Top 5 QB Performances of Week 4

The quarterbacks were flying high this past week, as there were probably ten noteworthy displays at this position, with the likes of Ryan Tannehill and Tony Romo narrowly missing the cut despite some fantastic performances.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

In my view, this was easily the best display of the week, and I hope people knocking Rodgers feel quite stupid at this point. We always talk about how great Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford are in the “tools” department, but Rodgers is even better than these two in that facet of the game. Why? His arm is just as strong, and he is also more mobile. More importantly, Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game because he actually combines these elite physical tools with top-notch blitz recognition, accuracy, anticipation, and read progression.

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Rodgers had several highlights on Sunday, including a ridiculous pass that was called back due to a penalty, and these throws are all summed up nicely on the stat sheet in a 22-28-302-4-0 passing line. That’s just unreal efficiency, as Rodgers averaged 10.8 yards per attempt while putting up points at will against an overmatched Chicago Bears defense. This performance proves that what ails the Packers is their offensive line, because, against a Jared Allen-less Bears team that was wholly devoid of anything resembling an adequate pass rush, Rodgers flat-out dominated.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

Steve Smith made short work of his former team with an outstanding seven receptions on ten targets for 139 yards and two TDs, included a tipped TD early in the first quarter that went for a 61-yard gain. That play undoubtedly boosted Flacco’s stats, but he still deserves to be commended for his 22-31-327-3-0 line that wasn’t all that far off from Rodgers’s day statistically. Flacco averaged 10.5 yards per attempt, and he’s playing solid, efficient football after struggling last year behind an awful offensive line and little in the pass-catching department outside of Torrey Smith, who hasn’t been as much of a factor this year thanks to Steve Smith’s exceptional play.

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers

Arguably the most consistent quarterback in the NFL after years of inconsistency later on in Norv Turner’s tenure, thanks to a pathetic offensive line, Philip Rivers is consistently on this weekly list of five. His performance this week wasn’t as impressive since it came against one of the league’s worst pass defenses, as the Jacksonville Jaguars also helped vault Andrew Luck onto this list last week. But like Luck, Rivers deserves plenty of credit for the phenomenal numbers he put up, especially since he was operating without a running game, as Donald Brown was regularly stuffed by the Jags defense. Rivers finished his Sunday with a whopping 377 yards on 29-39 passing, yielding an average of 9.7 yards per attempt to with three TDs and no INTs. Keenan Allen and Rivers form one of the league’s most impressive QB-WR combos, with Allen hauling in ten passes on 11 targets for 135 yards.

Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck

The rival Tennessee Titans were never going to be able to hold down Andrew Luck, and it’s becoming clear that the Indianapolis Colts deep, high-flying, Luck-led passing attack will be as good as advertised. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has finally allowed Luck to reign supreme in the Colts offense, and the passing attack will continue to carry a team that doesn’t have much elsewhere on the roster. With Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton putting up 100-yard days through the air, Luck racked up 393 passing yards, an average of 9.6 yards per attempt, and four touchdowns with just one pick. The numbers Luck is putting up right now are unreal, and it’s perfectly fine to call him the fifth-best quarterback in the league. That’s not where I have him, but I can certainly see the argument for putting him there.

New York Giants QB Eli Manning

It’s quite remarkable to see how the New York Giants offense has finally clicked, though the caveat here is that they are feasting on inferior pass defenses. The Washington Redskins looked downright powerless on Thursday night, allowing Larry Donnell to have his way with the Redskins safeties and linebackers, particularly Perry Riley, in the red zone. Victor Cruz had an even more impressive day, as he’s finally woken up with the Giants offense, which dropped 45 points on their division rivals. Eli Manning put in a strong week, with 300 passing yards, four touchdowns, one pick, and a 97.5 ESPN TQBR. Although Manning had the least impressive game of the five quarterbacks on this list, he was still quite good and is showing everyone why he never truly “declined”.