{"id":11769,"date":"2025-09-16T09:50:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T09:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=11769"},"modified":"2025-09-16T09:50:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T09:50:52","slug":"2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-3","title":{"rendered":"2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 3: Injuries Are Sadly Piling Up Quickly to Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/league\/nfl-352\">NFL<\/a> had one of the highest-scoring days in league history for Sunday\u2019s Week 2 slate. However, I would argue the overall quarterback play wasn\u2019t very good despite the points scored, and that could be seen with only two players <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/qbr\/_\/view\/weekly\/week\/2\">producing a QBR<\/a> over 80.0 after nine did so in Week 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the injuries are sadly piling up in a hurry as Joe Burrow (turf toe), Justin Fields (concussion), Jayden Daniels (sprained knee), and J.J. McCarthy (high ankle sprain) are all on the mend with Burrow\u2019s the most serious injury as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/news\/joe-burrow-injury-update-turf-toe-bengals-qb\/\">he\u2019ll reportedly miss<\/a> at least three months. Brock Purdy already became the first quarterback this season to miss a start due to injury for turf toe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It already looks like a volatile season with wild weekly swings is underway, except for in Indianapolis where Daniel Jones is done with punting the football for the 2-0 Colts, the biggest surprise team so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in a week where most of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-2\">top quarterbacks from Week 1<\/a> failed to really shine much, there\u2019s not a ton of movement at the top of this week\u2019s rankings. But there\u2019s a lot of room in the middle and bottom for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each week at <a href=\"https:\/\/365scores.onelink.me\/Jiou\/ENASO\">365Scores<\/a>, we are going to rank all 32 NFL quarterbacks from top to bottom. The methodology is to start with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings\">preseason quarterback rankings<\/a> from July, which were based on a mixture of career value and recent play. <strong>Then each week, we will adjust the rankings to account for the latest game to get a sense of which quarterbacks are performing the best in the 2025 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#1-patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs\">1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-lamar-jackson-baltimore-ravens\">2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#3-josh-allen-buffalo-bills\">3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-justin-herbert-los-angeles-chargers\">4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#5-jayden-daniels-washington-commanders\">5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#6-joe-burrow-cincinnati-bengals\">6. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#7-jared-goff-detroit-lions\">7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#8-matthew-stafford-los-angeles-rams\">8. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#9-jordan-love-green-bay-packers\">9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#10-dak-prescott-dallas-cowboys\">10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#11-jalen-hurts-philadelphia-eagles\">11. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#12-baker-mayfield-tampa-bay-buccaneers\">12. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#13-aaron-rodgers-pittsburgh-steelers\">13. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#14-kyler-murray-arizona-cardinals\">14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#15-daniel-jones-indianapolis-colts\">15. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#16-geno-smith-las-vegas-raiders\">16. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#17-sam-darnold-seattle-seahawks\">17. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#18-michael-penix-jr-atlanta-falcons\">18. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#19-c-j-stroud-houston-texans\">19. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#20-bo-nix-denver-broncos\">20. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#21-trevor-lawrence-jacksonville-jaguars\">21. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#22-russell-wilson-new-york-giants\">22. Russell Wilson, New York Giants<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#23-joe-flacco-cleveland-browns\">23. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#24-caleb-williams-chicago-bears\">24. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#25-drake-maye-new-england-patriots\">25. Drake Maye, New England Patriots<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#26-mac-jones-san-francisco-49-ers\">26. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#27-justin-fields-new-york-jets\">27. Justin Fields, New York Jets<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#28-tua-tagovailoa-miami-dolphins\">28. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#29-bryce-young-carolina-panthers\">29. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#30-spencer-rattler-new-orleans-saints\">30. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#31-cam-ward-tennessee-titans\">31. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#32-j-j-mc-carthy-minnesota-vikings\">32. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs\">1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 1 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later this week, we\u2019ll be posting a special article about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/patrick-mahomes-63626\">Patrick Mahomes<\/a> as he turns 30 years old this week. Be on the lookout for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The best QB ever in his 20s is about to play his last game before he turns 30.<br><br>Posting next week. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z3gfxHBxAj\">pic.twitter.com\/Z3gfxHBxAj<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1966672617189806184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the things we\u2019ll look at there is the way Mahomes has been the best in history at winning the close games and overcoming his defense\u2019s inability to get takeaways. But while the Chiefs excelled in those areas at historic rates in 2024, they are 0-2 in close games and haven\u2019t had a takeaway on defense yet in 2025. Regression strikes again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This came to a head in Kansas City\u2019s latest loss to the Eagles that secured the first 3-game losing streak of Mahomes\u2019 NFL career. But this game was very winnable, and he certainly played well enough to lead the Chiefs to 24 or 27 points on just nine drives as the Chiefs still rank No. 3 in yards per drive if you can believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mahomes is even up to No. 4 in QBR (81.4) on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/qbr\">the season<\/a> after Monday night, and that is largely, if not exclusively, built on his ability to scramble right now. By far the Chiefs\u2019 best play right now is for Mahomes to scramble. Mahomes rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown by halftime against the Eagles, doing things he\u2019d rather save for the playoffs, but feels it is necessary now with the offense being what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem is this is not sustainable at all. It\u2019s one thing to lead your team in rushing yards as a quarterback. Jayden Daniels did it last year as a rookie for Washington, but he also only accounted for 34.0% of his team\u2019s total rushing yards. Mahomes has outrushed his teammates in both games this year as he\u2019s accounted for 56.2% of the Chiefs\u2019 rushing yards. That\u2019s not good. That can\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not that Mahomes can\u2019t elevate the receivers he has left with Rashee Rice suspended for four more games. The issue is Xavier Worthy was going to be a huge part of the offense in his second season, and he lasted one pass play before Travis Kelce dislocated his shoulder by accident in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kelce followed that up with a good game against the Eagles until it came time for the finishing touches on what looked like an 80-yard touchdown drive to give the Chiefs a fourth-quarter lead. But instead of a Kelce touchdown, the pass went off his hands and to the Eagles for a huge interception that they turned into a touchdown drive of their own for a 14-point swing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to last week, the Chiefs waited until the last 5:00 to really start attacking deep. Mahomes badly missed Tyquan Thornton on a deep throw when he was wide open, but he made up for it a few snaps later by hitting a 49-yard touchdown bomb that basically traveled 60 yards in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">PATRICK MAHOMES 49-YARD TOUCHDOWN BOMB \ud83d\udea8<br><br>(via <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NFL<\/a>)<br><br> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W9JtHBOqZO\">pic.twitter.com\/W9JtHBOqZO<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BleacherReport\/status\/1967365943128117599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Where is that precision earlier in games? Good question. But Thornton looks like a player the Chiefs should keep trying to develop here. He played 28 games for the Patriots and had one game with 40 receiving yards. He\u2019s had 41 and 59 yards in two games with Mahomes, including the two longest catches of his career. That\u2019s proof Mahomes can still elevate a receiver, but they need a little more than this as they wait on Worthy and Rice to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The numbers for the Chiefs are all out of whack right now. Mahomes is running more than ever while his passing metrics have never looked worse. He\u2019s thrown as many deep (24+ air yards) touchdowns since February\u2019s Super Bowl as he did in the previous three seasons combined. Yet it\u2019s led to a three-game losing streak with two of those games against the Eagles, two games that couldn\u2019t have looked any different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best quarterback in his 20s will go into a must-win game to start his 30s this Sunday night against the Giants. Let\u2019s see what they come up with this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-lamar-jackson-baltimore-ravens\">2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 2 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another thing that stood out about Baltimore\u2019s prolific offense in 2024 was poor starting field position. That offense usually had to conquer long fields and it often did. But on Sunday, the Ravens got some breaks on an off day against Cleveland where Derrick Henry was shut down (11 rushes for 23 yards) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/lamar-jackson-63413\">Lamar Jackson<\/a> took 3 sacks as Myles Garrett is off to a great start in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was a close game in the third quarter before the Ravens blew it open, but don\u2019t discount the field position help here. The Ravens had touchdown drives of 24, 5, and 36 yards thanks to things like a blocked punt and some takeaways. The defense scored a touchdown too, and after blowing last week\u2019s lead, the Ravens took no chances by tacking on another touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins with 4:43 left to make it 41-10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Jackson did a good job of finding his secondary receivers for scores on his way to 4 touchdown passes, the field position was definitely the big factor here as the Ravens only had 242 yards of total offense after 432 in Buffalo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly enough, the 45 rushing yards were the first time the Ravens with Lamar were held under 60 rushing yards in a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2183938702-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 7: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&amp;T Bank Stadium on November 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. \" class=\"wp-image-11696\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Kevin Sabitus\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-josh-allen-buffalo-bills\">3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 3 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This 30-10 win against the Jets was definitely one of the weirdest Josh Allen games ever, and to be frank, I couldn\u2019t tell you how Allen finished with the second-highest QBR (83.8) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/qbr\/_\/view\/weekly\/week\/2\">Week 2<\/a> other than his 40-yard scramble on third-and-8 definitely boosts him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allen\u2019s game included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>0 touchdowns from him (passing or rushing)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 broken nose in the first quarter that caused Allen to temporarily leave the game for blood<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 intentional grounding penalties on Allen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 drive-extending penalties on third down after Allen incompletions, including a roughing on 3rd-and-19<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>12 throws before Allen gained more passing yards (33) than Mitch Trubisky had on a single 32-yard completion on the play he subbed in for during Allen\u2019s broken nose<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>James Cook was the star for Buffalo with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the passing game didn\u2019t need to do much against a New York offense that got 3 completions out of Justin Fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-justin-herbert-los-angeles-chargers\">4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 4 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prime-time games were rough for offense in Week 2 as even Justin Herbert came out misfiring in the first quarter. But he got on track with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston that was among the best throws of the week, and Johnston proved he wasn\u2019t just a Brazil fluke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Herbert finished with an efficient night (19-of-27 for 242 yards, 2 TD) and even led the team with 31 rushing yards, which isn\u2019t a great sign for how first-round rookie Omarion Hampton is faring. Herbert was charged for a fumble that was the rookie\u2019s fault in not taking the handoff properly. The Chargers basically took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the Chargers got the 20-9 win to move to 2-0 and on top of the AFC West where they are the new betting favorite. We\u2019ll see Herbert move up in the MVP odds too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-jayden-daniels-washington-commanders\">5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 5 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the roughest games of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/jayden-daniels-118200\">Jayden Daniels\u2019<\/a> brief NFL career have come with Micah Parsons on the other side if you go back to the Dallas games last year. Then on Thursday night, Daniels had arguably the least effective game of his career:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>His 4.8 yards per pass attempt is the lowest game in his career where he played the full game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He had 7 scrambles for 17 yards without any first downs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His 2.4 yards per rush was the lowest game of his career (min. 4 rushes).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Commanders were sitting on 10 points in the final 3:00 before a late touchdown and 2-point conversion led to a 27-18 loss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniels just couldn\u2019t get anything down the field and was fully contained as a runner. Now he\u2019s nursing an ankle sprain and his Week 3 status is up in the air. Daniels has yet to miss a start due to injury, but he did leave last year\u2019s Carolina game early with a rib injury as there is concern about his running style\/volume leading to injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2181403218-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 27: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland.\" class=\"wp-image-11538\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> (Photo by Scott Taetsch\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-joe-burrow-cincinnati-bengals\">6. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 6 (-1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to believe this might be the last time I rank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/joe-burrow-94314\">Joe Burrow<\/a> this season after his Grade 3 turf toe injury is going to require surgery that will keep him out at least three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the video of the injury:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Here&#39;s the play where Joe Burrow got injured. The Bengals QB is headed to the locker room <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Bengals<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Wmtjffkluk\">pic.twitter.com\/Wmtjffkluk<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/z0Bl27h2VD\">https:\/\/t.co\/z0Bl27h2VD<\/a><\/p>&mdash; John Breech (@johnbreech) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/johnbreech\/status\/1967289606908645823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At what point do we just acknowledge his style of play isn\u2019t protecting himself enough? This was a 2nd-and-20 situation in the first half. Is eating the ball and living to fight another drive really a bad strategy in that spot? It sure helped Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees to long careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then what happens if Jake Browning stays healthy for the rest of the season as he did in 2023 when he replaced Burrow? They\u2019re not importing a different offensive line in to play with Browning, who came back and won the game Sunday despite throwing three interceptions because he led the kind of clutch touchdown drive in the final minute that we rarely see from Burrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a real mess of a situation for the Bengals as it could easily lead to Zac Taylor keeping his job another year if the team is still very competitive without Burrow. But the Bengals are spending so much money on their passing game, making it harder to build a good offensive line and not get into 31-27 shootouts with Jacksonville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burrow is going to be a favorite to be a 3-time Comeback Player of the Year award winner in 2026. That\u2019s just sad at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-jared-goff-detroit-lions\">7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 10 (+3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems like Jared Goff and the Detroit offense took this 52-21 win over Ben Johnson\u2019s Bears personally as a way to show they can dominate without him calling plays. We said last week that people were floating a fake stat out there about Goff being 0-19 in games that weren\u2019t called by Johnson or Sean McVay, which is just not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Goff was on fire in this one, completing 23-of-28 passes for 334 yards and 5 touchdowns. That\u2019s what a real NFC Offensive Player of the Week should look like, which is an award I\u2019m assuming he\u2019s going to win after J.J. McCarthy somehow won it last week in a game that was also against the Bears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before we celebrate Goff too much, he\u2019s in Baltimore in prime time next Monday. That\u2019s a huge test for this offense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-widget-type=\"predictions\" data-entity-type=\"game\" data-widget-id=\"0.q4ftygn3yag\" data-lang=\"en-US\" data-entity-id=\"4427543\" data-publisher-id=\"125\" data-live-mode=\"true\" data-hide-powered-by=\"true\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.365scores.com\/main.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-matthew-stafford-los-angeles-rams\">8. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 8 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stafford is throwing the ball really well and has his first touchdown pass to Davante Adams. But I think I\u2019m waiting for Sunday\u2019s game in Philadelphia to really start ranking him this year to see how he fares against the champs after the Rams were the team who came the closest to knocking them off in the divisional round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"9-jordan-love-green-bay-packers\">9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 11 (+2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The defense with Micah Parsons has been the bigger story in Green Bay for this 2-0 start because of the teams they\u2019ve shut down. But I really like the way Jordan Love is playing too as he seems in control of the offense and taking over the games early to make the opponent one-dimensional late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The No. 1 receiver in Green Bay is the open one, and the only complaint I would make is first-round rookie Matthew Golden has 2 catches for 16 yards in two games. Love missed some deep chances to him in Week 2, but they\u2019ll work on that. They\u2019ll really have to since Jayden Reed broke his collarbone and is going to miss some time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"10-dak-prescott-dallas-cowboys\">10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 12 (+2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dak Prescott\u2019s 14th-straight win against the Giants was the hardest-earned win yet in that series with the way the Giants kept coming back to take the lead in that crazy finish. It\u2019s a good thing Brandon Aubrey has the best range of any kicker maybe ever, but the important things for Dak are getting back on the same page with CeeDee Lamb, getting George Pickens involved with a big touchdown, and closing the game properly in overtime for his 25th game-winning drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Dak playing like this, the Cowboys will be competitive. But it\u2019s not a good sign for returning to the playoffs that it took this much of an effort just to beat the Giants at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"11-jalen-hurts-philadelphia-eagles\">11. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 7 (-4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Eagles have a new offensive coordinator (Kevin Patullo), but that can\u2019t be the only reason why Jalen Hurts has thrown for just 253 yards in two games this season. That can\u2019t be the only reason he has completed just two passes thrown over 10 air yards this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Week 1, Hurts had all day to throw and still chose to throw very short passes against the Cowboys while scrambling. In Kansas City, the Chiefs blitzed Hurts relentlessly and he got the ball out quick, but it was much less effective this week save for one big throw to DeVonta Smith that wasn\u2019t the prettiest ball but it got there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Chiefs blitzed Jalen Hurts on 16 of his 25 dropbacks (64.0%), their highest blitz rate under DC Steve Spagnuolo (since 2019).<br><br>Hurts minimized pressure with a 2.11-second time to throw against the blitz, quickest of his career (min. 10 attempts).<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PHIvsKC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PHIvsKC<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FlyEaglesFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FlyEaglesFly<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/knvh0g0mFu\">pic.twitter.com\/knvh0g0mFu<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NextGenStats\/status\/1967386043956806020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hurts is now 2-0 in Arrowhead despite those wins being some of the worst games of his career. He should send Travis Kelce a fruit basket for those games for committing turnovers in the red zone in the fourth quarter both times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While people were busy comparing Mahomes to Tom Brady and another quarterback to Peyton Manning, I think the real comparison is right here. Hurts is actually the Brady in this rivalry as even Chris Jones pointed out how little yardage he produced in the win that was caught on a mic at the end of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Chris Jones: \u201cYou don\u2019t even have 100 yards.\u201d<br><br>Jalen Hurts: \u201cWe won the f*ckin game shut your ass up.\u201d \ud83d\udc80 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LY5gu6nNK1\">pic.twitter.com\/LY5gu6nNK1<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThePhillyPod\/status\/1967370354248286218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hurts isn\u2019t exactly getting the \u201che just wins\u201d treatment from fans since people react a bit differently today compared to 20 years ago. But in his mind, the stats don\u2019t matter even if this is not a sustainable way to keep winning games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While many clowned Jones for his take and thought Hurts got the best of that exchange, I see it a different way. I think it\u2019s telling one of the best defensive players in the game basically said he\u2019s not impressed with how you won today, and that it will eat at Hurts that many people refuse to rank him in the elite class of quarterbacks right now in large part because of his numbers and minimal contributions to some of these key wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you have to do a bit more to earn that status, so with the Rams coming up next, let\u2019s see if Hurts can do things like throw for 200 yards again and get A.J. Brown more involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"12-baker-mayfield-tampa-bay-buccaneers\">12. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 15 (+3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baker Mayfield definitely showed his toughness in a grinding comeback win in Houston on Monday night. He lost his offensive tackles in the game, but he still made a key scramble on 4th-and-10 during the game-winning touchdown drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Say what you will about Baker Mayfield but this dude is one of the top 5 most fun QBs to watch in the nfl <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HzQNywxeDF\">pic.twitter.com\/HzQNywxeDF<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Dom Italiano (@itsdomyoutube) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/itsdomyoutube\/status\/1967768587520942254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 16, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Would have liked to see a bit more passing consistency in the game after Mayfield didn\u2019t throw for 200 yards last week in Atlanta. He had a dropped pick on the opening touchdown drive, then the refs missed a tripping penalty on his screen pass touchdown to Emeka Egbuka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he\u2019s started this year with two late game-winning touchdown drives to get the shorthanded Bucs to 2-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"13-aaron-rodgers-pittsburgh-steelers\">13. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 13 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron Rodgers\u2019 home opener with the Steelers did not go well against Seattle. But people have drawn attention to this absurd throw he made on the opening drive that Pat Freiermuth unfortunately dropped, but the pass was money and showed that the 41-year-old still has it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Aaron Rodgers arm is still ridiculous <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4S8lpm9NU3\">pic.twitter.com\/4S8lpm9NU3<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mikerenner_\/status\/1967536716350448006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, Calvin Austin deflected a pass in the end zone for an interception in the third quarter when the Steelers tried to take the lead. Then instead of getting the ball back in a one-score game in the fourth quarter, Rodgers\u2019 rookie running back, Kaleb Johnson, made one of the dumbest plays you\u2019ll ever see when he let the kickoff go and the Seahawks recovered it in the end zone for an easy touchdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That put Rodgers in a two-score deficit mode, and the Steelers just didn\u2019t have the pass protection to hold up for him to overcome that this week. The defense and offensive line have been real letdowns for the Steelers so far. Go figure Rodgers joins a team and those elements just seem to fall off right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"14-kyler-murray-arizona-cardinals\">14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 17 (+3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll be nice to judge Kyler Murray when the Cardinals play a tougher opponent, but he\u2019s been solid for both wins so far. The only issue with this one is he threw a horrid pick in the red zone in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals were up 27-9 and in great position to add more points. It could have cost them too as Carolina mounted a comeback and had the ball late in a 27-22 win. There\u2019s just no excuse for a veteran throwing that pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, he\u2019s about the only player who can do this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Kyler Murray is still like that..  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0I9cqiojZR\">pic.twitter.com\/0I9cqiojZR<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sooners Insider (@SoonersInsider) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SoonersInsider\/status\/1967604223169978459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"15-daniel-jones-indianapolis-colts\">15. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 23 (+8)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t believe it either, and yes, we were fooled by Derek Carr last year. But that was also Carr spamming play-action passes on a small number of attempts against defenses that were struggling. Denver was supposed to be a good defense, and Jones still threw for over 300 yards and led a game-winning drive in a 29-28 comeback win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His coach nearly cost him the win late by not letting him throw it again to get closer&nbsp; than 60 yards, but they got the leverage call to go their way. Still, it\u2019s crazy to think this offense led by Daniel Jones is only the fifth since World War II ended to go back-to-back games without punting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Back-to-back games without punting has only been done 5 times since WW2:<br><br>\u2022 2003 Colts (1st two playoff games)<br>\u2022 2004 Steelers (Big Ben rookie year)<br>\u2022 2021 Bills (leading up to playoffs)<br>\u2022 2024 Commanders (Jayden)<br>\u2022 2025 Colts (Daniel Jones MVP year? \ud83d\ude31) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KKZplq4bdE\">https:\/\/t.co\/KKZplq4bdE<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottKacsmar\/status\/1967391281266717165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll see if he keeps it going, but this is the best Jones has played to start a season. The Colts have a good nucleus of talent too as rookie tight end Tyler Warren looks like the real deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"16-geno-smith-las-vegas-raiders\">16. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 14 (-2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After slinging the ball deep in New England last week, Geno Smith couldn\u2019t do much of anything against the Chargers in Monday night\u2019s 20-9 home loss. He was picked on his first pass, then he had an \u201carm punt\u201d interception before halftime that wasn\u2019t an issue. But then he forced a third pick in the end zone late, then he took a brutal sack on fourth down with under 4:00 to play. Then the next time he faced fourth down, he just threw the ball out of bounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just not a good start for division play in a division that is up for grabs right now with the way the Chiefs started. But the Raiders will lean on Smith heavily, and he can\u2019t be so off like he was last night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"17-sam-darnold-seattle-seahawks\">17. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 19 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sam Darnold had some rough moments with a few picks in this game, but he also threw for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns while getting credit for a game-winning drive on a field goal. He also found Cooper Kupp (90 yards) this week, so it wasn\u2019t just a one-man show despite JSN going for over 100 yards again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Darnold seems to be settling into his new offense, but we should preface it with the way the Steelers have looked totally lost on defense this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"18-michael-penix-jr-atlanta-falcons\">18. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 18 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After settling on the nickname of DOOM (Destiny of Ongoing Misfortune) for Penix last week, he ended up having a very low-drama night in Minnesota. Just relax, rely on your defense and great running back to care of things, and he cruised to a 22-6 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But we\u2019ll see what happens the next time the Falcons get in a tight one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"19-c-j-stroud-houston-texans\">19. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 16 (-3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was looking forward to seeing a full game of C.J. Stroud in his new offense and he left me unimpressed against the Buccaneers. Nico Collins had to make an incredible touchdown catch on the opening drive, then most of the plays made the rest of the night were just YAC efforts from Houston. Stroud missed some routine throws and didn\u2019t seem very confident in what he\u2019s doing yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also took advantage of some great field position late and Nick Chubb did all the work on the go-ahead drive that didn\u2019t hold up. Need Stroud to play better than this, but it\u2019s starting to look like that rookie season was the best it ever was going to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-1930660725-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 13: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans takes the field prior to the AFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Houston, Texas.\" class=\"wp-image-7244\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> (Photo by Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"20-bo-nix-denver-broncos\">20. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 20 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was definitely a bounce-back performance for Nix in Indy, though I\u2019m sure he\u2019d like the interception back in the fourth quarter in Indy territory. But the kicker also needs to make the 42-yard field goal later or else the Broncos could still be 2-0 right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nix didn\u2019t take a sack on the road, which is always nice. But you can\u2019t miss badly on a pick in scoring range like that when you have a chance to extend the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"21-trevor-lawrence-jacksonville-jaguars\">21. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 21 (0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not sure how to judge the feast or famine performance from Trevor Lawrence with 3 touchdown passes and some interceptions in scoring territory. Obviously the defense gave away the lead at the end, but it could have been a bigger lead than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian Thomas Jr. has received a ton of criticism for playing soft throughout the whole game, including a drop on fourth down in the final minutes where he had a chance to extend the drive. They\u2019ll have to figure out what\u2019s going on with him as he is the best receiver Lawrence has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"22-russell-wilson-new-york-giants\">22. Russell Wilson, New York Giants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 27 (+5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, I promise this is the last time I talk about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/giants-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Giants lighting it up in the preseason<\/a> this August. But remember when they were scoring over 35 points and averaging 345 net passing yards per game? That was the kind of offense they had Sunday in a wild one in Dallas as Russell Wilson must have anticipated he was close to losing his job, so he played out of his mind with 450 passing yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were five lead changes in the fourth quarter alone of this 40-37 classic, a stark contrast from the 21-6 loss the Giants had a week ago to Washington. Wilson seemed to have the dagger with a 48-yard touchdown to Malik Nabers with 0:25 left to regain the lead. But the defense didn\u2019t seal the deal for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, Wilson didn\u2019t finish in overtime either, throwing an interception that the Cowboys used to set up their game-winning field goal. But we\u2019ll see what he can do to the Chiefs on Sunday night as one of the few quarterbacks in the league who has multiple wins against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-widget-type=\"predictions\" data-entity-type=\"game\" data-widget-id=\"0.omi6a4tq4m\" data-lang=\"en-US\" data-entity-id=\"4427542\" data-publisher-id=\"125\" data-live-mode=\"true\" data-hide-powered-by=\"true\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.365scores.com\/main.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"23-joe-flacco-cleveland-browns\">23. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 24 (+1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn\u2019t a happy return to Baltimore for Joe Flacco after his offense punted on its first six drives. He ended up throwing a pick and took a strip-sack fumble that was returned for a touchdown on a fourth down in the fourth quarter while the Browns trailed 27-10. That eventually led to rookie Dillon Gabriel finishing the game and leading the Browns on a touchdown drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More games like this from Flacco and the job will be Gabriel\u2019s soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"24-caleb-williams-chicago-bears\">24. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 26 (+2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your chances of winning a game when your team gives up 52 points are next to nothing, but Caleb Williams hung in there with the Lions for a half, making some good throws, some questionable throws, and some absurd throws that really should have been caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Okay this is legit insane  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m04OugvwvU\">pic.twitter.com\/m04OugvwvU<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Burns (@therealburns3) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/therealburns3\/status\/1967697351038152746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll continue being a real experiment in Ben Johnson\u2019s offense for him, but it doesn\u2019t look like the Bears have much of a defense to rely on right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"25-drake-maye-new-england-patriots\">25. Drake Maye, New England Patriots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 29 (+4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Drake Maye can finally say he\u2019s started and finished a victory for the Patriots in a game where they allowed more than 3 points. However, it was technically a game-winning kick return touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Patriots on top for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Maye found a lot of use in his running backs and tight ends this week in Miami as they accounted for 166 of his 230 passing yards. But he also rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"26-mac-jones-san-francisco-49-ers\">26. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: N\/A (Brock Purdy was No. 9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s always a struggle to rank the backup quarterback here. I don\u2019t want to put Mac Jones too high since I hopefully can remove him from the list in a week or two. I would rank him much higher than No. 26 if it was based purely on his Week 2 performance in New Orleans. But again, he\u2019s Mac Jones. You don\u2019t want to get too confident that he\u2019s the right guy behind center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But given the low expectations, Jones was more than respectable with 279 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the 49ers didn\u2019t even have George Kittle (hamstring) for this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"27-justin-fields-new-york-jets\">27. Justin Fields, New York Jets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 22 (-5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See, I didn\u2019t want to give Fields too much credit for Week 1 given his NFL career to this point. But he somehow went from maybe his best NFL game to his worst NFL game against a Buffalo defense that was giving up over 10 yards per play to the Ravens in Week 1. Fields had 3 completions in this game, which he played into the fourth quarter before a concussion knocked him out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyrod Taylor immediately came in and completed 3 passes like it was nothing, because that\u2019s what a real NFL quarterback should do. I kind of hope Taylor starts next week as he is a better quarterback than Fields because of his passing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fact that Mitch Trubisky, Josh Allen\u2019s backup, finished this game with more passing yards than Fields thanks to a single 32-yard completion is absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Jets are going nowhere with Fields. Week 1 was a mirage as the Steelers have some major issues to sort out right now on defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"28-tua-tagovailoa-miami-dolphins\">28. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 25 (-3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Dolphins were able to put up some touchdowns this week with Tua Tagovailoa getting his best weapons involved against the Patriots. But his decision making has regressed, and he took 5 sacks in this game while throwing a brutal pick late in the fourth quarter when he had a chance at a go-ahead drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even after getting the ball back in a 33-27 game with the ball at his own 40 thanks to the landing zone rule, he still couldn\u2019t get it done for a go-ahead touchdown, taking consecutive sacks to kill the drive. Having a delay of game is also inexcusable in that situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a mess in Miami and the coach is getting fired any day now. But Tagovailoa is a hot mess too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"29-bryce-young-carolina-panthers\">29. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 30 (+1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bryce Young started this game so poorly with a fumble-six and a 27-9 deficit late. But he almost pulled off a wild 18-point comeback in barely half a quarter thanks to some huge breaks with fourth-down conversions, an onside kick that was actually recovered, then some bail-out penalties like a hold to wipe out a 29-yard sack on fourth down and a cheap roughing the passer penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But then 33 yards away from the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute, Young was called for grounding and that blew up the drive. He was sacked on 4th-and-15 to end the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like the way he battled this week, throwing for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns with no real running help. But he needs to do something earlier in games after abysmal production in the first 50 minutes of both games this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"30-spencer-rattler-new-orleans-saints\">30. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 31 (+1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s give Spencer Rattler some credit for battling and keeping the Saints right there after many predicted them to be among the worst teams this season. His teammates missed a 40-yard field goal to start the game and Alvin Kamara had a lost fumble in scoring territory (brilliant play by Fred Warner) late in the third quarter or else the Saints may have had the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was set up for Rattler to have his moment with a 94-yard game-winning touchdown drive in the final 2:40. But that was a bummer they couldn\u2019t just run for the one yard they needed, so he ended up getting sacked on 4th-and-1 to end the game. He\u2019s now 0-for-5 at game-winning drive opportunities with the Saints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I think it also bodes well for Kellen Moore\u2019s future down there in New Orleans that he\u2019s getting this team right on the cusp of winning against superior rosters with Rattler playing respectable football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"31-cam-ward-tennessee-titans\">31. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 32 (+1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, the Titans lost another game to a good team, and Cam Ward again had a troubling sack in the fourth quarter of a one-score game. This time it was a strip-sack that turned a 20-16 deficit into 27-16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I think Tennessee fans, who were there for the home opener, should feel excited because Ward\u2019s first NFL touchdown pass was an incredible play that few could make. You\u2019re not supposed to throw against your body like that, but he put the ball in a spot where it was never really in danger for a pick, and he hit his receiver before halftime to tie the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A reminder of why Cam Ward went No. 1. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GY3jVzfpkH\">pic.twitter.com\/GY3jVzfpkH<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapSheet\/status\/1967293145999351886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Titans are not currently constructed to win games against the Broncos and Rams. But going forward, the progress you want to see from Ward is cutting down the sacks and taking the easier plays to move the chains. But if he has this kind of physical talent in his back pocket to make highlight-reel throws? That\u2019s special stuff you can\u2019t teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"32-j-j-mc-carthy-minnesota-vikings\">32. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Week 1 rank<\/strong>: 28 (-4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was the toughest quarterback to judge in Week 1 since he looked like No. 32 through three quarters. But as we\u2019re learning more about teams this season, it looks like he just took advantage of some short fields and a Chicago defense that gave up 52 points on Sunday to the Lions for his one good quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCarthy is very young, very inexperienced, and he\u2019s by no means unable to do this job. But for now, it\u2019s a tough learning process and he\u2019s clearly overwhelmed by NFL defenses even with the year off to \u201cstudy\u201d things. I\u2019ve always felt that\u2019s overrated and the only way you get better is live reps, but McCarthy took six sacks against Atlanta and just didn\u2019t look very accurate or sharp with his passes to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now he\u2019s going to miss a few weeks with a high-ankle sprain, so expect to see Carson Wentz in this piece next week. Wentz will likely get more out of the offense than McCarthy can right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-2\">2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 2: If Your QB Isn\u2019t a Demon, You\u2019re Not Winning the AFC <\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-predictions-super-bowl-lx\">2025 NFL Predictions: Who Makes It to Super Bowl LX?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-award-best-bets\">2025 NFL Award Nominees and Best Bets: Can We Get a Good and Logical MVP Race?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/eagles-2025-nfl-season-preview\">Philadelphia Eagles 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Did Philly Crush One Great Dynasty to Start Its Own?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2025-nfl-quarterback-rankings\">2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings: This Is Still Patrick Mahomes\u2019 League<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NFL had one of the highest-scoring days in league history for Sunday\u2019s Week 2 slate. However, I would argue the overall quarterback play wasn\u2019t very good despite the points scored, and that could be seen with only two players producing a QBR over 80.0 after nine did so in Week 1. But the injuries &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[402,519,3343,439,410,1941,417,51,404,342,344,52,1037,47,444,1636,2371,48,152,503],"class_list":["post-11769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-bengals","tag-cam-ward","tag-chiefs","tag-eagles","tag-j-j-mccarthy","tag-jalen-hurts","tag-joe-burrow","tag-justin-fields","tag-justin-herbert","tag-lamar-jackson","tag-matthew-stafford","tag-mvp","tag-nfl","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-quarterbacks","tag-sam-darnold","tag-super-bowl","tag-tom-brady","tag-trevor-lawrence","article_type-discover","article_type-news","entity_type-competitor","inspiration-365s-articles","inspiration-planned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11769"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11788,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11769\/revisions\/11788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}