Week 2 QB Power Rankings: San Diego Chargers’ Philip Rivers shines
Sep 14, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) on the field in the third quarter. The Panthers defeated the Lions 24-7 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (-5)
Ryan and Stafford were the two biggest quarterback disappointments of Week 2, probably because they both set the bar so high a week and a half ago. If Stafford continues to play at this rate against tough defenses like Carolina’s, maybe a more accurate overall ranking for him is somewhere between 11th and 14th. His Week 1 game was against a shaky Giants defense; when he encountered a better defense, he didn’t play well. The only exceptionally tough defense Detroit plays this year is Arizona, so we may see Stafford move up here because he’s taking advantage of defenses like Minnesota’s and Atlanta’s.
10. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (+3)
Brandon Marshall bailed Cutler out on several occasions, but even when he didn’t, Cutler was accurate on most of his passes, although he only threw for 176 yards. He had a terrific second half after a mediocre first. In the 3rd and 4th quarters, Cutler took advantage of a shaky 49ers’ secondary.
11. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins (-2)
After a bounce-back second half against New England a week and a half ago, Tannehill wasn’t able to continue his success against Buffalo. The Bills generally held him in check (and held Miami’s offense to just 10 points), but Tannehill didn’t get much help from the rest of the offense, either. A mediocre Week 2 might make some people forget how well Tannehill played in that second half against New England – keeping that in mind, he only falls two spots.
12. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (+3)
Brady looked much better against Minnesota. Brady was expected to expose that secondary, and he did, although he only completed 15 passes (he only threw 22). I started to see the old Brady come back just a little bit – the touchdown pass to Julian Edelman was a beauty.
13. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins (± –)
Cousins was excellent. Yes, he did play against Jacksonville, but he made the kinds of passes RGIII doesn’t make. The offense actually moved down the field on Sunday. Big challenges (Seattle and Arizona) are fast approaching; if Cousins can light it up for the next two months, I’d be willing to give him the job.
14. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (-4)
Kaepernick played a good game aside from two bad interceptions against Chicago. But the two picks by Kyle Fuller were the main reason the 49ers lost, and why the Bears outscored the ‘Niners 28-3 to end the game. Forcing throws is an issue for Kaepernick – although he has arguably the strongest arm in the league, there are some passes that simply should not be thrown.
15. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Dalton only moves up by a spot simply because the quarterback play in the NFL improved overall from Week 1 to Week 2. Although he completed less passes and posted less prolific numbers, he did play better in Week 2; there were 14 better quarterbacks over the course of this year so far, so Dalton sits right above the most average NFL QBs this season.
16. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (+11)
Romo makes the biggest leap on the list this week. He didn’t force any passes – his clean game helped Dallas beat Tennessee soundly. Romo must continue to play this way if he is to reclaim his position in the top ten, which is where I would have ranked him after last year. Romo often gets little help from his supporting cast, but his defense stepped up on Sunday, allowing the offense to put up points.