NFL 2020 Quarterback Power Rankings heading into Week 16

The top-two quarterbacks remain the same in the latest NFL Quarterback Power Rankings. However, Josh Allen is quickly rising into the MVP discussion. Ryan Tannehill and his teammate Derrick Henry are also making noise. Perhaps this MVP debate won’t be as cut and dry as we assumed a few weeks ago.

1. Aaron Rodgers 20/29 143 yards, one touchdown, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 1

Even though Rodgers led his Green Bay Packers to their eleventh win this season, it was an off night for the MVP candidate. Saturday’s performance only marked Rodgers’ second game this year with a passer rating below 100.0. While the 37-year-old continued making history, he opened the door for other players to join the MVP discussion.

2. Patrick Mahomes 26/47 254 yards three touchdowns, 37 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 2

Mahomes closed the gap between himself and Rodgers this past weekend with a three-touchdown performance against the New Orleans Saints. While Rodgers struggled against Carolina, Mahomes put together a 32-point outing against one of the NFL’s best defenses and Drew Brees. However, the older quarterback still has a sizable lead in touchdowns and passer rating.

3. Josh Allen 28/40 359 yards, two touchdowns, 33 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 5

Allen catapulted his name into the MVP discussion with a massive outing against the Denver Broncos. He led the Buffalo Bills to a dominating 48-19 victory. Allen completed 70.0% of his pass attempts and posted a 114.5 passer rating. The third-year quarterback has 30 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, and eight rushing touchdowns this season.

4. Ryan Tannehill 21/27 273 yards, three touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 4

No one can claim that Tannehill isn’t an elite quarterback. The former eighth overall pick led the Tennessee Titans to a 46-25 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 15. Tannehill finished the game with a 145.8 passer rating. He has ten games with passer ratings over 104.0 in 2020 to go along with 31 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, and four rushing touchdowns.

5. Russell Wilson 18/27 121 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 52 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 3

After losing to the New York Giants two weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks escaped with a win over the Washington Football Team. Wilson set a new season-low with 121 passing yards, and his 73.2 passer rating was his lowest since Week 10. While he has 37 passing touchdowns this year, Wilson also has 13 interceptions.

6. Deshaun Watson 33/41 373 yards, two touchdowns, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 6

Watson does a lot with very little help on offense. He had the Houston Texans in place to force overtime against the Indianapolis Colts, but his wide receiver lost a game-sealing fumble. Over the past three games, defenses have sacked Watson 16 times. Houston’s offensive line is putting their franchise quarterback in jeopardy.

7. Tom Brady 31/45 390 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 7

Brady posted a 110.4 passer rating against the Atlanta Falcons, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a narrow victory. The former MVP hasn’t looked entirely comfortable in Tampa Bay’s offense, but he connected with Mike Evans and Antonio Brown for 203 total yards on Sunday. Brady’s seasonal totals are up to 32 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

8. Baker Mayfield 27/32 297 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 12

Mayfield is finally looking like an above-average starter again. He posted a 126.2 passer rating against the New York Giants on a night when Cleveland couldn’t run the ball. Since Week 11, Mayfield has ten touchdowns, one interception, and a 117.7 passer rating. After a horrendous start to the season, 2020 is shaping up to be Mayfield’s best year in the NFL.

9. Kyler Murray 27/36 406 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 10

Turnovers are still a concern for Murray, but he has the Arizona Cardinals in position to make the playoffs. Against Philadelphia, he posted a 127.8 passer rating as his team jumped out to an early lead in the first half. This season, Murray has 26 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 11 rushing touchdowns.

10. Philip Rivers 22/28 228 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 8

Rivers experienced a renaissance beginning in Week 6. Since facing the Cincinnati Bengals, the eight-time Pro Bowler has 18 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 103.6 passer rating. Rivers completed 78.57% of his throws on Sunday and finished the game with a 124.4 passer rating. His efficient style is carrying Indianapolis’ offense.

11. Tua Tagovailoa 20/26 145 yards, one interception, two rushing touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 9

Tagovailoa hasn’t posted eye-popping numbers as a rookie, but the Alabama product knows how to win. He’s 5-2 as a starter with one of those losses coming against the Chiefs. Tagovailoa has 12 total touchdowns and only two interceptions this season. He performed well on Sunday, despite playing without his top three receiving options, Mike Gesicki, Jakeem Grant, and DeVante Parker.

12. Jalen Hurts 24/44 338 yards, three touchdowns, 63 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 23

Philadelphia had two shots at putting the ball in the end zone and taking a one-score lead against the Cardinals, but Hurts couldn’t complete the upset. However, the rookie did everything he could to lift the Eagles to their second consecutive win. With a 102.3 passer rating, Hurts is exceeding expectations two games into his career.

13. Lamar Jackson 17/22 243 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, 35 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 11

Outside of an early interception, Jackson thrived against a beaten and belittled Jaguars secondary. The reigning MVP completed 77.27% of his passes for a 133.1 passer rating. Jackson has faced a lot of criticism this year, but he has three consecutive games with passer ratings over 100.0 to go along with 766 total yards and ten total touchdowns.

14. Kirk Cousins 24/35 271 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 13

Cousins’ only interception came on a Hail Mary heave that couldn’t find its mark. Despite strong performances from Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings came up short against Chicago. The loss puts Minnesota further down in the Wild Card race. Cousins desperately needed that win.

15. Justin Herbert 22/32 314 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 20

Heading into a Thursday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Herbert had three touchdowns and four interceptions in his previous three games. He rebounded against Las Vegas, leading Los Angeles to an overtime win. The rookie completed 68.75% of his passes and finished the night with a 121.1 passer rating.

16. Matt Ryan 34/49 356 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 24

Ryan hasn’t looked good this season. He only has four games with a passer rating over 100.0, and his touchdown to interception ratio wasn’t looking too good. Ryan turned things around on Sunday, throwing three touchdowns against Tampa Bay’s defense. He’s thrown 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this year.

17. Drew Brees 15/34 234 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

It took Brees a half to get back in form. All of his touchdowns came in the second half, and the Saints weren’t able to overcome their five-point halftime deficit. Brees might need another week to get back in the swing of things, but his first game back was promising. The Saints would’ve never gotten as close to beating Kansas City as they did without the future Hall of Famer.

18. Teddy Bridgewater 21/35 258 yards, one rushing touchdown, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 14

The Carolina Panthers came within eight points of forcing overtime against the Packers. Bridgewater is a serviceable quarterback with fringe top-12 potential, but Carolina can ask for more from the former Pro Bowler. Bridgewater has 14 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 95.1 passer rating this season.

19. Matthew Stafford 22/32 252 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 19

Stafford played through pain on Sunday, trying to give the Lions a fighting chance against Tennessee. However, Detroit couldn’t keep pace with Tannehill’s team. Stafford finished the day with a passer rating over 100.0 for the third consecutive game. He has 23 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2020.

20. Andy Dalton 19/33 209 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 18

When the clock hit double zeros in Dallas’ afternoon matchup, the Cowboys were only one game out of first place in the NFC East. After a rocky start to his brief tenure with Dallas, Dalton has settled down. The Red Rifle has six touchdowns and only one interception over the past three games, and the Cowboys have consecutive wins for the first time this season.

21. Sam Darnold 22/31 207 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 31

Darnold’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but the third-year quarterback led New York to a stunning upset against the Rams. That counts for something. Los Angeles has one of the NFL’s best defenses, but Darnold helped his team consistently get in positions to succeed. He finished the day with a 99.8 passer rating.

22. Marcus Mariota 17/28 226 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 88 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

Derek Carr’s season began unwinding in Week 12 against Atlanta, but things took a turn for the worse on Thursday night. He suffered a groin injury early in Las Vegas’ matchup, which pushed Mariota into the starting lineup. Outside of a fourth quarter interception, Mariota did everything he could for Las Vegas. The former Heisman Trophy winner led the Raiders in rushing yards and posted an 83.3 passer rating.

23. Jared Goff 22/34 209 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 16

Los Angeles losing to the New York Jets was a catastrophe, but Goff can’t take all of the blame. His offensive line performed poorly, and the running game wasn’t much help. However, Goff is performing at a level far below what he flashed in 2017 and 2018. The former No. 1 overall pick has 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. It’s fair for Rams coaches and fans to expect more from the franchise quarterback.

24. Ben Roethlisberger 20/38 170 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 17

Big Ben was 1-12 on throws going ten or more yards down field last night. Pittsburgh’s offensive line and running game haven’t helped, but the 38-year-old is beginning to look like another rapidly declining aging quarterback. Unless he turns things around in the season’s final two weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers might push for Roethlisberger to retire this coming offseason.

25. Mitchell Trubisky 15/21 202 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 34 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 22

While he’s far from a star, Trubisky hasn’t looked awful since settling back into his starting job in Week 13. He threw Chicago out of a matchup in Week 12, but he’s 2-1 since then with five touchdowns and only one interception. Trubisky won’t stick around in Chicago after this year, but he can still show some flashes of hope for future potential employers.

26. Gardner Minshew 22/29 226 yards, two touchdowns, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 26

On Sunday, Minshew made his first start since Week 7. The second-year quarterback had his hands full all afternoon with a tough Baltimore defense. While the Jaguars never had a chance, Minshew did everything for his team. He accounted for 235 of Jacksonville’s 267 total yards and posted a 120.8 passer rating.

27. Cam Newton 17/27 209 yards, 38 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 29

It seems highly unlikely that Newton remains in New England beyond this season. The former MVP only has four games with over 200 passing yards this year. He has five passing touchdowns, ten interceptions, and 11 rushing touchdowns, but the Patriots officially don’t have a path to the playoffs after their loss to Miami.

28. Colt McCoy 19/31 221 yards

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

There’s only so much you can ask for from McCoy. The 34-year-old didn’t turn the ball over in his second start this season, but New York’s offense stalled in the second half. Playing McCoy was still a better decision than putting a hobbled Daniel Jones in harm’s way, but the Giants desperately miss their starter.

29. Drew Lock 20/32 132 yards, one touchdown, 37 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 21

After an outstanding game against Carolina in Week 14, Lock had an uninspiring performance against Buffalo. The second-year quarterback posted his fourth-best passer rating of the season, which isn’t saying much. Lock has 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season.

30. Ryan Finley 7/13 89 yards, one touchdown, 47 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

It wasn’t a great statistical performance, and Nick Mullens and Dwayne Haskins are probably better quarterbacks than Finley, but he won in a game where nobody expected much from Cincinnati. Finley protected the football against a good defense, and the Bengals upset their hated rivals.

31. Nick Mullens 21/36 219 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 27

I complimented Mullens several times earlier this year, but he’s turned into a turnover machine that’s killing the San Francisco 49ers. Over the past five games, he has seven touchdowns, eight interceptions, and two fumbles lost. Mullens has 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and is 2-5 as the starter this season.

32. Dwayne Haskins 38/55 295 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

In Week 15, Haskins made his first start since Week 4 against Baltimore. He’s 1-4 as a starter this season, which is hardly shocking. However, Washington might’ve picked up a win on Sunday if running back Antonio Gibson played. Haskins has five passing touchdowns and five interceptions this year.

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