NFL Quarterback Power Rankings After Week 4

It’s hard to believe some teams are a quarter of the way through their seasons already. Things are moving quickly, and the quarterback hierarchy has shifted yet again as another two starting quarterbacks went down with injuries on Sunday. The third and final 2019 first round quarterback taken also got his first taste of NFL football. It didn’t go well.

These rankings show the gradual shift in quarterback performances over the season. Players slide up and down a spectrum with the most recent rankings being determined by their most recent performance and their body of work for the whole season.

Before you start reading if you’re new here check out the previous quarterback rankings. They’ll help you understand some of the shifts that have taken place.

1. Patrick Mahomes 24/42 315 yards, 54 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 1

Even though he only completed 57.14% of his passes, Mahomes was still the catalyst for Kansas City’s comeback victory. While many other Chiefs players tried to fumble the game away, Mahomes kept the ball secure and that was the difference in the game.

2. Tom Brady 18/39 150 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 2

The New England Patriots almost lost to the Buffalo Bills, and Buffalo’s defense deserves a lot of the credit. The defense kept Brady in check, holding him to a 46.15 completion percentage and keeping him out of the endzone. It was his first game without a touchdown this season.

3. Russell Wilson 22/28 240 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 3

The Seattle Seahawks dealt with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to advance to 3-1. Wilson completed 78.57% of his passes against the woeful Cardinals secondary. With Chris Carson dominating on the ground, Wilson didn’t have to post a large yardage total.

4. Aaron Rodgers 34/53 422 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 46 rushing yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 4

Rodgers was putting up average total numbers until he faced the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. The Green Bay Packers couldn’t run the ball and asked Rodgers to carry them to victory. Still, they should’ve learned from Seattle and run the ball at the goal line.

5. Dak Prescott 22/33 223 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 8

After a tremendous start to the season, Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys struggled against the Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints. Prescott posted a 73.2 passer rating, his worst of the season. Dallas will try to rebound next week against the 3-1 Packers.

6. Philip Rivers 24/30 310 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 9

The Miami Dolphins kept the game close early on, but the Los Angeles Chargers eventually pulled away. Rivers completed 80% of his passes and did not turn the ball over. The Chargers haven’t looked great this season, but maybe Melvin Gordon’s return will change that.

7. Carson Wentz 16/27 160 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 7

It wasn’t a perfect night for Wentz, but he was able to avoid turning the ball over. His accuracy still needs improvement. This is the third game in a row that he’s completed less than 60% of his passes. Philadelphia’s defense came out as the ultimate hero, not Wentz.

8. Lamar Jackson 24/34 247 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, 66 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 10

The Baltimore Ravens lost to the struggling Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Jackson had not thrown an interception going into the week, but he was picked off twice. It wasn’t an awful game for Jackson, but this was a winnable game for the Ravens that got away.

9. Deshaun Watson 21/33 160 yards, one rushing touchdown, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 5

It’s hard to play like an elite quarterback when you’re running for your life. Watson was sacked six times on Sunday, a testament to how horrible Houston’s offensive line is. Still, Watson deserves some of the blame for Houston’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.

10. Derek Carr 21/31 189 yards, two touchdowns, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 12

The Oakland Raiders have plenty of problems and Carr isn’t one of them. He completed 67.74% of his passes in an upset win against the Indianapolis Colts. Carr doesn’t have a great cast around him, but he’s remained steady while other factors have faltered.

11. Matt Ryan 35/53 397 yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 6

It’s hard to describe just how disappointing the Atlanta Falcons have been this season. Even though their defense is questionable, the Falcons only put up ten points against the Tennessee Titans. Atlanta is 1-3 and Ryan has turned the ball over in every game this season.

12. Jameis Winston 28/41 385 yards, four touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 14

Since throwing three interceptions in Week 1, Winston has done a 180. He set season highs in completion percentage (68.29%) and passer rating (120.5) in Tampa Bay’s upset win over the Los Angeles Rams. Even with the rocky start, this could be a revival season for Winston.

13.  Jacoby Brissett 24/46 265 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 11

Brissett fought to keep the Colts in the game, but the struggling run game and defense ensured that Indianapolis dropped to 2-2 on the season. Brissett’s passing ability has surpassed the expectations that were set when Andrew Luck retired.

14. Matthew Stafford 21/34 291 yards, three touchdowns, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 21

The Detroit Lions came very close to upsetting the undefeated Chiefs. Ultimately, Mahomes and Kansas City prevailed, but the Lions are starting to generate some buzz around the league. They’ve already beaten two playoff teams from last year.

15. Gardner Minshew II 19/33 213 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 15

Call it Minshew Magic, call it Minshew Mania, call it whatever you want, Jacksonville’s new quarterback has game. After falling behind in the first half, the rookie led the Jacksonville Jaguars to a comeback victory over the Denver Broncos.

16. Andy Dalton 21/37 171 yards, one interception, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 18

After a hot start to the season, Dalton has completed less than 60% of his pass attempts in back to back weeks. The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 0-4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Dalton posted a measly 57.4 passer rating.

17. Jared Goff 45/68 517 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 13

Will the turnovers ever end? Sure, Goff threw for 517 yards and posted an 80.3 passer rating, but he turned the ball over four times. With six interceptions, Goff currently leads the league in that category. He threw 12 interceptions last season. At this pace, he’ll throw 24 in 2019.

18. Baker Mayfield 20/30 342 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 24

Maybe Rex Ryan awoke something in Mayfield. The second-year quarterback had a 70.3 passer rating entering Week 4. While his game wasn’t perfect, he completed 66.67% of his passes and the Browns upset the Ravens and seized the division lead.

19. Kyler Murray 22/32 241 yards, one interception, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 23

The Cardinals are still winless after getting handled by the Seahawks. Murray did complete 68.75% of his pass attempts, but that was hardly enough to match Russell Wilson and Seattle’s ground game. While Murray has shown promise, it hasn’t translated into wins yet.

20. Kirk Cousins 27/36 233 yards, one fumble lost

Last week’s ranking: 25

After trampling the Raiders last week, the Minnesota Vikings and Cousins ran into the unstoppable Chicago Bears defense. Even without Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears comfortably beat the Vikings. Cousins was sacked six times.

21. Marcus Mariota 18/27 227 yards, three touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 26

The Titans’ offense and Mariota change week to week. One week they look helpless, the next they’re putting together a highly efficient performance. In the final year of his rookie deal, Mariota is playing for a payday. He needs more performances like this one.

22. Daniel Jones 23/31 225 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 33 rushing yards

Last week’s ranking: 17

While he was the hero last week, Jones looked like a rookie in his home game debut. The most credit for defeating the Washington Redskins goes to the New York Giants’ defense, but Jones and the offense did enough to top their winless division rival.

23. Jimmy Garoppolo BYE WEEK

Last week’s ranking: 27

Garoppolo has the San Francisco 49ers sitting pretty at 3-0. However, their opponents are a combined 3-9. Garoppolo is completing 69% of his passes, but he’s thrown five touchdowns to four interceptions. That won’t fly against the NFL’s elite teams.

24. Joe Flacco 22/38 303 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 29

The nightmare has continued for Flacco and the Broncos. The team is sitting in the basement of the AFC West at 0-4. In Week 4, the Broncos blew 17-6 halftime lead and lost to the Jaguars on a last-second field goal. There is no end in sight to the misery in Mile High.

25. Kyle Allen 24/34 232 yards, three lost fumbles

Last week’s ranking: 16

It was hardly the pristine performance Allen turned in last week, but the backup quarterback did enough to remain undefeated as a starter. Christian McCaffrey and the defense carried the Panthers past the Houston Texans in a close 16-10 win.

26. Teddy Bridgewater 23/30 193 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 22

The former Pro Bowler got the win, at that’s all Saints fans can ask for. Even with the Vikings, Bridgewater was never an elite quarterback. He’s capable of feeding Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas just enough to keep New Orleans afloat until Brees returns. 

27. Mason Rudolph 24/28 229 yards, two touchdowns

Last week’s ranking: 30

The Steelers ran the wildcat several times last night. The wildcat! While Rudolph completed 85.71% of his passes, 16 of his completions went to running backs on short routes. This limited offense worked against the Bengals, but how will it hold up against Baltimore next week?

28. Case Keenum 6/11 37 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 28

After turning the ball over five times in Week 3, Keenum was on a short leash. A slow start and an interception sealed Keenum’s inevitable fate. However, considering how poorly Haskins played, we might see Keenum again before the season is over.

29. Josh Rosen 17/24 180 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Last week’s ranking: 31

While Rosen completed 70.83% of his passes and had his best performance of the year, but the Dolphins remain winless. Rosen went from a bad situation in Arizona last year to a worse on in Miami. How much of this mess is Rosen’s fault and how much is the team just being bad?

30. Chase Daniels 22/30 195 yards, one touchdown

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

The master at making millions for holding a tablet on the sideline was forced into the game when Trubisky was injured. Daniels completed 73.33% of his passes and did just enough for the defense to lead Chicago to victory.

31. Matt Barkley 9/16 127 yards, one interception

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

In for the injured Josh Allen, it looked like the veteran was about to lead a game-winning drive until one of his passes was tipped and intercepted. Depending on Allen’s condition, we might see Barkley start against the Titans next week.

32. Dwayne Haskins 9/17 107 yards, three interceptions

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

In his first NFL action, Haskins gave the Giants something to cheer about. The Ohio St. product was dominated by a New York defense that sits in the lower half of the league rankings. Jay Gruden should start packing his suitcase.

33. Luke Falk BYE WEEK

Last week’s ranking: 32

The Bye Week came at a good time for the New York Jets. The team is still hoping that Sam Darnold will return for Week 5, but he still has to undergo testing. Falk, who started the year on the practice squad, was eaten alive by the Patriots in Week 3.

Injuries

1. Josh Allen 13/28 153 yards, three interceptions, 26 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Last week’s ranking: 20

Despite his terrible decision making, the Bills stayed within striking distance of the Patriots. Allen was not able to finish the game thanks to a shot to the head by New England’s Jonathan Jones. He entered the concussion protocol.

2. Mitchell Trubisky 2/3 nine yards

Last week’s ranking: 19

Trubisky barely got to get his feet wet in Week 4 before he was headed down the tunnel. The third-year quarterback was ruled out for the rest of the game quickly. He was spotted on the sideline with his arm in a sling later in the game.

Played sparingly

Tyrod Taylor 1/1 seven yards

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

River’s backup quarterback attempted his first pass of the 2019 season against the Dolphins. Taylor was a breakout player in 2015 when he became a full-time starter for the Bills and made the Pro Bowl. He’s a great backup, but his days as a starter are likely over.