest team at the moment. Michael Penix Jr. has led Atlanta to a 3-2 record since his return from a torn Achilles; the Falcons dethroned the undefeated 49ers on Sunday, with Penix looking sharp. He has nine touchdowns to one interception on the campaign.

Right now, Penix is teasing a real leap into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks. But five starts does not make a career, and the Falcons are nothing if not unreliable. No team is better at yanking the rug out from beneath its fanbase. So, as the year progresses, the proper ranking of NFC South quarterbacks (and teams) will be a lively discussion. It seems like the answer changes every Sunday.

NFL quarterbacks on the hot seat

Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders

Kirk Cousins continues to put together an excellent individual campaign for the Las Vegas Raiders. He ranks third in the NFL in passing yards (1,877) and first in touchdowns (16). Unfortunately, the team around him is struggling to keep up. Las Vegas lost its fourth straight game on Sunday to fall below .500 on the season. There will come a time when No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza hears his number called, even if Cousins is not at fault for the Raiders' demise.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are 2-5 and Daniel Jones has almost twice as many interceptions (seven) as touchdown passes (four) on the season. It seems like major changes are brewing ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Jones' contract probably means he won't end up in a trade himself, but as the Colts grasp at straws, a motion to start Anthony Richardson Sr. (or a future trade acquisition) is not out of the question. If anything, it feels inevitable.

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals fell to 2-5 on Sunday, with a league-worst point differential (-66) that puts the kabosh on any optimism tied to their Week 6 win over the L.A. Rams. Jacoby Brissett is another quarterback who does not deserve much of the blame for his team's failure. He's one of the more dependable journeymen in the NFL. That said, with Arizona barrelling toward the bottom of the standings, it could be worth seeing what Carson Beck can do before eventually selecting a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings advanced to 6-0 with a gritty win over the Colts on Sunday. Minnesota's defense is the most fearsome unit in football right now; their offense is a complete dud. Murray can still create unique opportunities with his legs, but he's otherwise very conservative in his approach nowadays, unable to generate explosive plays past the line to gain. The Vikings missed the boat on J.J. McCarthy's breakout, obviously, but Minnesota is the rare undefeated team with reason to consider a QB upgrade at the trade deadline. We know this Kevin O'Connell offense is ripe with latent potential.

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