Top 5 QB Performances of Week 8
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was an easy choice for our “Player of the Week” award after his record-setting performance in a 51-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and he was an even more obvious inclusion on this weekly list of five. Joining him are four other big-name quarterbacks, including New England Patriots legend Tom Brady, who decimated the Chicago Bears defense, as his team also put up 51 points in a victory.
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady
Ever since that infamous MNF loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady has been on a tear, and he saved his best for the spiraling Bears, completing 30 of 35 passes for 354 yards, which yielded an average of 10.1 yards per attempt. Brady had five touchdowns and no interception, and he would have been a sure-fire “Player of the Week” winner in most weeks; it’s just that Roethlisberger was even better on Sunday. It’s been incredible watching how easily Brady is hooking up with Rob Gronkowski, who is finally back to his elite ways after showing some rust in his recovery from an ACL tear. Brandon LaFell looks like Brady’s new second-favorite target, and his strong displays have made Aaron Dobson even more of an afterthought.
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Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning
The Denver Broncos are quite clearly the best team in the NFL, and they made short work of the rival San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football in a 35-21 victory, as they were up 28-7 at one point. Manning has been unstoppably this season, and the Broncos are running a passing attack that is beyond efficient. Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas have been busy racking up yards, with Thomas serving as the biggest matchup problem on a team stocked with them. The Chargers beat-up secondary allowed Manning to average 8.2 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and no picks, and it’s starting to look too easy for the Broncos offense.
New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees
The talented New Orleans Saints finally woke up from their slumber in a huge way, dominating the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, as Brees made a previously solid Packers secondary look like last year’s version. After a disappointing start to the season, Brees got back on track, getting all of his pass-catchers involved and firing just five incomplete passes on 32 attempts. Brees threw for 311 yards with three TDs, no picks, and an average of 9.7 yards per attempt. The Saints offense looks scary again, and the defense’s trademark pass rush looked lively all night, especially after Aaron Rodgers injured his ankle and lost his mobility.
Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
How does Rodgers end up on this list after a 21-point loss and two interceptions? Well, football is a team sport, and Rodgers was one of the few players on the team who didn’t stink. Despite only being able to hit up Jordy Nelson three times on five targets for a meager 25 yards, he still managed to rack up 418 passing yards with a whopping 10.7 yards per attempt. Rodgers made use of Eddie Lacy as a pass-catcher, and he allowed Randall Cobb to help take over. It wasn’t Rodgers’s best display, but his high Y/A and passing yardage totals make up for the picks and the loss. It wasn’t his fault he had to slog through an injury and elevate a team that did not do well enough. Want to blame someone? Blame the offensive line, secondary, and his hamstring injury; Rodgers was more than fine, especially before the injury.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
What Ben Roethlisbeger did to the Indianapolis Colts was just downright dirty, as he set franchise records with 522 passing yards and six touchdowns, completing 40 of 49 passes without a single pick. He barely had any real misfires, and he was especially sharp on deep throws, showing off his arm strength all game long. Roethlisberger spread the ball around to great effect, as superstar wideout Antonio Brown wasn’t the only pass-catcher on the team to have a big day. For more on Big Ben, check out Derrik Klassen’s piece on his record performance.