��QB Index, Week 2: Josh Allen claims the No. 1 spot, but Patrick Mahomes is hot on his heels

QB Index

��QB Index, Week 2: Josh Allen claims the No. 1 spot, but Patrick Mahomes is hot on his heels

Published: Sep 14, 2022 at 12:57 PM

Marc Sessler

Ranking quarterbacks, at its core, is a subjective exercise.

In doing so, I'm choosing to lean heavily on career sample size out of the gate.

The first few weeks of an ��season are exploratory and volatile. The most striking visual we have of Aaron Rodgers from Sunday is the agitated quarterback on the sideline. Whipping his hands about. Using the language of a sailor.

Not that different from a year ago, when Rodgers and the Packers looked asleep at the wheel in a against the Saints. Ultimately, MVP voters weren't swayed an inch by that ill opener when handing him the award for a second straight season.

That's why Rodgers -- along with a handful of other rough-start passers -- aren't hanging out in the basement of these rankings. If last Sunday happens seven more times to Green Bay's signal-caller, I'll be singing a different tune.

On to the list!

Related Links

Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 5

I still recall the day when Sports Illustrated's 1988 ��Preview showed up at my house. Splashed across the cover was my favorite player, Cleveland’s sidearm-flinging Bernie Kosar, beside a juicy caption: Even as an obsessed young Browns fan, the concept bugged me. How could one guy be the end of the line? Doesn’t humanity always find a way to surprise?

Late-'80s Football Heads would have exploded into a billion fragments at the sight of Josh Allen. His brilliant play against the Rams put his one-of-a-kind physical gifts on full display before Planet Earth: using his 6-foot-5, 237-pound alpha-doused framework to , and . Allen is built to overcome the occasional gaffe. His two picks -- the first coming off an Isaiah McKenzie bobble that wound up in the hands of a defender -- melt away against the overall body of work.

Allen’s chemistry with on-field dance partner Stefon Diggs is . The game-sealing to the wideout came with Allen darting away from defenders and hurling the ball while moving at 13.6 mph, the on a completion of 50-plus yards in the history of Next Gen Stats. Having crossed over from our ��offices to SoFi Stadium to watch this game live, it became clear: He’s the most physically dominant quarterback I’ve ever seen in person.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 6

Questions draped around a post-Tyreek Hill Chiefs attack evaporated minutes into Sunday’s romp over the Cardinals. Mahomes morphed into a burning blaze, steering three straight touchdown marches to open the game en route to a 360-yard, five-touchdown day. It’s how he did it: Shrugging off Hill’s lost speed to connect with nine different skill-position players inside a scheme that leaned on two -- sometimes three -- tight ends. Signature , and a dart to Travis Kelce tell the story. Andy Reid was tasked with cooking up a new plan on offense; Mahomes with making it go. Together they demoralized Arizona’s defense in mere minutes and never peered back.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 3

Herbert's in a good situation. His protection has improved. Brandon Staley's defense -- full of new pieces -- made life hell on Derek Carr while Herbert watched from afar. Losing Keenan Allen to a hamstring injury didn't help, but the Chargers quarterback found him in time for one of Sunday’s more eye-exploding feats. Herbert went on to hit Allen’s replacement, DeAndre Carter, on a 23-yard touchdown that showed off his . These throws seem to almost travel through defenders interdimensionally, crushing their spirit in the process.

Rank

Tom Brady

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 23

Did Brady look like the fourth-best quarterback in football on Sunday night? He did not. His heroics were de-emphasized in favor of a Leonard Fournette-led ground game that chewed up the Cowboys for 152 yards. Brady still made plays, though, showing off his arm with a to Julio Jones. Brady’s ugliest play -- he later said -- was an off-target, poor decision jumped on by Donovan Wilson. His defense made that a nonissue, though, smothering the 'Boys into oblivion. I’m comfortable locking Brady into a top-five slot until we see something more distressing.

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers · Year 18

I’m applying my Brady logic to the league’s back-to-back MVP. Rodgers was -- -- over Sunday’s discombobulated passing attack in a bitter loss to the Vikings. Davante Adams wouldn’t have dropped the perfectly placed bomb that off the hands of rookie Christian Watson. Green Bay’s leading receiver was runner AJ Dillon. Environment matters. Missing your two starting tackles matters. How Aa-Rod rebounded from last year’s matters, too.

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 5

I care little about the slow start against the Jets. Lamar found his way into the game when it mattered most. He in the form of a 55-yard laser to Rashod Bateman. He on a gorgeous scoring strike to Devin Duvernay. He utterly befuddled the Jets on a to move the chains. I see an improved thrower inside a critical bet-on-yourself campaign.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 3

If Minkah Fitzpatrick doesn't block Evan McPherson’s extra point with 2 seconds left in regulation, we're using this space to tell you how Burrow can overcome even his worst career start. I'm less concerned about the and more piqued by the seven sacks and 11 hits he took behind a supposedly rebuilt line. We thought those days were over. Still, Burrow threw just two picks over his previous eight games including Cincy’s Super Bowl run. This was a bad night at the bar.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 14

Burrow and Stafford pair well together in the I'm Not Freaking Out Yet portion of this list. Like Burrow, the Rams quarterback was sacked seven times behind a line unable to match a Bills defense that caused endless chaos with an organic four-man rush. Stafford was into and failed to make use of Allen Robinson across from Cooper Kupp. Interceptions and streaky play are part of the package around a quarterback equally capable of lofty heights.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Minnesota Vikings · Year 11

Cousins has long been dinged for not raising the offense around him -- for operating as a glass of milk -- but this Vikings attack has new energy. I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I’m falling for the Minnesota outfit I saw on Sunday: OPOY candidate with a 9/184/2 line and working in unison beside a quarterback who delivered the ball with flair. Maybe Kyle Brandt is ?

Rank

Russell Wilson

Denver Broncos · Year 11

Growing pains were expected. That's exactly what we got from Wilson's first outing in Nathaniel Hackett's offense. Sixteen points off eight possessions with too many drives stalling in the red zone. The Broncos kicked field goals from Seattle’s 8, 12 and 22 while losing a pair of goal-line fumbles. Hackett then opted for a flubbed Brandon McManus 64-yard field-goal attempt with 20 ticks left on the clock – the result of – over handing Wilson the ball on fourth-and-5. Pete Carroll’s loving life.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 4

Murray waltzed into a buzz saw on Sunday. Facing a rugged Chiefs defense, the diminutive passer was asked to keep up with Patrick Mahomes inside an attack missing DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore. Murray Hollywood Brown a smattering of times, but little else, as Arizona tumbled into a 37-7 hole. Kliff Kingsbury pointed to -- he’s not wrong -- but Kyler struggles as a one-man band.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 3

It’s no surprise Hurts plowed through the Lions for 90 yards and a score off 17 carries. It’s how -- and why -- he did it. Hurts used his legs to , with center Jason Kelce acknowledging: “He numerous times." The Eagles don’t beat the Lions without that aspect to Jalen’s game, but his arm helped, too. to A.J. Brown, who a monster 10/155 line in a powerful debut.

Rank

Ryan Tannehill

Tennessee Titans · Year 11

Tannehill logged another solid start in Sunday’s crushing loss to the Giants. He threw a handful of precision darts and to kick a game-winning 47-yard field goal. Randy Bullock the invite. Still, it was encouraging to see Tannehill with Kyle Philips (6/66) and first-round enigma Treylon Burks (3/55) in a post-A.J. Brown universe. The offense needs more from Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and tight end Austin Hooper, who combined for 32 yards in the loss.

Rank

Derek Carr

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 9

Vegas is cooked when Carr turns into a mistake-prone fellow on the run. It’s no picnic behind an overwhelmed Raiders line, but was dangerous. So was . Rinse and . Carr and Davante Adams created a of plays, but the entire operation sits under siege behind a patchwork front five that used of blockers in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. The new attack deserves time, but there’s little margin for error in the gnarly AFC West.

Rank

Jameis Winston

New Orleans Saints · Year 8

Once a Pick-Six Droid, Winston now has a 16:3 TD-to-INT ratio in his last eight starts. He took a beating for three quarters against a Falcons rush that piled up four sacks and . Then Winston , hitting 11 of 12 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns on back-to-back, fourth-quarter marches that brought the Saints within two points of Atlanta. His with Jarvis Landry to set up a game-winning field goal was arguably the biggest play of his career. Winston’s chemistry with Michael Thomas as the game grew more frantic. All of this happened in a post-Sean Payton world!

Rank

Matt Ryan

Indianapolis Colts · Year 15

Ryan's debut against the Texans was predictable. He made his share of Ryan-esque throws, lobbed an and lost a fumble. He was hurt by drops, including an by rookie wideout Alec Pierce in the end zone. Coach Frank Reich leaned more on rumbler Jonathan Taylor to tug the game into overtime. I see a Colts team with plenty to clean up and it starts up front: It was uncomfortable watching Indy's 37-year-old quarterback absorb after the next.

Rank

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins · Year 3

Tua is 4-0 against the Patriots. That translates to Dolphins fans. So does the look of Mike McDaniel’s offense. The first-year coach has Tagovailoa dipped in a broth of bootlegs and play-action looks tailored to the third-year passer. His accuracy , but he’s lucky to have . The was the kind of throw that raises belief in Tua’s future, but I’m comfortable placing the under-pressure starter right in the middle of the pack right now.

Rank

Carson Wentz

Washington Commanders · Year 7

Washington fans got a full taste of Wentz in Sunday’s win over the Jaguars. Touchdown passes on his first two drives to build a 14-3 lead. Back-to-back picks to open the fourth quarter and sink the Commanders in a 22-14 hole. Then a pair of scoring strikes, including the winning touchdown pass to rookie Jahan Dotson. He misses throws. a target or two. Then fires off a . This kid can play. And then he can’t. And then he can!

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 2

Lawrence is growing. He’ll miss a throw. Then . Then watch as Travis Etienne a wide-open screen near the end zone. The Jaguars put up a fight in Washington. Lawrence helped, but also chose to uncork a wayward late-fourth-quarter deep shot that landed in enemy hands to end the game. Lawrence feels close to a monster performance, but never far from a decision or two that costs his team a win.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 7

Goff showed resilience against a white-knuckle Eagles defense. He started a horrid 3-of-10 for 6 yards with a that buried Detroit in a 21-7 hole. He sat at 53 yards by halftime. Goff threw a handful of down the stretch, but his big early mistakes arguably cost the Lions a win. Detroit knows what Goff is: a streaky player who vibes one-dimensional. His uglier miscues forced the Rams to make a decision. The Lions will likely make their own after this season.

Rank

Marcus Mariota

Atlanta Falcons · Year 8

Mariota piled up 72 yards on the ground and went without a pick. Still, his fumbled snap on third-and-1 in Saints territory with 1:40 to go was a killer. It forced a punt and allowed New Orleans to rip down the field for a game-winning field goal. said Mariota. Peering beyond Atlanta’s crumble job against the Saints, one of the bigger developments for the offense was proof that rookie wideout Drake London will be an immediate contributor. Mariota for 74 yards off five grabs – but where was Kyle Pitts?

Rank

Justin Fields

Chicago Bears · Year 2

Fields recorded just eight completions in an upset win over the Niners in a driving rain. The elements make for a murky evaluation, but the second-year passer showed growth. Against a formidable San Francisco front, Fields magically escaped the rush, rolled to his left and to a solitary Dante Pettis for a 51-yard touchdown. He took advantage of another Niners breakdown on his to Equanimeous St. Brown. Fields is visibly more comfortable than a year ago. Some of his best plays come on the move. If he can avoid to pressure, the Bears have on their hands.

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 10

Geno owned Monday night. Smart decisions. Crisp passes. A juicy to tight end Will Dissly and a to Colby Parkinson. All unfolding as Russell Wilson watched from the visiting sideline. Smith piled up 17 points on Seattle’s first four drives and looked more comfortable in Wilson’s old offense than Wilson looked in Denver’s. Geno threw 28 passes and missed on just five attempts without turning the ball over. As the final seconds ticked away, the home crowd boomed in unison: Nothing short of a Gregg Rosenthal .

Rank

Mitchell Trubisky

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 6

Mike Tomlin said. “(He) made the necessary plays in the waning moments. I’m appreciative of his efforts.” Behind a suspect offensive line, Trubisky went turnover-free in a wild win over the Bengals. His mobility arguably saved the day for Pittsburgh on a daring escape act and to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Trubisky has been pitched all along as a game manager – a stopgap – for a team hoping to win games the old-fashioned way. This version of Mitchell looks far more comfortable than the jittery fellow we witnessed in Chicago.

Rank

Mac Jones

New England Patriots · Year 2

The hope is that Jones will be to suit up against the Steelers after dealing with back spasms in the loss to Miami. If he plays, will New England grow more creative against a rabid Pittsburgh defense? Jones was plopped into a scheme that against the Dolphins, per The Athletic. The Pats mostly ignored play action, a schematic friend to Jones in the past. One of the team's better weapons, Kendrick Bourne, barely saw the field. Last year's top rookie quarterback deserves better.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 4

Danny Dimes is playing for his future in New York. His second-to-last throw against Tennessee was a 1-yard touchdown to Chris Myarick to pull within a point of the Titans. His next was a masterfully designed that put Big Blue up 21-20. The edgy two-point conversion call covered many sins, including Jones throwing in the end zone earlier in the quarter. New Giants coach Brian Daboll was caught on camera his starter. It's the same exact treatment .

Rank

Trey Lance

San Francisco 49ers · Year 2

Lance is a ball of potential. He made on Sunday with a dart that cut through a swath of Bears defenders to find Ray-Ray McCloud for a 20-yard gain. His 11-yarder to Ross Dwelley over the middle on third-and-10 saw the quarterback maturely step up and make a throw. Lance also produced a rough interception where he didn't see Eddie Jackson on a risky pass. The newbie put up a 13/54 line on the ground, but also generated just three points in the second half, struggled in the rain and was ultimately outclassed by fellow second-year passer Justin Fields. I doubt the win-now Niners will long tolerate a "developmental season" under center, but how does Lance grow without forging through the ups and downs?

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Carolina Panthers · Year 5

Baker was Baker on Sunday. Streaky play, moments of intrigue and scant suggestion he's the long-term answer in Carolina. After the Panthers squeezed out 6 yards of offense in the first quarter, Mayfield in the second and had four batted balls before halftime. He also muffed a quartet of snaps on the day -- luckily losing none -- and nearly still beat the Browns. His was on the money. He threw a to tight end Ian Thomas for 50 yards that set the table for a touchdown. Carolina's offensive line is an issue, though, which typically spells doom for consistent play from this quarterback.

Rank

Davis Mills

Houston Texans · Year 2

You see a little bit of everything from Mills ...

THE GOOD: He looked great flinging , who caught a pair of touchdowns during Sunday's bizarro tie with the Colts.

THE IFFY: Mills could have on a creative flea flicker to Brandin Cooks.

THE BAD: Mills missed a wide-open Chris Conley on third down to kill a drive. It's a throw he's got to nail.

Dating back to last September, though, he's put a weekly batch of intriguing passes on tape. Under the watch of Pep Hamilton, Mills sits in an ideal low-pressure situation to just keep playing.

Rank

Jacoby Brissett

Cleveland Browns · Year 7

Lumbering. That's the word that comes to mind watching Brissett . He for Cleveland's first score of the year only after missing the runner on . All over the map against the Panthers -- he at one point -- Brissett's play was masked over by Hunt and Nick Chubb rumbling for a dominant 186 yards on the ground.

Rank

Joe Flacco

New York Jets · Year 15

Armed with the mobility of a funnel cake, in Sunday's ugly loss to Baltimore. Gang Green pass catchers didn't help with a pair of fumbles, too many drops and a tight end slipping to the turf on Flacco's lone pick. Flacco's major issue -- a complete inability to move in the pocket -- isn't something the 37-year-old can fix. Having him throw the ball 59 times doesn't help. Why not dial up Mike White until Zach Wilson heals up?

Rank

Cooper Rush

Dallas Cowboys · Year 6

With following , the Cowboys now turn to Rush. Chalk it up as .

Even before the injury, Prescott appeared uncharacteristically adrift against the Bucs inside a Cowboys offense with a beaten-up line and depth issues at wideout. We knew the attack had problems, but it was worse than expected, with Dallas pumping out seven straight possessions of 13 or fewer yards after an opening-drive field goal. It will help when CeeDee Lamb is joined by Michael Gallup, but can Dallas play around Cooper?

Follow on Twitter.

The Air Index presented by FedEx ranks ��quarterback performances all season long. Check out the weekly FedEx Air ��Players of the Week and cast your vote after Sunday Night Football.

��

QB Index