Week 1 QB Power Rankings: Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford makes top 5
Sep 8, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes to wide receiver Calvin Johnson (not pictured) for a touchdown during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Week 1 of the NFL season was generally disappointing in terms of quarterback play. There were a few standout performers, but for guys such as Tom Brady and Nick Foles, Sunday was a disappointment. With that said, I’ll delve into quarterback power rankings based on Week 1 performances.
As a general note, these QB power rankings are only based on Week 1. They’ll be cumulative as the season goes along.
Without further ado…
1. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Heck of a game by Ryan against a tough Saints secondary. 448 yards and 3 touchdowns with no picks against Jairus Byrd, Kenny Vaccaro and Keenan Lewis puts him above Peyton Manning (so far).
2. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Manning was consistent most of Sunday night against Indianapolis. He did miss on some intermediate to deep passes, but he was spot on other than that.
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben dominated the Browns, completing 68 percent of his passes and throwing for over 360 yards. He looked like the Roethlisberger from 2008.
4. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Detroit doesn’t need to run the ball. Stafford made plays all night, especially by extending plays with his legs (see: Calvin Johnson 67-yard touchdown).
5. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees played very well – like he usually does. He had close to a field day against the Falcons’ secondary, but Marques Colston fumbled in OT, allowing Atlanta to win.
6. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
The first half is where Luck struggles – this was the case against Denver. He almost single-handedly brought the Colts back from a 21-point deficit, recording an exceptional stat line in the process, including a rushing touchdown.
7. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers would’ve been much lower on this list had he not played against Seattle’s defense. When Rodgers had time to throw, he made accurate passes; otherwise, bad things happened. Losing offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga to injury didn’t help either.
8. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Wilson was able to exploit a mediocre Packers secondary; he was accurate and made no mistakes. That read-option fake handoff pass was executed seamlessly.
9. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
After a subpar first half, Tannehill turned it around in the second half, leading the Dolphins to 23 straight points and a huge victory over the Patriots.
10. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
Yes, Kaepernick and the Niners’ offense was set up in excellent field position multiple times by the defense. But Kaepernick made plays not many others could make – one pass to Boldin over the middle required optimal arm strength which few NFL QBs have; both touchdown passes to Vernon Davis exhibited Kap’s ability to extend plays and throw on the run.
11. Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
Locker looked outstanding against an above-average Chiefs’ defense – he played a clean game and led the Titans to a rout of Kansas City.
12. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
Palmer showed his veteran presence in Arizona’s comeback win over San Diego. He was efficient and didn’t throw any interceptions, a surprise to many (although he did fumble). He made some nice plays with his legs as well.
13. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Stats can be misleading – although Cutler threw for just under 350 yards, he had two bad interceptions and let Chicago in a hole that they couldn’t climb out of.
14. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Rivers was not at his best against Arizona. That defense gave him some trouble – he was inaccurate on some throws and struggled to complete passes.
15. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
I guess Brady has to retire now.
16. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton threw errant passes for much of the first half. A.J. Green bailed him out on several occasions. He did end with over 300 yards, however.