NFL 2020 Quarterback Power Rankings heading into Week 4

The rankings keep ticking up and down as quarterbacks notch touchdowns, highlights, interceptions, and unfathomable collapses. The fourth edition of this season’s quarterback power rankings reflects on another week of star-studded action, including the emergence of several significant storylines.

It was a bounce-back week for veteran quarterbacks. Following poor showings in Week 2, a duo of signal-callers in their 40s posted vintage performances. The Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles somehow found a way to remain winless despite playing each other, and Nick Foles made his triumphant return to the NFL stage.

1. Russell Wilson 27/40 315 yards, five touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 1

Wilson dragged the Seattle Seahawks and their struggling defense to 3-0 this past weekend. The leading MVP candidate has 14 passing touchdowns, which is more than Kyler Murray, Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson, and Carson Wentz have combined (13). Wilson finished Sunday’s matchup with a 130.7 passer rating.

2. Patrick Mahomes 31/42 385 yards, four touchdowns, 26 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 4

Against one of the NFL’s best defenses, Mahomes proved that he’s the most dominant young quarterback in the league. The former MVP and reigning Super Bowl champion scored five total touchdowns and posted a 133.5 passer rating as Kansas City dismantled Baltimore 34-20.

3. Aaron Rodgers 21/32 283 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 2

The media exaggerated rumors of Rodgers’ demise this offseason. The 36-year-old former Super Bowl champion posted a 124.9 passer rating in Sunday night’s win against the New Orleans Saints. Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception this season, and his Green Bay Packers are 3-0. Arguably, 2020 is already shaping up to be Rodgers’ best season since 2016.

4. Josh Allen 24/33 311 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 6

While he made some mistakes, Allen put together a well-rounded performance against the 2-0 Los Angeles Rams. The budding star scored five total touchdowns, including a game-winning score with under 30 seconds left. At 3-0, the Buffalo Bills lead the AFC East.

5. Ryan Tannehill 23/37 321 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 5

Week 3 wasn’t Tannehill’s best game. The veteran posted a 78.8 passer rating and didn’t score a touchdown. However, he led a crucial drive late in the fourth quarter, resulting in a game-winning field goal with under two minutes remaining. The Tennessee Titans advanced to 3-0.

6. Lamar Jackson 15/28 97 yards, one touchdown, 83 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 3

Monday night wasn’t a great outing for Jackson. The reigning MVP only completed 53.57% of his pass attempts for under 100 yards. The usually slippery quarterback took four sacks while Baltimore’s defense couldn’t get to Mahomes once. Jackson more than doubled the total rushing performance of Baltimore’s top three running backs. The Ravens had to abandon their running game after Kansas City scored 21 points in the second quarter, which ultimately led to Baltimore’s defeat.

7. Tom Brady 25/38 297 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 15

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a vintage performance out of Brady in Week 3. The future Hall of Famer posted a 115.8 passer rating in the 28-10 win over the Denver Broncos. He also connected with Rob Gronkowski six times for 48 yards. This is the version of Brady the Buccaneers wanted when they signed him.

8. Drew Brees 29/36 288 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 12

After struggling against the Las Vegas Raiders, Brees rebounded against the Packers. The 41-year-old completed 80.56% of his pass attempts and recorded a 127.8 passer rating. Unfortunately, New Orleans’ defense couldn’t slow down Green Bay, and the Saints dropped to 1-2.

9. Dak Prescott 37/57 472 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, 26 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 10

Turnovers nearly sunk Dallas against the Atlanta Falcons, and Prescott’s three turnovers cost the Cowboys a shot at going 2-1. Granted, one interception was a last-minute heave to the endzone, but Prescott must take better care of the ball, especially considering the state of Dallas’ defense. Prescott leads the NFL with 1,188 passing yards.

10. Matthew Stafford 22/31 270 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 14

The Lions battled for their first win of the season against the previously 2-0 Cardinals. Matt Prater knocked down a 39-yard game-winning field goal to possibly save Matt Patricia’s job. As for Stafford, he completed 70.97% of his pass attempts in his best showing of the young season. Kenny Golladay’s return made a huge difference for his quarterback.

11. Deshaun Watson 19/27 264 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 9

Watson had the Houston Texans in place to earn their first win of the season. However, after scoring 21 points in the first half, Watson’s offense got shut down. An interception defined Houston’s second half woes. The Texans are 0-3.

12. Derek Carr 24/32 261 yards, two touchdowns, two fumbles lost

Last week’s ranking: 13

After a masterful performance against the Saints, Carr played well against the Patriots. Unfortunately, two fumbles marred the 29-year-old’s day. Carr still ended Sunday with a 119.4 passer rating, but the Raiders dropped to 2-1.

13. Cam Newton 17/28 162 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 27 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 11

After two strong weeks to open the season, Newton struggled against the Las Vegas Raiders. Luckily, New England’s ground game plowed through Las Vegas’ defense, amassing 250 yards. Newton only completed 60.71% of his pass attempts for a 73.8 passer rating, but the Patriots won 36-20.

14. Kyler Murray 23/35 270 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, 29 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 7

I stand by Murray being a future superstar, but the Detroit Lions got into his head. Small mistakes Murray made in the first two weeks became amplified against the Lions, leading to three costly turnovers in the 26-23 defeat. The Arizona Cardinals dropped to 2-1.

15. Ben Roethlisberger 23/36 237 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 16

Roethlisberger continues tip-toeing the line between average and Pro Bowl play. Big Ben completed 63.89% of his pass attempts against Houston as the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to 3-0. Roethlisberger finished the game with a 101.3 passer rating.

16. Matt Ryan 19/38 238 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 8

A late-game interception thrown by Ryan sealed Atlanta’s fate. The Falcons held a 26-10 lead at one point, but it all vanished in the fourth quarter when Nick Foles led a comeback. Ryan posted his worst game of the season, completing 50.0% of his pass attempts as the Falcons fell to 0-3.

17. Joe Burrow 31/44 312 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 18

Burrow played well against Philadelphia, especially considering he took eight sacks. Unfortunately, the Bengals couldn’t put together a game-winning drive in overtime. However, Burrow still completed 70.45% of his pass attempts and posted a 105.5 passer rating.

18. Jared Goff 23/32 321 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 17

If not for a late-game pass interference call against the Rams, Goff’s team would’ve advanced to 3-0. Instead, the Rams fell 35-32 to the Bills. Despite throwing an interception, Goff finished the game with a 111.6 passer rating. If the former Pro Bowler continues playing at this level, the Rams should easily make the playoffs.

19. Baker Mayfield 16/23 156 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 20

The Cleveland Browns have their winning formula. If they hold Mayfield to under 25 pass attempts and run around 35 times, they can dominate games. Despite not contributing a lot of yards, Mayfield posted a 117.3 passer rating in Cleveland’s 34-20 win against Washington.

20. Kirk Cousins 16/27 251 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions

Last week’s ranking: 23

Cousins had his team in position for its first win of the year, but Tennessee roared to life in the second half. The Vikings fell to 0-3, and the Titans intercepted a desperation heave from Cousins to end the game.

21. Ryan Fitzpatrick 18/20 160 yards, two touchdowns, 38 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 28

Fitzpatrick is incredibly unpredictable week-to-week. The bearded 37-year-old was almost perfect on Thursday, completing 90.0% of his pass attempts and posting a 133.3 passer rating. The Dolphins easily topped the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-13.

22. Nick Foles 16/29 188 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

Matt Nagy finally admitted his mistake and benched Mitchell Trubisky. Foles entered the game in the second half, and it took the veteran a few plays to shake the rust off. He threw an interception early in the third quarter before rebounding with three fourth quarter touchdowns.

23. Gardner Minshew 30/42 275 yards, one interception, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 19

After helping the Jaguars battle to a 1-1 record in the season’s opening weeks, Minshew struggled against Miami. It didn’t help that his receivers kept dropping passes and committing fouls, but the second-year quarterback only finished Week 3 with a 79.0 passer rating.

24. Philip Rivers 17/21 217 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 25

Indianapolis’ defense forced three turnovers and scored twice, but credit Rivers for not forcing the issue and playing within the offense. The veteran completed 80.95% of his pass attempts and posted a 125.6 passer rating. At 2-1, the Colts are one game behind the Titans for first place in the AFC South.

25. Teddy Bridgewater 22/28 235 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 27

Turnovers haunted Bridgewater in Week 2, but the former Pro Bowler rebounded against the Los Angeles Chargers. He put together a clean sheet and captained the Carolina Panthers to their first win of the season. When Bridgewater avoids making mistakes, Carolina can surprisingly keep pace with most teams in the NFL.

26. Nick Mullens 25/36 343 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 32

Mullens started in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. The former undrafted quarterback completed 69.44% of his pass attempts and finished his first start since 2018 with a 108.9 passer rating. San Francisco rolled to a 36-9 victory against the New York Giants.

27. Justin Herbert 35/49 330 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 24

After nearly defeating the reigning Super Bowl champions in Week 2, Herbert struggled against the Panthers. He telegraphed some passes and took a beating behind his thin offensive line. One week after Burrow attempted 61 passes for Cincinnati, Herbert completed 71.43% of his 49 throws.

28. Carson Wentz 29/47 225 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 65 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 22

What happened to Wentz and the Eagles? After making the playoffs last year, Wentz looks like a different quarterback. Doug Pederson’s team dropped to 0-2-1 against Zac Taylor’s lowly Bengals despite sacking Burrow eight times. Those two teams are miserable.

29. Sam Darnold 17/29 168 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions

Last week’s ranking: 21

The Jets have ruined Darnold. Coming out of college, the USC product needed to work on reading defenses and adjusting his decision making, but Darnold possessed all of the skills needed to be a successful quarterback. Playing with an inept organization and coaching staff might end Darnold’s career before he gets a fair shot.

30. Daniel Jones 17/32 179 yards, one interception, 49 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 26

The New York Giants might be the worst team in the NFL. Injuries decimated the 49ers, but New York only mustered nine measly points in a 36-9 defeat. Jones continued his trend of turning the ball over, which could result in his demise in New York.

31. Jeff Driskel 17/30 176 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 30

Driskel performed well against Pittsburgh’s secondary last week, but he couldn’t get anywhere against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers threw waves of pass rushers at Driskel, leading to a terrible outing from the career backup. Through three weeks, the Denver Broncos have the third-fewest points scored in the NFL.

32. Mitchell Trubisky 13/21 128 yards, one touchdown, 45 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 29

Credit the Chicago Bears for finally admitting their mistake. Against a woeful Atlanta defense, Trubisky struggled to get Chicago on the board. When Foles came in, he led a miraculous comeback. The way things are going, we might’ve seen Trubisky’s final start in Chicago.

33. Dwayne Haskins 21/37 224 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 31

Is Alex Smith healthy enough to play? What about Kyle Allen? Against a defense that allowed 30 points to Cincinnati’s rookie quarterback, Haskins committed four turnovers. It was a terrible performance which should result in an immediate benching.

34. Brett Rypien 8/9 53 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

This can’t be good. It’s only Vic Fangio’s second year in Denver, but Rypien’s appearance doesn’t bode well for his head coach’s job security.